Strawberry Wine Just Won't Ferment

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erikjw

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Hey all,

I've been trying my hand at making fruit wines for a couple years now, with success. Until now, that is, as I have a strawberry wine that just will not start fermenting. Looking for some guidance as to what might be wrong and what to try next.

I'm working off a recipe from the "Winemaker's Recipe Handbook." Here's the recipe, scaled up to make a 5 gallon batch:

17.5 lb Strawberries
17.5 qt water
10 lb sugar
4 tsp tartaric (the recipe called for 5 tsp acid blend--more on that below)
1.25 tsp tannin
2.5 tsp pectic enzyme
5 tsp yeast nutrient
5 Campden tablets

On Saturday, 6/20 I mixed up the must. I was out of acid blend, but had some tartaric, so I thought I could maybe substitute with some success. I added 4 tsp to start, not knowing if it would make my must too acidic. I took a pH reading and it was sitting at 3.3, which I think is on the low end of what you want, so I just left it there. I don't have a kit to measure TA, so I'm not sure where that's at. Of course, I didn't add the yeast at this point--letting the Campden tablets do their thing. Keeping the must covered with a towel to let the sulphites dissipate out (though maybe the towel is too thick? Is that a thing?)

Starting gravity: 1.094

On Sunday, 6/21 (at least 24 hours past when campden were added) I pitched a packet of 71B, rehydrated according to the packet instructions (with 50ml of 95-98.6 degree F water for 20 minutes). The temperature of the must is sitting at 72 degrees F.

I have been stirring the must every day, quite vigorously I might add. Generally I see some activity after the first day, with things really picking up after 48 hours or so at the latest. This time...not so much.

Somewhat frustrated, I took a gravity reading on Wednesday, 6/24. It hadn't budged! Still at 1.094. So, I took another packet of 71B, rehydrated it the same way, and repitched.

And now here I am, the next morning, and still absolutely no signs of life. I am starting to pull my hair out here--what should I try next? How long can I wait before I have to start worrying about the must itself going bad? I've never had to throw away a batch and I don't want to start now!
 
All this looks good process-wise. The only thing I'd have done differently is sneak some pectic enzyme in between the campden tablets and pitching yeast to help clarify but that wouldn't impact the yeast. I suspect the ambient temperature isn't too cold at this time of year which could slow the activity. Perhaps your first batch of yeast was less than ideal which the second batch should take care of. But sounds like you pitched that yesterday. I personally wouldn't worry just yet. Sometimes things just take a little longer for who-knows-why. If you want to prepare for the case this batch does not start either, you might start making a starter (perhaps tomorrow or the day after) but using diluted must adding a bit more of the must in small increments over the course of a day. This would acclimate a new batch of yeast to the must and also validate there isn't something else going on (if that also does not start). You could also try a different yeast like Lalvin K1-V1116 which is a good stuck fermentation yeast (also good with berries in general). Keep the faith!
 
Hard to understand why a recipe calls for the addition of acids prior to racking after active fermentation has ended. How would anyone know how much acidity to add without measuring the pH for stability or the TA for taste (although with strawberries too alkaline a must results in a loss of color so that the finished wine is more a strawberry blonde than a strawberry red.

I would agree with Jeff Wilson (above). You want to add your stalled batch in small but increasingly larger volumes to the starter to neutralize any systemic problem that may be in the stalled batch. You don't say where you obtained the fruit and if they were packed perhaps they were packed with preservatives and that that might be the problem. Of course, if you had hand picked the fruit then that thought is irrelevant.
 
Thank you Jeff & Bernard! I will keep an eye on it today, and if nothing there's still no activity by tomorrow I'll begin with the starter strategy.

I actually did hand-pick all the fruit so no issues with preservatives.

One question from your comment:
Hard to understand why a recipe calls for the addition of acids prior to racking after active fermentation has ended. How would anyone know how much acidity to add without measuring the pH for stability or the TA for taste (although with strawberries too alkaline a must results in a loss of color so that the finished wine is more a strawberry blonde than a strawberry red.

I thought acid adjustments were typically done before fermentation, no? This is actually the first batch where I've measured pH--I'm trying to up my game. Still need to get my hands on an acid titration kit though...
 
What is the reason for adding acids? Is it a ritual with no inherent purpose much like the act of picking up the salt cellar as soon as a plate of food is placed in front of them and covering the dish with salt before tasting it? Or do you add acidity because you know that the fruit you are fermenting do not have enough to inhibit oxidation? How acidic were the strawberries? Does yeast ferment more actively when the acidity (pH) is closer to 3 or 4 or 2? Are you adding acidity to make the wine taste brighter , more zingy when you drink it?
In my book, most fruit that we use for wine have some acidity. I am only really concerned about the pH (and I may be too laid back) when it comes to aging and the need to match the pH with free SO2 to increase shelf life. I am concerned about acidity when it comes to taste (TA) but here I use my taste buds... and for that I need to be drinking the wine and for that the wine needs to be far closer to bottling. I want a TA of about 6g/L (depending on the ABV and the sweetness and levels of tannins etc) but the TA is about taste.. and tasting a wine before you pitch the yeast has really nothing to do with TA...
 
Well, something's happening! I'm hoping it's fermentation, though gravity still really hasn't moved down yet. I'll assume for now that it's just because it hasn't been going for very long.

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20200626_055708.jpg
 
Well, something's happening! I'm hoping it's fermentation,

Cool! Looks pretty healthy. Glad it worked out.

I thought acid adjustments were typically done before fermentation, no?

While the ultimate goal for having the right amount of acid in wine is the resulting taste, it's more than just a flavor additive. Proper use will help the wine "develop" the taste throughout the wine-making process. This will feel less manufactured and likely more balanced (as other, complimentary elements are developing as well).

Pre-Ferment
The key purpose for pre-ferment acid adjustments is to ensure the must is in the ideal range for yeast to thrive. Happy yeast make happy wine. That said, proper pH will also inhibit bacteria, retain color before any is lost in the process, and influences protein stability (which in turn influences clarity).

The tolerable range for yeast is between 2.8 to 4.0 but you'll want to shoot for mid 3's since:
  1. both the low and high end of their preferred environment does not make for tasty wine
  2. pH will fluctuate so you'll want a little wiggle room
A wine's pH often drops some during fermentation - partly due to what yeast produce but may also come from the fruit (both skins and possibly juice) though of course will vary from fruit to fruit. Keep in mind, not all juice is released when you took the first pH test.

First(ish) Racking
Tinkering in the secondary or first racking is to adjust once the impact of the fruit contact and most of the yeast activity is gone. It also is where you might want to consider your final style and characteristics you're looking to develop during the maturation of the wine. the difference of 3.2 to 3.8 can be significant in what's happening at a molecular level.

Bottling
Assuming you let the wine mature for, say, a year in carboys and plan to drink the wine within a year or two after bottling, final adjustments at bottling is more about polishing the final taste. To re-use the earlier "salt" analogy, this is your finishing salt. If you wanted to leave the bottles alone for at least a couple years, you might err on the lower pH side than ideal as it will smooth out and help protect the wine during aging.

So.... "yes", you'll want to test and possibly tinker at the start as well as at stages along the way - though for possibly different purposes.
 
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