Hard Lemonade -- No Activity After 96 Hours

[WinterWarrior]

Howdy!

Am I worried for no reason?

It's been approx. 96 hours since I put my hard lemonade into fermentation. I've left it alone since I pitched the yeast.

This is the recipe I got from my LHB guy and what I did.

Recipe:
6 cans frozen lemonade concentrate
4 lb. sugar
Spring water to top up to 5 gallons
Red Star Champagne yeast (proofed w/ sugar water and added when temp matched)
Starting OG: 1.062

This is sitting in a 6-7 gallon fermentation bucket w/ a tight lid & airlock. There's a bit of head room in the bucket, since what I have in there is 5 gallons.

It's about 70-72 degrees in the room where the bucket is.

I read here that sometimes the Red Star yeast doesn't handle the acidity in lemonade well, but the LHB guy didn't seem to think I'd have a problem when I went back to buy a different yeast.

Should I:

• Re-pitch with a different yeast
• Add more water
• Add more lemonade
• Aerate
• Leave it the he!! alone

Would welcome suggestions as I've been very lucky to never have a brew that didn't take off as expected.

Thanks,

Winter!

 

[insanim8er]

Oh you need a big starter for that to take off. Plus you made sure there was no potassium sorbate in the juices?

Have you read the skeeter pee forum? If not, read it or go to skeeterpee.com

 

[WinterWarrior]

Oh you need a big starter for that to take off. Plus you made sure there was no potassium sorbate in the juices?

Have you read the skeeter pee forum? If not, read it or go to skeeterpee.com

I verified no potassium sorbate -- it was the same concentrate that others on this forum have used with no issues AND I did read the label.

I have read the skeeter pee forum -- that's where I read about the Red Star yeast AFTER I'd already made my batch.

I've had folks tell me how I should have done it. But now I need to know how to fix this batch.

You can bet I'll do the next one the correct way (probably will start it in a week).

 

[insanim8er]

Make sure there is a lot of oxygen and nutrients and pitch much more yeast. You really should've pitched it onto a cake. You may even need to aerate to keep it going and add more healthy yeast.

 

[WinterWarrior]

Make sure there is a lot of oxygen and nutrients and pitch much more yeast. You really should've pitched it onto a cake. You may even need to aerate to keep it going and add more healthy yeast.

Thanks for the advice ... I appreciate it!

Pitching onto a cake would have required me to actually have one from a prior brew, wouldn't it? This was the first brew I've done after a hiatus of about 3-4 years.

I'll re-pitch using EC-1118. Should I proof first or just sprinkle on top and then aerate?

 

[insanim8er]

Someone might need to chime in. I'm not sure if it'll work or be enough. I would hydrate it at the least. You want to pitch on a big starter or a cake because the yeast is ready to go at that point.

 

[boydster]

The acidity is the issue. The first time I tried making hard lemonade, I hadn't seen the skeeter pee thread and just added yeast to some Simply Lemonade. I had the same problem as you are having, so I added some baking soda to neutralize the acidity. It worked, and the end product was fine, but it is much better to pitch on an active cake if you are able to plan for it in the future.

 

[MedicMang]

Just out of curiosity, are you just talking about no bubbles in the airlock? Have you taken any gravity readings?

 

[WinterWarrior]

Just out of curiosity, are you just talking about no bubbles in the airlock? Have you taken any gravity readings?

Correct ... no bubbling in the airlock.

Starting OG was 1.062 and I haven't taken another one. I haven't touched it.

On my way to take another reading ................

Back ... OG reading after about 110 hours is the same as starting OG: 1.062. Tastes good, though!

 

[MedicMang]

Bummer. Well at least you know.


Sent from Cheese Doodle Land.

 

[phug]

Have you tried baking soda to neutralize acidity and repitching?
Have you tried making one big honking starter and then pitching?

 

[Descender]

More yeast. Hydrate it and add some of your must a little at a time over the course of 2 days until you have a quart that is really going. Aerate your must and pitch your starter

 

[therealrsr]

OG reading after about 110 hours is the same as starting OG: 1.062. Tastes good, though!

Thanks for the mid day giggle! (And meant sincerely, not in a critical way) It is still just heavily sugared simply lemonade if the gravity has not moved. Best of luck, and I would humbly suggest getting that ph in line before re-pitching. If it was the culprit the first time probably going to get the same or similar experience.

 

[WinterWarrior]

Thanks for the mid day giggle! (And meant sincerely, not in a critical way)

Always happy to oblige!

I'm following Lorena's recommendation to create a yeast starter and get the yeast used to all that acidity. What I'm following is the yeast starter & yeast additives part of this recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f79/hard-lemonade-68144/

On day 2 and the starter is still bubbling!

 

[buzz1670]

I have the same problem.Yesterday I pulled the cover off and it was fizzing like a carbonated soda.I pulled the airlock today and put my ear by it and I can still hear it fizzing.Is this fermemting?

 

[WinterWarrior]

I have the same problem.Yesterday I pulled the cover off and it was fizzing like a carbonated soda.I pulled the airlock today and put my ear by it and I can still hear it fizzing.Is this fermemting?

