katherine
Junior
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2013
- Messages
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Hello-
I got some winemaking supplies for my birthday and since we just moved up to the finger lakes, we got some good fresh juice to make cabernet sauvignon with. We also got the yeast they recommended in the store and a book that hasn't been helpful at all.
I rehydrated the yeast as the packet said to, and it proofed just fine. I put this in the bottom of the sanitized bucket and poured the juice from the carboy on top of it. Yes, I stirred it, and after reading lots of instructions it seems like that's not recommended but...
Two days later, there's only a thin layer of bubbles on the top of the juice, and there's a somewhat sulfurous smell filling up the whole kitchen. It doesn't smell terrible, but it makes me wonder if there's something wrong. I, personally, didn't add any bi-sulfate but the vineyard where we got our juice said they already added some to kill the bacteria. I know you wait 24 hours but since the juice came available Friday and I bought the juice and added the yeast Sunday, I can't imagine that would be an issue.
The only things I can think that might be causing this are:
- I didn't add any yeast starter or nutrients to the juice. I HAVE yeast starter, but I don't know if it's too late to add it, or how to add it.
- It gets a little chilly in here at night. The temperature has been getting down to around 50 outside the last few nights, and we haven't turned the heat on yet. However, the bucket's in the kitchen and I can't imagine it gets TOO cold in there (but around 65 wouldn't surprise me)
I mainly don't want to ruin $100 worth of juice, so is there a way to make sure everything's alright with it? Did I kill my yeast and I need to rack it and start over? Or is it just taking a long time to multiply because it didn't have nutrient to kickstart it? Or is it the temperature?
Also, trouble is I'm about to leave town for a few days and so I need to leave really super specific instructions for my boyfriend who's babysitting my juice : )
Thanks!!
I got some winemaking supplies for my birthday and since we just moved up to the finger lakes, we got some good fresh juice to make cabernet sauvignon with. We also got the yeast they recommended in the store and a book that hasn't been helpful at all.
I rehydrated the yeast as the packet said to, and it proofed just fine. I put this in the bottom of the sanitized bucket and poured the juice from the carboy on top of it. Yes, I stirred it, and after reading lots of instructions it seems like that's not recommended but...
Two days later, there's only a thin layer of bubbles on the top of the juice, and there's a somewhat sulfurous smell filling up the whole kitchen. It doesn't smell terrible, but it makes me wonder if there's something wrong. I, personally, didn't add any bi-sulfate but the vineyard where we got our juice said they already added some to kill the bacteria. I know you wait 24 hours but since the juice came available Friday and I bought the juice and added the yeast Sunday, I can't imagine that would be an issue.
The only things I can think that might be causing this are:
- I didn't add any yeast starter or nutrients to the juice. I HAVE yeast starter, but I don't know if it's too late to add it, or how to add it.
- It gets a little chilly in here at night. The temperature has been getting down to around 50 outside the last few nights, and we haven't turned the heat on yet. However, the bucket's in the kitchen and I can't imagine it gets TOO cold in there (but around 65 wouldn't surprise me)
I mainly don't want to ruin $100 worth of juice, so is there a way to make sure everything's alright with it? Did I kill my yeast and I need to rack it and start over? Or is it just taking a long time to multiply because it didn't have nutrient to kickstart it? Or is it the temperature?
Also, trouble is I'm about to leave town for a few days and so I need to leave really super specific instructions for my boyfriend who's babysitting my juice : )
Thanks!!
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