Second skeeter pee not fermenting

[Jon112]

OK this is my second batch of pee. My first is still fermenting. For this batch I added a bottle of cranberry juice for a different flavor. I added a bag and a half of sugar. Yeast nutrient and 1 pack of 1118 . I gave it 24 hours then added 2 bottles of lemon juice.

A week later nothing. I added more yeast and nutrient and still nothing. There is some foamy krausen on the top but no air lock movement and I can see some bubbles coming to the surface to show fermentation but not much.

I might take a gravity today. Suggestions? Skeeter pee better be good because its a real pain in the ass to make!

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

Skeeter is the easiest stuff I ever made. Mix up everything but the juice. Let it get going real good then add the juice. Starts easy and goes dry every time.

 

[Arpolis]

If you see the bubbles then it should be fermenting. When it goes slow like this O2 is your friend. Get a drill and use a wine whip. If you have no wine whip the a coat hanger bent in a couple places chucked into a drill works great. Aerate and mix up the wine twice daily for a minute minimum each time until you hit the 1/3rd sugar break mark. That always helps.

 

[b77chris]

I can not get a batch of skeeter pee to start fermenting. I followed recipe but I added 5 campden tablets at the start I hope thats not where I messed up. On 9-14-14 I pitched Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast and still at 1.070 where i started.

please help only 2nd time I have tried brewing anything and loss the first batch of watermelon wine don't won't to lose another.

 

[Pyg]

I can not get a batch of skeeter pee to start fermenting. I followed recipe but I added 5 campden tablets at the start I hope thats not where I messed up. On 9-14-14 I pitched Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast and still at 1.070 where i started.

please help only 2nd time I have tried brewing anything and loss the first batch of watermelon wine don't won't to lose another.

Lemon is a tough ferment to get started,
no need to add the campdens before hand

 

[Bob_wv]

Lemon is a tough ferment to get started,
no need to add the campdens before hand

Yeah I always make a starter bottle, too big a mess if the ferment fails.

 

[bernardsmith]

I think the idea of using the yeast slurry from an earlier batch of wine is to help fermenting what ought to be a real challenge. The acidity of the lemon juice means that if you simply pitch a yeast that yeast is going to be incredibly stressed because of the low pH and lack of nutrients. If you add slurry rather than fresh yeast then you are adding yeast that is comfortable in a relatively low pH environment, a yeast that has already been very active transferring sugars through its cell walls. In addition, I suspect that the slurry contains lots of dead yeast cells which the active yeast can cannibalize and extract nutrition. The slurry will also add color and flavor from the wine it was harvested from. In another forum dedicated to wine making most folk who make SP seem to use the slurry harvested from their primary buckets rather than from the secondary carboys. Doubtless because that yeast is likely to have significantly more active and hungry cells.

 

[b77chris]

So that being said do I start a new batch or do I throw in a slurry even though I put the campden tablets in it .I have a 1 gal apple-cherry on 3rd day of fermentation

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

Read post number 2

 

[Arpolis]

Oohabooga likes to promote that method and I agree it is about the safest way to start a SP but since the question is about a SP must already started with lemon I'll throw my 2c in.

You have probably one of two options as I see it.

1) wait for your gallon of apple cherry wine to get a good 1/4" or more of lees, rack off that and then add the lees to the SP. That may take an additional 1-2 weeks or more depending on how fast that apple cherry wine ferments and you can save some days by throwing the wine in a fridge once it hits a gravity of 1.000.

2) grab an empty two liter plastic bottle, fill up about an 1/8th of the 2 litter with SP must and then top off to the 1/2 way mark with water so you have 1 liter of diluted SP must. Pitch some new yeast onto that with a pinch of extra nutrients. It should start fermenting and being active within an hour. Add a cup of SP must and wait another hour. If the yeast looks active pitch another cup & wait an hour. If not shake it up "slowly at first" and try and whip up some O2 into the must and then wait another hour to check. Repeat all that till the 2 liter is full. Once full you should be able to pitch that into the sp. You can leave it overnight if you really want to be careful and let the yeast build up but that whole process should take several hours so should be good without the overnight buildup.

 

[b77chris]

Thanks for all the help guys I will let yall know how it turns out. I am determined to figure this wine making out or drive my wife nuts whatever comes first! LOL!

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

Well I like that method cause it gets lots of bubbles going real fast and it don't quit till it is dry.

 

[b77chris]

Ok so I decided to start over I am gonna go with oogabooga's method but do I still use a slurry or do I pitch new yeast?

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

I just use a new pack of yeast each time but slurry should work too.

 

[b77chris]

I am also a little confused on when to stabilize do I do it as soon as it is dry or after it clears and is this the same for all wines?

 

[Arpolis]

I always wait till after it clears. The less yeast you are trying to stabilize the better.

 

[b77chris]

Ok so I started Skeeter pee 9/20/14
1.070 added all ingredients accept juice I also pitched yeast right away foaming within 12 hours 9/21/14 added 30 oz. juice. I am gonna add 30 more oz. today and then when I'm at 1.050 30 more oz. with nutrients and energizer.

Should this work? Anything else I need to do or not do or know?

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

Nice. I usually throw all the juice in at the same time once it gets bubbling good. I add all nutrients and energizer when I mix the sugar and pitch the yeast. I don't mess with it until it stops bubbling and starts to clear. This stuff is one of the easiest to make that I have found. You can flavor or back sweeten or both when ready.

 

[b77chris]

I was trying to to be safe by introducing it slowly but I might go ahead and add all the rest of the stuff today.

Thanks a lot for all the help!

 

[b77chris]

Ok I'm on day 5 of fermentation and it smells like paint to me is this normal?

 

[RegarRenill]

Add some yeast nutrients and energizer. Your yeast is likely stressed from the acidity.