stuck fermentation

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Phador

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I've been having a difficult time with Lon's skeeter pee from the start(followed his recipe exactly). I finally got it to start fermenting after three days of fiddling with it. After about 6 days I took a reading..1.030 I figured I would rack into secondary. Once I did, it seemed to stop fermenting and airlock never resumed activity. I know this isn't the only indication, so I took readings of 1.030 three days in a row. I tried making a starter with ec-1118(the yeast I used from the start) and it never kicked in or did much once I added it to the bulk of the pee. (the starter was probably a liter worth before I added it. I included energizer/nutrient in this) I gave it a warm water bath and she started up again but only briefly, so maybe the warmth was just a degassing effect? Once it cools in the slightest it stops again. I 've gone through this cycle a couple times now. Any ideas? I suppose if worse comes to worse I can just drink it, but I would like to get the ABV up more.
 
I should also add, I did not add campden when racking as I figure there is a fair amount of sulfite in the must anyway.
 
I'm sure I'll catch it for saying this, as it is an unapproved practice, but put a heating pad on the carboy or set the carboy on the pad, turn it on low and warm it up some. I usually turn it off when I am not around.

If you can shift it to warmer area of the house, do that. Very common to have temp be the trouble if it's not exactly warm outside.
 
When making SP, you need to know that it can take up to four days before it will start fermenting and once it starts, you need to stir it very vigorously twice a day. Also racking it into a carboy and putting an airlock on at 1.030 has suffocated the wine, you now have a stuck fermentation.

I would rack it back to a primary, make sure temps are up in the 70's, stir a couple times a day and give it a couple days to get started again.
 
Yep, keep it warm, keep stirring the bejesus out of it. she should finish for you. Had to change this a little, make sure you start another batch. Darn skeeter pee has a poof factor. Poof and its gone. LOL, Arne.
 
Yep, keep it warm, keep stirring the bejesus out of it. she should finish for you. Had to change this a little, make sure you start another batch. Darn skeeter pee has a poof factor. Poof and its gone. LOL, Arne.

I think I know what you mean...I've been sampling it right along and I don't see it lasting very long!
 
I think I know what you mean...I've been sampling it right along and I don't see it lasting very long!


LOL, join the club. Next question will be "What do I do with all the headspace??" My best answer is to rack to a smaller carboy, keep the excess in small bottles and use to sample and or top up. Arne.
 
LOL, join the club. Next question will be "What do I do with all the headspace??" My best answer is to rack to a smaller carboy, keep the excess in small bottles and use to sample and or top up. Arne.

My best answer is, just go ahead and drink up the carboy so you can start a new batch. :se
 
My best answer is, just go ahead and drink up the carboy so you can start a new batch. :se

the nice thing about SP is it doesn't have to age...or so I hear! Even it's supposed to age a bit I don't think it will make it that far!
 
The taste does improve if you can let it sit for a while. Problem is the darn stuff tends to get drunk up before it gets to sit. Arne.
 

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