Had stuck fermentation, added calcium carbonate, what now?

Heathenlegions · Oct 12, 2011

So my mead was only bubbling through the airlock one bubble every 14 seconds since I first started this batch, which was almost a week ago. Today, I spoke about this dilemma with a local brewer and he told me to purchse so fermaid and calcium carbonate. So I added fermaid almost an hour ago and just added calcium carbonate to my 3gallon carboys 35 minutes ago. It is now bubbling in the airlock about one bubble every seven seconds, about half the seconds it took to bubble these past several days. When will I expect to see more rapid bubbling?

Thanks

SRodgers · Oct 12, 2011

As most here will tell you bubbles are a poor indication of how mead is doing. You’ll do better using a hydrometer to check the gravity for a change to know its still fermenting and when it is done. For better advice you should post your recipe and process. Hope this helps.

Chevette Girl · Oct 12, 2011

I saw in your other post about corn sugar that your musts had 8% potential alcohol, did you estimate with a mead calculator or did you measure with a hydrometer?

Fermaid won't help all that much if the yeast has already eaten more than about 1/3 of the available sugars and the calcium carbonate won't help unless you have a pH problem. The additional airlock activity could be from the chemical reaction as the caclium carbonate reacts with acidity and makes additional bubbles, hopefully your must actually needed that.

You should know within about 24 hours if it's made much of a difference, but as Srodgers already indicated, airlocks are a lousy way to keep track of your fermentation.

Heathenlegions · Oct 12, 2011

Hello! Yes, I'm interested in adding corn sugar to raise the alcohol content. The local brewmakers measured a sample of my mead earlier before adding the calcium carbonate, he used what looks like a refractometer and then he used what Im thinking was a hydrometer.
Yes, I had a low ph, tested the mead with some ph strips.
Well, the only other sign of visible fermentation is a bunch of little bubbles constantly rising up to the surface of the mead when you look close, then dissapears. I guess I will wait till tomorrow, I will let you know what happens. Thank you!

Heathenlegions · Oct 12, 2011

Yeah, I should seriously get my own hydrometer. Will do soon, especially if it's the only accurate way of determining what's going on. thanks

Chevette Girl · Oct 15, 2011

Heathenlegions said:
Well, the only other sign of visible fermentation is a bunch of little bubbles constantly rising up to the surface of the mead when you look close, then dissapears.

No matter what your airlock is telling you, rising bubbles in your must is indeed a sign of fermentation.

Heathenlegions · Oct 17, 2011

You made my day!
.. I was very worried

, especially worried that I just wasted 12 pounds of honey on these two carboys. THANK YOU , THANK YOU

Chevette Girl · Oct 17, 2011

Next trip to the brew store, put hydrometer on your list. It's the only way to be sure...

huesmann · Oct 18, 2011

I thought it was "take off, nuke the site from orbit?"

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Had stuck fermentation, added calcium carbonate, what now?

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