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Stuck Fermentation - Revised

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mavityre

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Sep 11, 2004
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Hello folks.
It's been since 9/9 that I made this 11lb honey with some fruit cocoction. Used the Whitelabs champagne yeast and it is still just giving me 1 bubble every 10 seconds.

Shouldn't it have violently taken off? should I add some raisins?

Thanks
 
Do you have any more information? Did you use nutrients? Acid? Did you use a starter? Did you aerate? What is the temperature?

It seems like it should have been going faster than what it is.

-jb
 
I'm sorry.
I should of posted a link or something to my previous thread regarding this.
The yest was straight out of the tube. I'm suspecting that the heat wave here a few weeks ago killed most of my yeast while in transit (100 degrees)
No additives except a little brown sugar, orange, little clove and a cinnamon stick.
 
Ahhh, I remember the thread now. I hadn't drawn the connection. I don't remember did you re-pitch or are you just waiting patiently? I think with what your yeast went through if it is bubbling at 1 per 10 secs you are probably doing pretty good. My guess is a small amount of the yeast survived. With any luck they will multiply again. I don't think the time is a consideration if the colony has to rebuild itself from such a small sample.

OTOH, if you re-pitched with fresh yeast then I am at a loss. But as usual I am sure someone here (with more experience than I) could probably give you a better idea. Good luck!

-jb
 
I haven't added anymore yeast but have some Lalvin K1-V1116 and a packet of Cote des Blancs.
Would you suggest throwing either of these in there?
 
I'm no expert (on my 4th batch now) but I think it would be a good idea. Considering what your first yeast went through it is highly likely that many of them are still alive.

However, before you actually pitch it I would wait to see if Oskkar, ThirstyViking, or one of the others on the board have any ideas. Like I said, I am quite a newbie myself.

-jb
 
Hi Mavityre,

If this is the same fruit concoction that you were hassling in the last thread it would be very helpful if you posted what you're exact recipe is because I don't recall it being posted in the last thread. It's really difficult to get a sense of what you have until you do so.

Also, what were your gravity readings, did you check pH and Total Acid? Did you ever re-pitch as suggested?

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
11 lbs clover honey
1 lb light brown sugar
tbl cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange cut in half and squeezed
1 tube Whitelabs champagne yeast

That's it. No fillers/acids etc..
Have not re-pitched. Same yeast as when I started.

EDITED 10/22/04 -just racked into my secondary. Boy does it look and smell good!
 
I think it would be a good idea, like Talon suggested, to check your pH. Additionally it may be a good idea to check your total acidity. If it is too high, you'll want to add some calcium or potassium carbonate to lower the pH/TA into a viable range for your yeast.

Also, I think once you have tested the pH and TA you might want to make a really aggressive starter, rack and re-pitch. The reason I say to rack is because your current vessel may be fouled. I don't mean "fouled" as in taste, off flavors or anything in the usual sense. For me, it's about getting the must into a new, fresh, sanitzied container, re-pitching and topping it off. I'm just wary of re-pitching in the same primary I have used already because of the dead yeasts, etc. already there.

Also, this may be really funny but. What kind of orange did you use, and did you scrub it good and hard on the outside to remove the pesticides, sealer? I am paranoid as a meadmaker and when I get fruit like an orange with a thick skin, I take a 3M scouring pad to the skin with a weak peppermint soap solution to get the wax, sealer, pesticides and crud off the outside. You also "open" up the skin and make it a little more permeable for flavor extraction when you do so.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar
 
Thanks for the replies guys.
Before I checked the replies I added pinches of yeast fertilizer and nutrient. If that doesn't work I will re-pitch in a "new" bucket. I 've had these things for years so one can never know.................. ;)
 
OK
I added a pinch of nutrient and fertilizer to it and I now have 1 bubble every 5 seconds. Better than before.
But compared to the Quick Grape Mead right next to it which is going like gang busters................................
How much yeast nutrient and fertilizer does one use for lets say 11lbs of honey. I just put in a little bit. The nutrients comes in a 1 oz packet.
 
mavityre said:
OK
I added a pinch of nutrient and fertilizer to it and I now have 1 bubble every 5 seconds. Better than before.
But compared to the Quick Grape Mead right next to it which is going like gang busters................................
How much yeast nutrient and fertilizer does one use for lets say 11lbs of honey. I just put in a little bit. The nutrients comes in a 1 oz packet.
Click to expand...
If your water is not extrememly hard and you boil, nutirient is desireable and necessary for complete fermentation. Use 1/2 of recommended amount. I found a mere 1/8t of Fermax per gallon will do the job if the water is not etremely hard and you don't boil the must. When fruit is added I find that the Fermax is not even required. Oranges add acid that tends to slow down fermentation a bit.
Regards Joe
 
Sorry it's taken so long to post regarding this mead.
Need I say, it's all gone now. A little to "clovey" for my wife but hell, I drank it.
Going for a straight mead. Just picked up 10lbs of blackberry honey from Winco in bulk. Had to bring my own container.
I'll post how that goes.
 
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