No fermentation? Strawberry wine...

So I pulled the fruit out of my wine today. Took a hydrometer reading... there has been no change since I pitched the yeast...

I have a beer kit that I started on the same day... thought it might have been having issues, did a hydro reading just to see what was happening there, it is fermenting, but not finished.

Am I panicking too early? Should I consider pitching more yeast?

Yeast is Champagne, pitched on Jan 3. Temp in the room has dropped to 18C at times, but has mostly been at 22C. OG was 1.100, which is where it is now...

Thanks!

Recipe - 7.8kg Strawberries, 600g cranberries, 1kg golden raisins, 4.5 kg white sugar, 1.3kg white liquid honey, 2.5tsp pectic enzyme, 4tsp acid blend, 5tsp yeast enzyme, 3 tsp sodium metabisulphite (campden tablet equivalent)

3 TEASPOONS of k meta? Are you sure? Usually, you use 1/4 teaspoon for 5 gallons. Campden tablets are mixed with binders so one campden tablet is good for one gallon of wine, but pure k-meta is very strong. It's not equal to campden tablets.

If you used 3 teaspoons of k-meta, that would explain why it's not going.

You can get rid of some of it by oxygenating your must. Stir, splash, pour, etc, and some of it will disapate. You could try a yeast starter, too. Make a yeast starter out of some juice (with no preservatives) and when it's going very well, add some more juice with just a tiny bit of your must. If that doesn't stop, do it again with a bit more of your must. Once you've done that a few times over the course of about 5 days, you may add some straight must to it. Keep stirring your must to get rid of any SO2 that you can. You might be able to save this.

Thanks - I went with the info from a book, which said 1 tablet for each gallon, then that each tablet was equal to a half teaspoon...

Been stirring the fruit in, so hopefully most SO2 is gone by now... will get more yeast tomorrow and do up the starter.

Fruit seemed to be in good condition when I pulled it, so the must should be okay (I hope)...

In the meantime will stir to give it all time.

Darn books... should have asked HBT....

Oh... I should say an extra thank-you... since most people must have looked at this and really thought "what a super-n00b!"

Really hope it is salvageable, sure it is cheaper than buying wine, but not when it has to be poured out...

This is just making me more nervous about trying AG... I am sure I can mess lots up there too...

What book is that? Maybe if you made a 10% solution it would equal that! 4 campden tablets is the equivalent of about 1/4 tsp of k-meta. You really need to splash rack this by pouring it from one primary to another and dont be gentle at all, you have a lot of sulfite in there to disperse. You will surely need need the new yeast and you had better make a good starter and slowly introduce some of the wine into your starter a little at a time to get the yeast acclimated to a high S02 level cause it will still be higher then normal. I would keep going until the starter is at least tripled in size and still cooking.

Book was http://www.amazon.ca/dp/0380782278/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 - Joy of Home Wine Making

Am I correct in assuming that my must is going to live okay until I can get the yeast going? All the preservatives should maybe save me maybe? Or am I nuts? Man I am so sad about this...

Feeling like a dummy out of a bunch of money...

lady_brewer said:

Oh... I should say an extra thank-you... since most people must have looked at this and really thought "what a super-n00b!"

Click to expand...

We all had to start somewhere. I'm still clawing my way up out of the depths of cluelessness myself.

From the advice that the smart people here are giving you I'd say there's still reason for hope. My guess is the metabisulfite you put in your must would kill pretty much any spoilage organisms. That's why it's used, because yeast tolerates it better than other microorganisms do. If there's enough in there to kill yeast, it's darned sure enough to kill pretty much everything else that would try to spoil your must. The trick now is to get rid of it (which is possible - the sulfur compounds dissipate after a while on their own) so yeast can set up housekeeping.

Dave

So I am babying the starter, but in the meantime my "must" has sort of a crust formed on the top since the last stirring, when I break it up there is a good bit of gas hanging out underneath. No bad smell (although there is a "fruit juice smell") Took a hydro reading and it doesn't seem that there has been any change (but this only formed sometime today)

Chances that the yeast that was in there may be doing something? Or has my must expired at this point?

Also, forgive me for being really dumb, but when you say add a bit of must and it doesn't stop... I am watching for how much it is bubbling, correct?

Thanks again... I appreciate you giving me hope that I didn't set $100 to mold and be flushed down the drain (or poured on compost...)

I just read this. LB, I just add 2 crushed campton to my blueberry must at start of wine and then 1 tablet each time I rack up to a total of 5 for the batch. I use the EC-1118 yeast and ferment at 62*f until I get to 1030 sg and then rack off the berries.

Here is to hope that the crust is the yeast taking off. In any case, still make that starter and pitch it.

Luck.

If there is a gas being given off then the only thing that makes sense is that a yeast has finally started but Id add that new yeast starter anyway just to be safe. I cant say this batch will be any good but bet it will.

Thanks guys... I added some of the must to the yeast starter and it is still going, so far so good. I am going to add more tomorrow, to the max my starter container can hold and if that goes I am gonna pitch it and cross my fingers. Hope it is the yeast going and that things will work out.

I may still have drinkable wine some time down the road... here is hoping.

Edit: I should add that when I added the first must it actually sped up the activity... it included some of the crusty bit, so maybe that was happy working yeast and that helped it along...

Fingers crossed here!

If t weren't for the crossing the border thing I would definitely be promising a few strawberry yeast samples to interested parties should they turn out okay...

In either case I will be sure to keep everybody updated...

Does it look like I need some of your wine! heres whats bottled and then in carboys waiting to be bottled!

I cross the border with my wine all the time, as long as you dont bring more than allowed it isnt a problem and coming into the states is easier than going to Canada with wine, cheaper too. Last case I took to Canada cost $80 in duty, case to US cost me $4.80

I'm willing to bet this batch will turn out just fine, albeit a slower start. Take others' advice and just stir the fruit down into the must daily for a while.

Once the yeasties get moving, you'll have a wonderful wine and a great story to tell the grandchillun.

Wade- that's beautiful!!!!!

Bob looked over my shoulder and said he HAS to know what you've got in those carboys, and which are your favorites. Bob is much more of a wino than a beer enthusiast, so he's very much interested in unusual wines. His current favorites are oaked chokecherry and crabapple with a bit of honey.

sorry for the threadjack lady_brewer! I'll have to ban myself..........................

YooperBrew said:

Wade- that's beautiful!!!!!

Bob looked over my shoulder and said he HAS to know what you've got in those carboys, and which are your favorites. Bob is much more of a wino than a beer enthusiast, so he's very much interested in unusual wines. His current favorites are oaked chokecherry and crabapple with a bit of honey.

sorry for the threadjack lady_brewer! I'll have to ban myself..........................

Click to expand...

No worries about thread stealing

That does look awesome... glad I know where it is in my posts so I can get the hubby thinking. We have an undeveloped basement (that can't be developed, so we are thinking storage.

And the wine is bubbling like mad... actually looking forward to tasting it when I move to secondary in a week or two... as opposed to being worried about being poisoned.

Im glad its roaring now, as far as my wines go. Check out my link below which will take to you this forums sister sight in which I run for TxBrew. My favorite wine is Black Currant and this fall I transplanted 18 Black Currant trees from way up state New York to my house, 5 hour ride each way but the plants were free and they are all about 4-5' tall. I have a press ow so am getting big into wine from grapes now.