44785255-Undomiel at 1 week

I took a hydrometer reading today: 1.124, it was 1.130 when this batch started. It’s bubbling at about 1 bubble/37 seconds. This is a very slow ferment.

 

 

I’ve noticed it’s been a very slow ferment; there’s been steady but very slow bubbling right from the start. I was concerned it might even be stuck so during the first three days I shook it up a number of times. Reading various forums online since then suggests that might have been a mistake; the aromatics in the honey are very sensitive early on and shaking it may have compromised the taste. Mind you, the hydrometer reading hasn’t changed much so there’s hopefully still enough honey in there to recapture what scents/tastes I may have shaken off.

 

I topped up the jug with some spring water to reduce the amount of airspace in the jug. That’s pushed the raisins, which have bloated up like little grapes, to the top of the jug. Some of them, as you can see in the picture, are sitting on top of each other. If they don’t sink again after a bit I may just start removing them. (I hate the taste of raisins.)

 

A couple of hypotheses as to why this is such a slow ferment:

 

• I didn’t use any chemical nutrients; I used lemon juice, raisins, and jasmine tea instead.
• The high sugar content given the amount of honey I put into one gallon; yeast doesn’t like an overabundance of sugars as that inhibits their growth.

 

I’d be curious to hear anyone else guess as to why this is such a slow ferment.