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Joined
Jan 18, 2025
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Hello everyone...This will be my first post on this forum site.
We are a small home brew vintner trying to get established and a small wine maker.

We have had success with a lot of flavors we have made, but this most recent batch is giving us a tough time to begin fermentation.

We are making a cranberry flavor that should be ready for next holiday season.
We started with
15# fresh chopped cranberries
48oz frozen 100% grape juice conc.
12.5# white sugar

Allowed fruit and juice to macerate 24 hours to draw out juice of the fruit.

Added chemicals and 3tsp KMETA, and allowed to rest 36 hours.

Made a yeast starter that took off in the mixer cup using the must in the fermenter.
Added to the fermenter and nothing.

We have tried adding yeast energizer and nutrient, Tried racking off the first round of yeast and repitching, still nothing.
We did check pH and it is floating around 3.4.

Any other suggestions before we assume this batch is shot and pour it out?
 
What would be the best way to address this SO2 ?
I'm not a wine maker so have very little experience in that area.

Based on this article (link posted below) you could probably aerate your must. It should oxidize the SO2 gas to Sulfate ions (SO4--), which are tasteless. Depending on how thoroughly you can aerate, it may take several applications to remove the SO2 excess. Not sure how many, maybe someone else does.
I'd give it 3 aerations, once a day and let it remain closed in between aerations.

https://winemakermag.com/wine-wizard/140-can-you-remove-excess-sulfite-from-a-batch-of-wine
 
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