Hi there, I am making my first batch of honey wine, mixed 3 gallons at a 4:1 water honey ratio. At first nothing was happening after 4 days. Then I read the post that recommended adding more water, tannins (used 10oz black tea), yeasty fruit, and stirring more frequently. I did all that, and stirred with passion for 2-3 more days. The odor and texture of the stuff changed. The odor became kind of strong and heady - I actually couldn't work in the same room as the stuff it smelled so strong. Not bad at all, just... strong. It didn't taste very alcoholic though. It did taste less sweet and more sour, however. There were some bubbles on the surface here and there, but it wasn't effervescent to the taste or to the eye. At this point I figured it smelled heady enough and had enough bubbles on the surface that it must be fermenting, and put it in a 3 gallon carboy with an airlock.
After about 12 hours, though, there is no activity in the airlock I can detect. There is a half inch or so of bubbly foam at the neck of the carboy, and I can see little bubbles rising up through the carboy glass. So something is happening.
My question is: did I somehow end up lacto-fermenting my batch by not stirring enough at first and then too much at the end? Should I expect my airlock to be bubbling vigorously (or at least perceptably) at first, or does that not necessarily indicate that it isn't fermenting properly?
Would very much appreciate any thoughts or advice. Many thanks!!