I'm pretty sure the only way to tell would be an OG reading. I have no movement in OG, so I know mine is stalled. Take an OG reading and see if it's moved from starting OG.

Interestingly enough, yesterday I added yeast nutrient & conditioner, now my must "snaps, crackles & pops" when I stir it.

 

[boydster]

I have the same problem.Yesterday I pulled the cover off and it was fizzing like a carbonated soda.I pulled the airlock today and put my ear by it and I can still hear it fizzing.Is this fermemting?

Sounds like fermentation to me :rockin:

 

[mort012]

I came across this lemonade recipe. It does not last very long.
This is a really easy and good recipe for hard lemonade. It is a lot stronger than Mike's.
Ingredients (makes 6-7 gallons):
- 12 cans preservative-free Lemonade concentrate (I use Nature's best
brand from Aldi's cause it is cheap, Minute Maid is another option)
- 1 lb Extra light or Pilsen Light Dry Malt Extract
- 2.5 lbs corn sugar
- Yeast nutrient
- Lalvin EC-1118 Champagne Yeast (THIS YEAST IS VERY IMPORTANT, OTHER CHAMPAGNE YEASTS HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THE ACIDITY OF THE LEMONADE, BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE YEAST PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS BELOW AS WELL)
- Potassium Sorbate
- Appx 8 cups regular cane sugar
Rehydrate yeast:
Rehydrate yeast by combining 1 cup warm water with 1 tbsp of lemonade concentrate and just a couple yeast nutrient pellets with Lalvin EC-1118 Champagne yeast, Allow to sit for at least a half hour. You should see vigorous action in the yeast when ready.
Brewing the wort:
In a 2.5+ gal brew pot, combine 1 lb Pilsen Light Dry Malt Extract (DME) with 3 lbs corn sugar to appx 2 gal boiling water. This will give you appx 9% abv when finished. To increase alcohol, increase sugar and/or DME, use less sugar to lower ABV). Stir until completely disolved Remove from heat, and 7 tsp yeast nutrient.
Combine wort in large plastic fermentor bucket with 10 cans lemonade concentrate, and enough cold water to fill bucket to bring total volume to 6 gal. Make sure temp is between 65 - 75 degrees, and take initial hydrometer reading. Pitch in your yeast starter. Put lid and airlock on fermentor and allow to ferment at room temp.
Fermentation:
You should see steady fermentation within 2 -3 days, that will last 1-2 weeks. Allow to ferment completely out before attempting to bottle.
Bottling day:
Take hydrometer reading. You should be right around .998 – 1.002 specific gravity.
In a large sauce pan, add 8 cups cane sugar (or to taste), 2 cans Lemonade concentrate, and 3 cups water and, stirring continuously, bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and disolve 3.5 tsp potassium sorbate. Add lemon/sugar/sorbate solution to a 7 gal bottling bucket. Rack fermented lemonade from carboy into bottling bucket with the sorbate solution, stirring thoroughly.
You can bottle in beer or wine bottles, or you can keg. Even with the sorbate, you will probably get a little bit of carbonation as it sits, but it is usually not enough to pop a cork. It is ready to drink on bottling day.

My OG was 1.073. This comes in around 9.5% ABV

Enjoy

 

[insanim8er]

How long do you let it age with the 1118? And is it just one packet? That'll be enough?

I might try it for our vacation at the beginning of August if it's not needing long term aging

My only experience with 1118 was for a pear cider. It was awful after 9 months. finally at the year mark, it turned out good.

 

[mort012]

I just let it get to FG and make sure over a couple of days. It seems to finish up in a couple of weeks and then bottle. It is ready to drink after fermenting. There isn't a lot of carbonation in it but it is very good. I also use plastic bottles. One packet is enough, but be sure to do the starter. it will take a couple of days before any action in the in the air lock so don't get concerned about nothing happening. When I bottle, I always throw some in a glass of ice and sip as I bottle. You will not have to age.

 

[insanim8er]

Cool thanks. I'll give it a try in a couple months for our vacation to beautiful lake chelan. I keg, so I'll probably force carb it after the potassium sorbate.

 

[WinterWarrior]

OK - Update

On the 3rd day, the foaming stopped on the starter and I almost threw it away and started over when I heard hissing from the jar. It was still doing something.

Starting OG was 1.062 and I noticed that after I added yeast additives to the 5 gallons of wort that it fizzed when I stirred, so I took a reading BEFORE I added new yeast and the additives got the original yeast moving again. The OG was 1.054.

Since the yeast starter was slowing down I went ahead and added it to the wort and sealed it up.

A day later and nothing on the airlock. This brew in this bucket apparently is going to require OG readings and stirring throughout -- telling activity via the airlock like I always did with beer doesn't seem to be doing the trick.

 

[buzz1670]

mine never got any activity from the air lock.I checked wiyh the hydrometer and it was down to 1.020.yesterday it wae .0990 so I put it in secondary.smells good,will need to backsweeten.