As you can see by the photo, there is pressure from the bucket pushing the liquid down, however not enough pressure to make it bubbly. That has just about finished after just under 4 weeks. I woke up one morning to discover downward pressure forcing the water around in the top airlock.
Basically downward pressure from the atmosphere & upward pressure from the bucket. Does anyone have an answer to what’s going on?
Hi there Jeff, what kind of mead are you making?
Jordan and I are discussing your question but have no answers, just speculation about a possible recent temperature change, or the type of yeast or fruit in your mixture. I’ve seen the water level shift around during the process here in past batches too…just never gave it much thought.
I’m also curious about your double airlock setup - that’s interesting, do you use that when it’s a very large batch?
Hi Eva, thanks for putting thought into my question. The mead is a melomel with Monstera Deliciosa fruit. There is 8 litres in a 10 litre bucket. The double airlock was just a “small things amuse small minds” thing. It was interesting to watch them both working, especially after I got the join perfectly sealed. I’m looking forward to using it when I make another sugar wash which are VERY active for about 5 days.
I found the answer to the question the other day via my scientifically minded son-in-law. After a bit of thought, he asked me a question: Is the air coming out co2? because co2 is soluble with water. Straight away I knew I had the answer. Therefore basically the co2 that dissolved in water created a vacuum, allowing the atmosphere to push down on the liquid by the amount that dissolved in the water.
This sent me on a journey of learning about ocean acidification, acid rain, and normal rain which is also slightly acid, which I didn’t know before.
Fascinating! I almost began arguing with my husband because I suspected a vacuum was at play, but not in a way I could describe. He was skeptical. Can’t wait to show him your post 
Anyway, your melomel sounds like it will be delicious - let me know when it’s ready and I’ll be over 
I was also of the opinion that a vacuum of some sort was responsible, which also confirmed that the join was perfect which wasn’t when I first installed it.
After my research I have the opinion that the level will alter from cold to hot as water absorbs more co2 while cold, then releases it when it’s hot.
The drink is beautiful, it’s Wilma’s favorite so far. I made a smaller batch recently which I’m drinking at the moment. We got a lot of Monsterios this year, so I have a lot in the freezer I can draw from.
