White Grape Juice/Yeast ?

Just started a batch of white grape juice cider/wine today. One gallon tester bottle, the sg was 1.130 and i used yeast nutrient and about 1.5-2 lbs sugar. Everything room temp and the yeast was red star champagne pasteur. My question is the yeast seems to be suspended in the liquid and no action after half a day... Is the batch ruined? I wanted a table like wine... Anybody done anything like this before...? Just a cheap one to see if it would turn out so no big deal, any input appreciated.

food-variety grapes & grape juice won't make a high quality wine. It will likely turn out thin & watery.

Also, did you check to see if the grape juice you purchased contained preservatives such as pottasium sorbate? If so, that will put the kibosh on your fermentation.

regardless, 1/2 a day isn't very long.

I have a recipe for Welch's grape juice wine in my recipe pull-down- take a look and see if it's similar to what you made. I have instructions in there, too, that might help.

If you used a juice with sorbate or benzoate, it won't ferment. But otherwise, the yeast will get started sooner or later.

I did everything by the books, no preservative, super sterile with c-brite... just wondering why all my yeast still looks like it does in the package except its in the juice...? Is this normal will they start to work in a few days? If i want it to stay sweet with a high abv should i pull at a week/week and a half when its down to...(what?) 1.010???(starting was 1.130) Or just by taste with turkey baster/wine theif. Been long time creep here so i kinda got a handle on everything but only been practicing it like a dozen times.

High ABV and sweet are direct opposites in yeast terms. The yeast eats the sugar and makes alcohol. Can't have both unless you back sweeten after fermentation is complete.

DoctorCAD said:

High ABV and sweet are direct opposites in yeast terms. The yeast eats the sugar and makes alcohol. Can't have both unless you back sweeten after fermentation is complete.

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That's not really the case- you can allow the wine to ferment out, and incrementally add more sugar. It will overwhelm the yeast strain's alcohol tolerance, and you'll end up with a sweet, high ABV wine.

I still suggest reading through the instructions I've posted, as I think that would answer some questions and explain what to look for and the time line for each step.

jakdaou said:

just wondering why all my yeast still looks like it does in the package except its in the juice...? Is this normal will they start to work in a few days?

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Did you just dump the dry yeast into the must, or did you rehydrate it according to the directions on the pkg?

Yooper_Brew said:

That's not really the case- you can allow the wine to ferment out, and incrementally add more sugar. It will overwhelm the yeast strain's alcohol tolerance, and you'll end up with a sweet, high ABV wine.

I still suggest reading through the instructions I've posted, as I think that would answer some questions and explain what to look for and the time line for each step.

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I guess I stated it incorrectly...but we both are expressing the same thing. Sweeten AFTER fermentation.

DoctorCAD said:

I guess I stated it incorrectly...but we both are expressing the same thing. Sweeten AFTER fermentation.

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Or during- the yeast will just poop out when they poop out. For a sweet wine, you can add more sugar during (or before) fermentation, and the yeast will stop when they've reached their ABV limit.

The issue might be a sweet rocket fuel, in the end.

Another way to make a sweet wine that is not Rocket fuel is to use a yeast with a lower alcohol tolerance.

Everything is going great now! Not to sound like a D@%K but earlier when stated that "i did everything by the books" i was being honest... Again not in a rude way am i saying that at all. I took yoop's and others recipes and tweeked to my liking and away i went. Guess i need to just be a little bit more faithful in my yeast and myself, its only like my third batch.., The pineapple turned out tart as all he-double L can be and the cyser i got going stopped bubbling in the airlock so im going to pull it chill and drink straight away for my last day of leagues sunday. Hopefully this new white-grape table/sweet wine turns out decent... Next will be a homebrew take on the apple pie recipe with everclear(brewed of course, not buying everclear again)! This is an addicting hobby! What are everyones thoughts on why my pineapple turned so tart? Heres the strory: Gallon pineapple juice, no preservatives(pineapple is pretty sweet) so i only added a cup and three quarters organic sugar, handful of raisins, nutrient and i wanna say cotes de blanc...? No sg or fg but the stuff has an alcohol kick, just way to tart...Smells a little like a can of beer thats set out in the sun for a day or two. Maybe dilute with another half gallon of pineapple juice? Any thoughts? No big deal if i gotta throw it it was cheap anyway, under like 5 bucks...

jakdaou said:

Next will be a homebrew take on the apple pie recipe with everclear(brewed of course, not buying everclear again)!

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Whoa, whoa, whoa.

You make your own everclear?

These are NOT distilling forums.

Goodbye.

Justibone
Quote:
Originally Posted by jakdaou
Next will be a homebrew take on the apple pie recipe with everclear(brewed of course, not buying everclear again)!
Whoa, whoa, whoa.

You make your own everclear?

These are NOT distilling forums.

Goodbye.


I should have known someone could or would take that way to litteraly!!! Look between the lines! Dont judge a book by its cover! There are a million of these phrases i could throw out there! Im NOT distilling anything!!!!!!! Im trying to replicate the flavor!!! I HOPE that is CLEAR enough. Remind me next time to dot my i's and cross my t's before i post something with a potential to get twisted out of proportion. Sure hope i continue to get constructive help from this website and not anymore critique!

Goodbye to you good sir!!!