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Jeepaholic · 12-19-2012, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDXHollyD

I posted this a while back, but it got lost. Does anyone have an opinion on this? Would it work to dump them all back into a bucket and add a packet of yeast?

"So I've tried a few bottles of SP and they are not carbonated at all after almost a month. Is it possible that the yeast was dead? I used dextrose at the normal amount (3/4 cup to 5 gallons) for bottling. Can this be fixed or should I just dump all those bottles into a keg? I hate to drink unfermented dextrose if there's an option."

Did you stabilize the must before back sweeting? It is part of the process of making skeeter pee. If you did all yeast is dead now and can't carbonate.

**WortMonger** · 12-19-2012, 09:00 PM

I have to try this! Lots of empty glass carboys now since I swapped to Sankes.

Effington · 12-20-2012, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeepaholic

Did you stabilize the must before back sweeting? It is part of the process of making skeeter pee. If you did all yeast is dead now and can't carbonate.

My thoughts exactly - if you use the Kmeta and sorbate to stabilize then carbonating is out of the question. This step kills the yeast so that the pee can be backsweetened.

I do wish more wine (and beer) recipes explained more about the "why" of each step, but learning from experience is part of the experience.

FTG-05 · 12-20-2012, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Effington

My thoughts exactly - if you use the Kmeta and sorbate to stabilize then carbonating is out of the question. This step kills the yeast so that the pee can be backsweetened.

I do wish more wine (and beer) recipes explained more about the "why" of each step, but learning from experience is part of the experience.

I'm with you on this.

PDXHollyD · 12-22-2012, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeepaholic

Did you stabilize the must before back sweeting? It is part of the process of making skeeter pee. If you did all yeast is dead now and can't carbonate.

This is a solid theory, but I didn't use any of those since I knew I wasn't going to be sweetening with sugar. I didn't use the sparkolloid or anything either, for what that's worth. I just waited until it cleared on its own, sweetened with Splenda, added a packet of lemonade Koolaid (unsweetened) and then did the normal bottling procedure with dextrose simple syrup mixed in the bottling bucket.

Jeepaholic · 12-22-2012, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDXHollyD

This is a solid theory, but I didn't use any of those since I knew I wasn't going to be sweetening with sugar. I didn't use the sparkolloid or anything either, for what that's worth. I just waited until it cleared on its own, sweetened with Splenda, added a packet of lemonade Koolaid (unsweetened) and then did the normal bottling procedure with dextrose simple syrup mixed in the bottling bucket.

The only other thing I can think of is that the yeast are dead from all the work of fermenting all that sugar in a high acid environment. How long did it take for it to clear on its own? Also what kind of yeast did you use.

PDXHollyD · 12-23-2012, 08:02 AM

Let's see. I started it on 9-3, added the slurry from a batch of Apfelwein (originally a pack of Montrachet yeast) on 9-5, had good activity by the next day. Gravity was 1.050 on 9-9 so I added the third lemon juice, energizer, and nutrients. Racked it to a new carboy on 9-13. Let that sit and clear until 10-30, which is when I bottled.

If the yeast are dead, can/should I pitch more to try to eat up the dextrose and carbonate it? At this point if I poured it all back into a bucket it'd be a five-gallon batch minus three or four 12-ounce bottles. I'm not sure if this would work, or how much yeast to use for such a job.

Clifton · 01-13-2013, 02:03 AM

Anyone ever heard of Lynchburg lemonade? Well add some whiskey to your SP and you will be blown away. It is so good. And strong too. Please drink responsibly.

saramc · 01-13-2013, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDXHollyD

If the yeast are dead, can/should I pitch more to try to eat up the dextrose and carbonate it? At this point if I poured it all back into a bucket it'd be a five-gallon batch minus three or four 12-ounce bottles. I'm not sure if this would work, or how much yeast to use for such a job.

If the yeast are dead, they will not wake up to carbonate something. Dead, is dead.

Arpolis · 01-13-2013, 12:09 PM

Here is an update on my SP batch. I bottled 18 750ml bottles and 9 11.5 oz bottles. I added some 2.6 oz of table sugar to the whole batch by dissolving it is two cups of the wine. It has been a couple weeks now and zero carbonation. The original yeast slurry was Lalvin 71-B so alcohol tolerance is not an issue. When I racked it last I knew it would be a while befor I bottled so I did use a dose of Camden tablets but no sorbate. I made sure to wait over a month for sulfites to dissipate but I guess there was too little yeast and the high acidic wine was too much for a small ferment to pick back up. Looks and tastes great though. I may enter this one in our local fair competition.