Cranberry wine will not ferment

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Nick Z

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2019
Messages
297
Reaction score
42
I'm trying to make a batch of cranberry wine. It's a two gallon batch with an OG of 1.080.

I have been trying to get a ferment going for a week. First I pitched half a known good (it inoculated something else perfectly), new packet of 71B, rehydrated with Go Ferm. That didn't work so I pitched another new packet of 71B. That didn't take so I rehydrated a third full packet of 71B.

Nada. Nothing. No change in OG. No signs of fermentation at all. Nothing. It seem as soon as the yeast hits the must it dies. I'm now out of 71B and just threw in my one and only packet of MA33.

What is going on? I read that cranberry wine can be hard to start, but I've done a large overpitch three times. The yeast packets were new. I've done rehydration according to all the directions. I've never had close to this much trouble getting a fermentation started.

Can anyone please advise me as to what to do? I wanted to use 71B or MA33 because they will eat some of acid. But at this point I'm willing to settle for just getting the fermentation started.
 
Cranberries have natural sorbic acid - a preservative. To get CB to go, you need a really active strong starter. Acclimate the starter to the CB juice, and then pitch. Start the yeast 36-48 hours early.
 
I would start 4 grams in 1/2 cup of warm water for at least 2 hrs. Ensure cranberry juice is 75°c and cross fingers
 
Back
Top