No ferment x 4!

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Welshie

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 13, 2013
50
0
0
Sidney, Ohio
I made 4 musts last weekend and they are not fermenting at all! Made them all on Friday and waited the 24 hours it stated after adding Potassium Metabisulfate to pitch the yeast. There is absolutely no activity in these carboys. This is my first time using Campden tabs and I can guarantee that is the culprit. I need some advise on how to get these going or if I need to repitch. Thanks!
Strawberry Lemon OG 1.100,4lbs clover honey, 2lbs strawberries, 5 meyer lemons, one gallon carboy.Montrachet yeast

Pineapple mead OG 1.092 2lbs clover honey, 1/2 can crushed pineapple and juice to make 46 oz. 1 gallon carboy, Montrachet yeast.

Apple cyzer OG 1.072 3lbs clover honey, 3 gallons cider, 3 gallon better bottle, Cote des Blanc yeast.

Cherry mead OG 1.090 3lbs clover honey, 1 lb cherries, one gallon carboy, red star champagne yeast.


Please Help!!:confused:
 
So, pull the airlock and bung and shake the snot out of it? Should I really get it into a blender? Sounds as if I drive off the sulfur, oxygenate it, and the yeast will just spring back to life. Should I aerate daily until I see activity?
 
A blender would work but a food grade pail with a lees stirrer or a clean paint stirrer on an electric drill might be easier.
 
A blender would work but a food grade pail with a lees stirrer or a clean paint stirrer on an electric drill might be easier.

Concur with that idea....... but just the bucket and a stick blender or electric whisk would do the job.

The increased air/liquid interface make it easier to do the job and gives sulphites room to move into......

Or i f you have or can get the kit you could bubble it with air or pure O2 from a stainless air stone.......
 
Somebody has to ask you how many camden tablets you added, and to make sure they were camden tablets and not something else. Did you proof any of the yeasts? Even though you are using different yeasts if they were all shipped at the same time they could have all been killed by a big freeze. You dont mention taking SG readings to determine if they arent working? WVMJ

I made 4 musts last weekend and they are not fermenting at all! Made them all on Friday and waited the 24 hours it stated after adding Potassium Metabisulfate to pitch the yeast. There is absolutely no activity in these carboys. This is my first time using Campden tabs and I can guarantee that is the culprit. I need some advise on how to get these going or if I need to repitch. Thanks!
Strawberry Lemon OG 1.100,4lbs clover honey, 2lbs strawberries, 5 meyer lemons, one gallon carboy.Montrachet yeast

Pineapple mead OG 1.092 2lbs clover honey, 1/2 can crushed pineapple and juice to make 46 oz. 1 gallon carboy, Montrachet yeast.

Apple cyzer OG 1.072 3lbs clover honey, 3 gallons cider, 3 gallon better bottle, Cote des Blanc yeast.

Cherry mead OG 1.090 3lbs clover honey, 1 lb cherries, one gallon carboy, red star champagne yeast.


Please Help!!:confused:
 
I concur with Honeyhog, Fatbloke and WVMJ....over campden the must? Dead yeast (am guessing this might be it)....No nutrient? Temp too cold or too hot when you pitched? Have you tried making a starter?

Questions questions.... Inquiring minds want to know.....

Sent from Arthur Dent's towel smothering a volume of Vogon poetry, some of which just leaked out.
 
Oh...and a bucket is WAY easier and better for primary fermentation than a carboy/demijohn. Cheaper too...and not as breakable or slippery.

Sent from Arthur Dent's towel smothering a volume of Vogon poetry, some of which just leaked out.
 
One Tablet was used per carboy as per recipe instructions.
All yeasts were pitched in accordance with instructions on package.
All yeasts were bought in homebrew store and then stored at my place at room temperature.
Specific gravity readings will be taken tonight before aeration.
All batches were given energizer and nutrient as per label/recipe directions
 
pH readings will also help.


Sent from my galafreyan transdimensional communicator 100 years from now. G
 
Breaking my own rule of "no double posting", but here is an update.
OG for :
Cyzer-no change
Strawberry lemon-1.094(-0.006)
Pineapple-no change
Cherry-1.088 (-0.002)

Aerated the holy crap out of the cyzer with a drill and a beater paddle. The three one gallons were run through a blender in several small batches until they were homogenous and almost foamy. Transferred to another carboy, added energizer and nutrient, airlocked, and placed in a dark spot.

Fingers crossed and I am thankful for all the advice so far. Here goes nothing, right?
 
Stored at room temp? Do you have another pck of yeast you can make starter with to make sure the yeast is alive and bubbling before adding a bit to each jug? If you were using powdered KM instead of camden tablets I would have thought maybe you accidentally used some sorbate? WVMJ
 
No, I purposely got the SMS in pill for and my KMS in powder to avoid confusion.???
I have some cuvee, champagne, and some cote des blanc that I could split up and repitch. How long would you recommend I wait to see if it restarts before repitching? Thanks!
 
Again with the double posting.......

Anyway, Pineapple has started! I repeat, pineapple has started! Bubbling away at 1 bubble every 3-5 seconds. I haven't given up on the other 3 and I am diligently working to resurrect them. I feel like Dr. Frankenstein(it's pronounced Frankensteen!). It's alive! Alive!!;D

Thanks again to all you Igors for helping me with my creation.
 
While I have you all here, it's opinion time. Should I wait a bit to see if the others start up on their own or just go ahead and repitch?