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Airlock STILL going?

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theAut0

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 15, 2016
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It's Day 21 of my first mead, recipe courtesy mazer828.

18lbs Honey
D47 to start, WLP099 about 9 days later.

Racked to Carboy 3 days ago (at 1.005), because I was worried about sitting in the bucket forever, and it was getting a yucky egg smell. It had a little bit of sediment at the bottom, say 1/4" thick, or so. The smell is basically gone, you may catch a slight whiff of it, if your nose is searching for it.
Today it has about 1" sediment, and the airlock is still bumping every 9-10 seconds or so.

I mean, eventually, it stops bubbling, right? Lol. Thanks!
 
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Farmboyc

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 2, 2015
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Well you really slowed it down when you racked it. Also you are fermenting a boatload of sugar. I would expect it to continue for a coupke more weeks at least.
Patience is a virtue I am told. :)
 
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theAut0

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 15, 2016
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Lol it's tough. I assumed 1.005 meant we should be slowing down, but I must have been wrong, since she's still rolling. Haha. Oh well.
 
Mazer828

Mazer828

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Sep 9, 2015
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If you're getting egg, it's probably starving for nutrients. I would definitely consider a Fermaid-O or boiled bread yeast addition soon, and a thorough degassing. Is your temp high? More details on the progression of this might allow for better advice.

Edit:

Sorry, I skimmed your post too quickly. At this point I'd say hold off. Just let it finish naturally. Adding any nutrients probably won't have a huge effect after you've burned thorough all that sugar. I'm guessing your abv is soaring up into the 20% range. Patience is the game now.
 
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Squatchy

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Nov 3, 2014
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Bubbles are no indication of things really. Buy a hydrometer. Even after you're finished fermenting it will still off gas for a very long time. Please make sure to keep the lees stirred in suspension for a few more weeks. Once your positive it has stopped moving then let it sit (cold crash it if you can) until you have a lot of sediment on the bottom and then rack it off the sediment.
 
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theAut0

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 15, 2016
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Thanks all. I have one, Squatchy. She's sitting at a cool 0.995, at the moment, and a taste test tells me I basically made rocket fuel. Lol. Put it side-by-side with the vodka I used for the airlock, and they're pretty similar, right now. Hahaha. Honestly, I think as long as it doesn't get infected, this might end up REALLY good. I'm hoping that apple scent I kept getting early-on sticks around. Add to that, the heavy char oak spirals I will be putting it on, later, and it might be the real deal!
 
zpeckler

zpeckler

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Mar 7, 2014
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At this point, time is your friend. The rocket fuel taste can age out. It might take 6 weeks, 6 months, or 6 years. Only time will tell.

Do like Squatchy says and stir up your lees every few days for a couple weeks. The yeast well continue their metabolism for a little while after fermentation is finished, and they can often times clean up the off-flavors. This can help minimize the aging time needed before you've got a delicious, drinkable product.

Don't get discouraged, though. Take what you learned with this batch and make an even better one next time!
 
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Foothiller

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Apr 1, 2015
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Very slow airlock activity can continue for quite a while if you haven't stopped the yeast with sorbate and/or sulfite. I have some batches in carboys after racking, to let the residual yeast continue to condition the finished mead. Every once in a while when I'm in my work room I can still hear a bubble.
 
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