Hard lemonade w/ no activity

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nitsuj80

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I just made a batch of hard lemonade with the following ingredients.

~~Ingredients~~
10# Regular Cane Sugar
7 Containers off brand lemonade concentrate
3 Containers limeade OR pink lemonade concentrate
1pkt EC-1118
1 tbls Energizer
1 tbls Nutrient
Water to 6 Gallons

My wife was helping me for the first time and she pitched the yeast while the must was still a little too warm around 95 degrees F. Did she cook the yeast? I have not seen any activity and it has been around 14 hours since pitching. I am not really familiar with wine yeast as I have only brewed beer up to this point. How long should I wait before re-pitching? I have it currently at 72 degrees F. Thanks.
 
While I haven't made anything but beer, what I have gleened from http://skeeterpee.com/ is that the yeast will handle the acidity better if its already actively fermenting (in grape juice, for example) when it's pitched.
 
nitsuj80 said:
I just made a batch of hard lemonade with the following ingredients.

~~Ingredients~~
10# Regular Cane Sugar
7 Containers off brand lemonade concentrate
3 Containers limeade OR pink lemonade concentrate
1pkt EC-1118
1 tbls Energizer
1 tbls Nutrient
Water to 6 Gallons

My wife was helping me for the first time and she pitched the yeast while the must was still a little too warm around 95 degrees F. Did she cook the yeast? I have not seen any activity and it has been around 14 hours since pitching. I am not really familiar with wine yeast as I have only brewed beer up to this point. How long should I wait before re-pitching? I have it currently at 72 degrees F. Thanks.


Do you have an update?

Hope it turned out ok
 
I had to go out of town for a little over a week for a family emergency so I will post an update once I get back home.
 
I'm no expert by any stretch, but my rule of thumb is ~ yeast begins to die at 120. I shoot for anything between 65 - 100.

I just started another batch of hard lemonade. I heat 1 1/2 pints of water until the sugar is disolved. I put a cup of hot sugar/water in an 8 oz drinking glass and add the yeast when the temp cools to around 100 degrees. When the yeast blooms and the glass is just about ready to foam over, I add it to the carboy and mix well. It will take off and start foaming over within an hour. after two hours, it'll settle down and the airlock can be put on.

My last batch doesn't seem to be going as strong, but the house is cooler since our summer temps disappeared last weekend.

Good luck

Tim
 
I'm no expert by any stretch, but my rule of thumb is ~ yeast begins to die at 120. I shoot for anything between 65 - 100.

I just started another batch of hard lemonade. I heat 1 1/2 pints of water until the sugar is disolved. I put a cup of hot sugar/water in an 8 oz drinking glass and add the yeast when the temp cools to around 100 degrees. When the yeast blooms and the glass is just about ready to foam over, I add it to the carboy and mix well. It will take off and start foaming over within an hour. after two hours, it'll settle down and the airlock can be put on.

My last batch doesn't seem to be going as strong, but the house is cooler since our summer temps disappeared last weekend.

Good luck

Tim

That sounds like an easy enough way to get it started well. Are you using any yeast nutrients at any stage?
 
Are you using any yeast nutrients at any stage?


I'm going to make all the pro's on here cringe, and I'll probably be thrown out of the forum for being a knucklehead. I've never used nutrients or special yeast. My wife likes to bake and buys yeast in bulk, I just use that.

I Googled yeast nutrient substitute once, and the first thing that came up said to use regular bakers yeast because it was already loaded with nutrients...... well, I was already doing that so I never looked back.

My nephew started making wine from kits a year or so ago, I think he's horrified whenever I tell him how I do things. LOL

Tim
 
That should have said 16 oz glass up there...... the yeast doubles before I throw it in.

Any activity yet nitsuj80??

Tim
 
I have 5 gallons that I did with 7 cans of lemonade 2 cans of limeade and one can of pomegrant mixers. 4 to 5 cups of sugar. 3 table spoons of yeast nutrient half a teaspoon of tannin nad 3 table spons of energizer. I prepaired my yeast in a separate cup to get it going then i tossed it in. Cover with cloth and let sit for 4 days. I have a little bit of caking at the top which is normal. But it really seems to be going along pretty slow. Is this normal?
 
I had pretty vigorous activity right before I left for a family emergency. It has been about two weeks today and it is starting to slow down. I am going to transfer it over to a secondary this weekend and I will take a SG then.
 
Well I just checked the SG and it was only down to 1090 after a little over two weeks in the primary! So I went ahead and transferred it to a glass secondary, aerated, and pitched fresh yeast and energizer. It is going like crazy now. I am not sure if it is alright to aerate after already pitching yeast prior but it seemed to really make a difference. I think I will keep it in the secondary until activity slows down and then re-check the SG. If it is low enough I will just go ahead and bottle. Does this sound like a good plan? Thanks
 
Well I just checked the SG and it was only down to 1090 after a little over two weeks in the primary! So I went ahead and transferred it to a glass secondary, aerated, and pitched fresh yeast and energizer. It is going like crazy now. I am not sure if it is alright to aerate after already pitching yeast prior but it seemed to really make a difference. I think I will keep it in the secondary until activity slows down and then re-check the SG. If it is low enough I will just go ahead and bottle. Does this sound like a good plan? Thanks

The re-aerating is a very good idea, and I'd suggest stirring daily until you're at 1.020 or so.

I wouldn't bottle right from the fermenter, I'd rack when it's at .990 or so and let it clear quite a bit before bottling to reduce sediment.
 
nitsuj80 said:
Well I just checked the SG and it was only down to 1090 after a little over two weeks in the primary! So I went ahead and transferred it to a glass secondary, aerated, and pitched fresh yeast and energizer. It is going like crazy now. I am not sure if it is alright to aerate after already pitching yeast prior but it seemed to really make a difference. I think I will keep it in the secondary until activity slows down and then re-check the SG. If it is low enough I will just go ahead and bottle. Does this sound like a good plan? Thanks

Nitsuj80,

Wondering how your lemonade is doing
 
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