Yeast does not want to go

[Dean Wyatt]

We have started a new batch(6 liters) of Blackberry mead and we adjusted the recipe to strengthen the blackberry by going from 2 lbs to 8 pounds and upped the honey to hopefully have a residual hone tone in a year. We used Ec1118 Lavlan and set up the yeast starter and it was percolating along nicely after 8 hours. We pitched it into the must and 40 hrs later nothing seems to be happening. SP was 1.114 at start. Any ideas? Everything was clean and sanitized we put in the pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient - NOTHING. What now

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi Dean, Yeast has what is known as a lag time. This is the time when yeast deal with their own bodily needs and acclimatize to their new environment. That time is sometimes longer and sometimes shorter depending on how viable and active the culture you pitch might be. At what temperature was the must when you added the yeast? What was the temperature of the yeast when you pitched it? How much yeast did you pitch? Had you hydrated the yeast? if so, how? When you say "nothing seems to be happening", do you mean that you are seeing no activity in the body of the wine or no activity in an airlock? If the latter how much headroom is there in the fermenter? Are you using a bucket? If so, do you know that it seals airtight? Insofar as you say that "nothing" is happening have you measured the gravity to determine whether there is any drop in density of the liquid? I know. I know... lots of questions - but the answers to those questions can provide us with critical pieces of information missing from your post.

 

[Dean Wyatt]

Bernard: Thanks for the reply In order - The must and yeast were within a couple of degrees of each other 71 - 73 degrees F. We used one packet of Lavlan C1118. We had Hydrated the yeast prior to pitching. We have seen no change in SG and the temp of the must has not changed from 73 degrees. I thought last night we had something happening as temp went up to 75 but this morning back down to 73. We are in a primary fermentation bucket (12 litre) with a tight lid and no change in SG.
I appreciate the comments and hopefully we will find a solution.
By the way my wife has started a new yeast(C1118) with water and honey and it is working merrily. This is after 3 hours. We just added a half a cup of the must to it. stirred it and closed it and are thinking that we will continue to add 1/2 a cup an hour as long as it keeps working until we fill the 1 litre jar to the top, have it working then slowly stir into the must. They are siting side by side in our brewing room with the same temp and everything.

 

[bernardsmith]

Sometimes the pack of yeast you have has been subjected to enough environmental stress in shipping or storage to effectively kill the cells in the pack and sometimes the "use by date" has been exceeded enough to result in a tiny viable colony...