Toggle sidebar

No Fementation Activity -- Seeking Advice

  • PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
Barrel Char Wood Products
P

pweis909

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 28, 2007
31
1
0
South shore of Lake Superior
No signs of fermentation. Seeking advice on what I might have done wrong and what I should do now (*note the constraints on me)

Bilbemel Black

Ingredients
19 lbs wildflower honey (15 lbs from a sweet mead kit, 4 lbs from local beekeeper)
7 lbs frozen blueberries (in mesh fruit bag)
1 96-oz can black currant wine base (in mesh fruit bag)
Diluted with water to about 5 gallons
31 brix, OG 1.132? May not be quite right, as I measured at 36 hour mark (although there were no overt signs of fermentation at this time)
Mixed liquid ingredients with 0.625 tsp potassium metabisulfite to sanitize hand-picked berries (note, ¼ tsp came with kit for water treatment; I don’t need for water treatment, but augmented to sanitize).
Left lid covered loosely

24 hrs later…
Mix stir
Yeast Rehydration and Fermentation Management (Go Ferm)
2 5g-packs Lalvin 71b w/ expiration date in late 2019, rehydrate with 100 mL H2O 105F with 2tsp Go Ferm
Yeast cooled to 75F and pitched into 61F must, about 40 min after rehydration
Aerated with drill-powered mix-stir with 1tsp yeast nutrient (DAP?) and ¾ tsp FermaidK

24 hours after pitching yeast,
Added ½ tsp each yeast nutrient and FermaidK, mix-stirred.


36 hours after pitching yeat
Removed fruit bag and really mixed with mix stir. I was thinking maybe I just didn't mix vigorously enough because the bag made it awkward. Returned fruit bag adter mixing. (This is when I took the gravity reading above – yeah, I know this isn’t how it’s supposed to be done)

48 hours after pitching yeast. Gravity hasn’t budged. More mix-stirring to aerate, with another ½ tsp yeast nutrient and fermaid k

Fermenter is at ambient temps in low 60s F
I’ll investigate in 12 hours. If no signs of fermentation…?

*Constraints: I have 3 5 gram packs Lalvin RC212 (1 year past expiration) and 1 pack of Fermentis Safale US05 to work with. The nearest homebrew shop is 2 hours away and I couldn’t get there for 2 days.
 
Well, you may have slightly shocked your yeast by dumping them into a cooler must than they were rehydrated in. The rule of thumb is 10F and (I think) they prefer that the must be added to a warmer environment that what they are coming from. Two, you are starting with a high gravity; using the batch calculator, the honey alone should give you an SG = 1.136. The blueberries and black currant juice could well push that up to around 1.150. You would probably have done better to start off with 12 to 15lbs of honey and then added the balance after your fermentation had a chance to eat through a few points. Three, you may want to raise your temperature, at least until it gets started. Low 60's is towards the lower end of 71b's range
 
I think you did everything well enough that you should have had a blast off by now. One thing I would suggest. Too late now. But for future reverence. Don't add YAN until you see your first signs of fermentation. You know have gone way to long and all you have feed is indigenous yeast and nothing so far for your desired yeast. You also need to not let your yeast go without some must additions past 30 minutes. Although the goferm would still have given them some food so still isn't what has caused your problem. Your temps are ok in your preperation. It's actually 18 degrees. But I have taught 10 just for a safety margine. Not sure about water portion of yeast rehydro. It states in the manual 20 times the weight of the goferm.

I don't like to sulfite prior to the pitch. I wait to add my fruit until I have an aggressive biomass hard at work. I believe if you add at that time they will quickly kill any bad guys.

I wish I knew what to say. I would, like Dave suggested, bring your batch to a bit warmer place and just keep whipping the crap out of it with your stir stick to continue to try and work off the sulfites you added as a cleanser up front.

Your two yeast strains won't fight with each other. So you could try the RC212 if you can't get this one going. I would try one more day of aggressive stirring before I made another move. Can you measure your pH?
 
Thanks @squatchy and @darigoni. I will try to raise temp and stir like crazy. If I do not see fermentation by the 72 hr mark will add the RC212. I will hold off on further nutrient additions until I see some yeast activity. I don't have a pH meter but may be able to check the pH on someone elses.
 
Just in case i see this happen to myself.. when you go to re-pitch your yeast, do you re-hydrate with goferm again, or just re-hydrate with water?
 
Not sure I would add yeast to the problem must. Reverse the order: make a starter and add the problem must in small portions (doubling the starter with each portion) to this starter. That way, if there is a systemic problem in the stalled must the activity of the starter may be enough to neutralize and overcome the problem. Pitching fresh yeast into the problem may simply overwhelm the new batch of yeast...
 
Good advice Bernard. And yes, you do want to rehydrate with Goferm. Always
 
I took a sample of the must to work and measured the pH. 3.3-3.4. Pretty darn low. Can I get a fermentation started in this? Do I need to bring the pH up? I have pickling lime and calcium carbonate at my disposa for raising pHl, if that is necessary, but I do not have a pH meter at home. Any suggestions on where to go from here and how to get there?
 
Page 30? I see a 5 page article with a page run from 232-36, with no mention of pH. Not sure what you are suggesting: add more yeast (increase inoculum level)? Wait it out?

What is the concept you think I should use? Maybe I'm being dense? Maybe you sent the wrong link?
 
pweis909 said:
Page 30? I see a 5 page article with a page run from 232-36, with no mention of pH. Not sure what you are suggesting: add more yeast (increase inoculum level)? Wait it out?

What is the concept you think I should use? Maybe I'm being dense? Maybe you sent the wrong link?
Click to expand...

Wrong paste sorry. it tells you how to restar a stuck fermentation. http://www.scottlab.com/pdf/ScottlabsHandbook2017.pdf
 
Update -- there was no activity after 96 hours (later yesterday afternoon). I decided to rehydrate and pitchthe 15 grams of expired RC212 and giving some O2. Just checked in on it after 18 hours and it is frothing along. Did some stirring to release CO2 and will resume nutrient additions tonight or tomorrow unless some experienced meadmaker tells me differently. Edit -- I got the temp up to 73 F or so.
 
Last edited:
Glad to hear she took off. Sugfestion for next time. Follow the instructions for rehydration to the t. And, wait until you actually start seeing proff of fermentation, before you start your feeding protocol.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom