Why????

[Me58]

Why isn’t my apple wine and blackberry wine fermenting?
Syphoned off into demijohns from carboys. Yeast added, sugar already in the must, airlock fitted. Nothing. One demijohn threw out a few bubbles then stopped. The room is heated due to our grotty UK ‘summers’.
I re-racked into new demijohns and added more yeast (fresh) and sugar.
Nothing.
I’ve just added yet more fresh yeast, (Gervin this time - supposed to work in low temperatures) and sugar. Why is the stuff not fermenting? One did from same batch then stopped. No gaps around airlocks or bungs. Wine is on a sunny windowsill.
On point of giving up! Help!!

 

[lumpher]

Are you using fresh fruit or juice? It's possible Potassium Sorbate (or some other preservative) has been added to it if it's from juice.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Any gravity measurements?

 

[Me58]

Hi both.
All fresh fruit. Starting SG of the apple was 1010, and the blackberry 1045. Neither figures mean anything to me. I just know you have to take one at the beginning and another at bottling to estimate an alcohol level. But it looks like I’m not gonna get that far!!

 

[mashdar]

1.010 doesn't really make sense as an OG.

Maybe your fermenters are not air tight? Leaks at the bung?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Agreed, 1.010 isn't what one would would expect with fresh apple juice.

SG measurements aren't just for finding ABV. They're also helpful in knowing how fermentation is progressing. Forget leaks at the bung. Take a SG measurement. Learn what those numbers mean. 1.000 is water. ~1.040-50 is fresh juice. Fermented out, it might drop to ~.998 or so.

 

[Me58]

1.010 doesn't really make sense as an OG.

Maybe your fermenters are not air tight? Leaks at the bung?

Nah no leaks. Checked that. I really don’t get this SG stuff - what should it be?

 

[lumpher]

Nah no leaks. Checked that. I really don’t get this SG stuff - what should it be?

I would think 1.100 would be more likely than 1.010. How much sugar did you add, and how many gallons?

 

[Me58]

I would think 1.100 would be more likely than 1.010. How much sugar did you add, and how many gallons?

Two gallons of each. Each gallon had about a kilo of sugar. I followed a recipe. I’ve added sugar since then to work with the extra yeast I put in.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

I do a bit of wine from both store-bought juices and from fresh fruit. So, I am just going to throw a couple things out there.
First, don’t keep adding sugar; if it isn’t working yet, the first sugar you added didn’t go anywhere and is still there.

I shoot for about two lbs/gallon total sugar in my wine; that would put me around 12% ABV when done. With store bought, you can see how much sugar per gallon on the label and just add the rest needed. With real fruit juice, you use your hydrometer to find what is in the juice and then add what you need.

What yeast are you using, and how has it been stored? Get a good wine yeast and keep it refrigerated, protected from moisture until you use it. If it’s been exposed to high temperatures, it may be dead.
A little yeast nutrient might not hurt. I have not always used this, but the muscadine wine I started last week blew out the top of the bubbler after taking off so fast!
Keep temperature constant if possible, and not too high or too low.

I’m not so sure about the “sunny window” thing. I ferment my wine in a closet. The temperature stays fairly constant, and UV light may be damaging to your yeast.

Oh, and if you use any tap water, make sure to eliminate the chlorine before adding to your wine; it’s meant to kill stuff and it will go after your yeast. Also, make sure there’s no residual cleanser in your containers.

I am by no means an expert, but have done a good bit wine over the years. Usually don’t have an issue with getting it started. Good luck with it!

 

[amber-ale]

TAKE it OUT OF THE SUNNY WINDOW!! You will get yucky flavours.

Tell us your exact recipe and exactly how you made it (including how and what chemicals you used to sanitize your equipment and fruit)

 

[DBhomebrew]

Take a SG measurement today. Now. Report back. Maybe even with a picture.

All else is conjecture.

 

[Me58]

Each recipe was, for two gallons, 8kg apples/6lb blackberries. All washed. Recipes said a( with minor variations) boil 9 lites water with 1800g sugar, pour over fruit. When lukewarm add 2 crushed campden tablets, pectolase. Leave 24hthen add yeast and nutrient (1sachet each of yeast, started with Lanvin, then Gervin (for low temperature fermentation) then finally Young’s. Now have a very slow fermentation with each though one blackberry demijohn (same batch) is very slow. Also acid blend was asked for.
Have removed from sill and will place in airing cupboard.
SG NOW is 1005 apple and 1002 blackberry. I’m aiming for a final alcohol content of above 12%.
Thank you all. Am I going wrong anywhere? I had to use tap water - I thought everyone did?

 

[Me58]

PS - yeast kept in a cool garage but the Garvin and Youngs were used as soon as received, equipment was washed with bleach and washing up liquid then thoroughly rinsed so no residue.

 

[DBhomebrew]

SG NOW is 1005 apple and 1002 blackberry.

They may ferment some more, but they're practically done. Let them sit in the dark for another week. Check SG again. If no change, they're done.

 

[Me58]

They may ferment some more, but they're practically done. Let them sit in the dark for another week. Check SG again. If no change, they're done.

Is that possible after so short a time? What should my final SG reading be after 1005/1002 to achieve a decent alcohol level?

 

[Closet Fermenter]

To get above 12% ABV, you’re going to need a starting gravity above 1.092. That’s why it’s important to take accurate gravity readings before you start fermentation, or with store-bought juice, have worked it out on paper using the label info.
For each pound of sugar per gallon you get about 46 gravity points. 2 pounds per gallon starts you out at 1.092.
Your readings puzzle me as to whether you are reading it correctly, or it has already done a lot of fermenting.

How long has it been since you first added any yeast?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Is that possible after so short a time? What should my final SG reading be after 1005/1002 to achieve a decent alcohol level?

In theory, a healthy ferment of fruit juice and simple sugars might reach a FG of .990. That would be bone dry. Most won't reach that, stopping at ~.998-1.005.

A properly sized pitch of healthy yeast into a moderate OG only takes a few days to finish. It might take 3-5 days to ferment 95% of the sugar, then another week or more to finish the final 5%. Especially in a full wine strength batch.

It's the OG where you set your target ABV.

 

[mashdar]

For reference, "specific gravity" is a measure of how much more/less dense a liquid is than water. Pure water at STP is 1 g/ml. A specific gravity of 1.100 is 1.1g/ml.

If you put a hydrometer in water, it should read 1.000.

Sugar water is more dense than water, and ethanol is less dense than water. So as yeast converts sugars to ethanol, the density decreases.

The original gravity (OG) reading is critical, as the difference between OG and FG tells you your ABV (after conversion).

 

[Me58]

In theory, a healthy ferment of fruit juice and simple sugars might reach a FG of .990. That would be bone dry. Most won't reach that, stopping at ~.998-1.005.

A properly sized pitch of healthy yeast into a moderate OG only takes a few days to finish. It might take 3-5 days to ferment 95% of the sugar, then another week or more to finish the final 5%. Especially in a full wine strength batch.

It's the OG where you set your target ABV.

Hi both,
Young’s yeast added two days ago. Have a very slow fermentation. Beginning to wonder if in fact they have almost finished already.
Wish I understood these hydrometer readings. We’re definitely only just above 1000 but that was three days ago? So wonder if that the end result? Previous starting readings were higher.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Beginning to wonder if in fact they have almost finished already.

That's what I've been trying to suggest.

OG ~1.035-1.120 Target whatever you want to get anything from ~3-15% ABV

FG ~.995-1.005 A healthy ferment with typical wine yeast will naturally bring the above OGs down to this range or so.

Your 'very slow fermentation' might be the last few points or maybe just post-fermentation off-gassing. Or maybe just a temperature change. Gravity measurements are the only way to really know what's happening.

 

[Apple&PearTrees!]

Hi both,
Young’s yeast added two days ago. Have a very slow fermentation. Beginning to wonder if in fact they have almost finished already.
Wish I understood these hydrometer readings. We’re definitely only just above 1000 but that was three days ago? So wonder if that the end result? Previous starting readings were higher.

Hi there, also from uk (Wales) here's my hydrometer and guessing you have the same. This is my pear cider. One side says it'll be around 6% end. The hydrometer reading you need tho is side that says "wine or beer" up top of hydrometer. The reading list just under the 50 mark so around 49, putting 1000 in front of that and my hydrometer reading is (1049). If your reading was "Starting SG of the apple was 1010" it maybe type of apple you're using? And need to top up with apple juice (without the preservatives) rather than water... that'll just make it even weaker? (And if adding water, needs to be bottled water or boiled and then cooled water?) Read for fermentation to be successful it needs to be 1040 and above? Sorry I'm absolutely no expert and still novice but just throwing it out there ... my yeast says to be added to boiled and cooled water @ 30-40 degrees (no higher than 40 or will kill yeast) and then not to be added to cider until it's within 10degrees of the juice/room temp or will shock the yeast (so I added yeast solution 20mins later @25 degrees). Better to ferment in cooler room than airing cupboard (airing cupboard is too warm at nearly 30 degrees!) And never in direct sunlight. Just wondering when you're adding stuff (sugar solution/yeast/anything, if its going in too hot maybe)

 

[Me58]

That's what I've been trying to suggest.

OG ~1.035-1.120 Target whatever you want to get anything from ~3-15% ABV

FG ~.995-1.005 A healthy ferment with typical wine yeast will naturally bring the above OGs down to this range or so.

Your 'very slow fermentation' might be the last few points or maybe just post-fermentation off-gassing. Or maybe just a temperature change. Gravity measurements are the only way to really know what's happening.

Thank you. I’ll just rack it when it all stops it’s slow bubbling and see what it comes out like.