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Black currant melomel just won't start

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B

bluestone

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 9, 2014
38
0
0
Norway, Europe
Hello . As the title suggest my black currant melomel just wont start. Its been a week now and nothing seem to happen.

My recipe was one week ago 11.february.2018:
3 liters ~ 0.8 US gallon ~ 2/3 imperial gallon Pure black currant juice(supposedly conservative free)
Honey and water
Totally 20 L ~ 5.3 US gallon ~ 4.4 imperial gallon of mead
gravity was 1.11
yeast lalvin k1v116 2 small packets
some yeast nutrient

And nothing happend. So I thought without measuring it was a case of low ph. So I added over the next days 10grams(0.35 ounce) of limestone powder five times(totally 50 gram or 1.8 ounce).
Then diluted it some with some pure apple juice.
And pitched more yeast. first 1 pk k1v 116. Then 2 packs 71b 2 days ago.
Then I took the chance and added totally 12 flat teaspoons of baking soda

Still no activity...

Gravity is now around 1.09 and ph(measured with some cheap ph strips from china) is around 4 - 4.5(hard to read)

Any body have any suggestions how i can get it started?
 
How small are the packets?
What procedure are you using to hydrate your yeast and add it to the must?
Is the temperature if the hydrated yeast and the must within 10F of each other?


How about creating a starter: https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Start/

Once the starter gets going, add some of the black currant must, once you are sure that it's still going, add more, etc......
 
Last edited:
all the packets of yeast is 5g each.
All the yeast is hydrated in water then added to must.
The 2 last times (with 1pk k1v116 og the other time with 2 pk 71b) I first hydrated with water then added some of the must to the yeast and then added it all to the main must.

I got a extra big starter with lalvin ec118 going right now that I was thinking of adding tomorrow morning...
 
Don't add the yeast to the problem must. Turn the whole process on its head. Take a cup of the problem must (measure the gravity) and add this to the starter. When you know that the gravity is dropping double the volume of the starter by adding 2 cups of the problem must (PM). When you know that the gravity is continuing to fall double the volume of the PM that you take (now 4 cups ) from the PM and continue doubling the volume you take until all the PM has been transferred.

This upside down method allows the fresh starter to work with a smaller volume of PM rather than the whole PM in one fell swoop.Even if there is a systemic problem with the PM this can help resolve it. (eg, even if there was sorbates in the blackcurrent this process CAN (not always but sometimes) dilute the PM enough to enable the yeast to swamp the sorbates.
 
Bernard is correct. Do what he has said. Also. For future batches, you need to look up learn about "kill factor" among yeast strains.
 
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