3rd skeeter pee not fermenting, uh oh

[countrygirl]

i pitched my beaujolais slurry last night. it had been in the freezer. i moved it to the fridge 48 hours prior and on the counter 24 hour prior. i stirred it real good before pitching it. it had about 1/4 inch sediment and 2-3 inches of wine must on top. maybe the amount was not sufficient, because there is NOTHING today
my first 2 skeeter pees were taken off by this point.
do i need to pitched another yeast???

 

[ffemt128]

Give it a little more time. If nothing else happens make a starter. That's how I did my SP since I didn't have a slurry....

 

[countrygirl]

Give it a little more time. If nothing else happens make a starter. That's how I did my SP since I didn't have a slurry....

was just using the search function and reading up on that. i've been so fortunate that i've never had to make a starter. looks like i'll learn today, because there is not one bubble in this bucket...
on the other hand, i have beer in another bucket, lol
my husband thinks i've gone off the deep end, lol

 

[mxsteve625]

Just for your information I have my 9th batch of SP in primary. I have never used a slurry up until this batch and I used a SP slurry. I pitched on 9-6 and as of last Friday I had very little activity...only a noise. Yesterday 9-12-10when I got back from out of town I checked the SG and it was at 1.020. Started at 1.080 so it is definitly fermenting although not as vigourous as my other batches. I am going to keep an eye on it.

I have a blueberry melomel slurry from the blueberry pimary which I will be using in another batch of Pee in the next couple of days. If I have no luck with that then I will go back to using my trusted LAVIN EC 1118 which gives me very active fermentation within 12 hours at 75 to 80 degrees.

Steve

 

[Minnesotamaker]

I've imposed a 10 gallon limit per year per maker (too many drunks wandering the countryside). You've made your 10 gallons, you'll have to wait until 2011.

All kidding aside, if you have another packet of yeast handy, you could add it to the must. Keeping it warm and whipping it good with a wire whisk once in a while will also help get it over the hump. Don't take it over 80 degrees though, or you increase the chances of sulfur-dioxide issues.

 

[mxsteve625]

That's good Lon

 

[Runningwolf]

What is your temp. You may have to out a brew belt on it if you have one. I agree wth doing a starter. I did this an BHAAM it took right off. Take equal parts of your must and luke warm water in a glass bowl and add some yeast to it. I also added just a pinch of yeast nutrient and energizer to mine.

 

[countrygirl]

temp is a steady 73 degrees, as everything has been done in my utility room. (bulk agers get moved to the closet). i really think that there was just so little slurry from the beaujolais, that 5 gallons of reconstituted lemon juice has overwhelmed it. i didn't keep the slurry from the chardonnel, dang it. and lon, if u don't get to consume all ur skeeter pee, does the 10 gal. rule count, lol??? i have given all my first skeeter pee away except for what i drank at the beginning, lol. the second batch is due to be bottled this weekend!!!

 

[djrockinsteve]

So okay here's a question for all of you. If starting a s.p. is tough due to the lemon juice, why not add it after the s.p. has taken off. In addition why can't you wait till near the end to add the remaining or bulk of the lemon juice.

Remember it needs lots of air so don't be afraid to whip it.......whip it good!

 

[Runningwolf]

So okay here's a question for all of you. If starting a s.p. is tough due to the lemon juice, why not add it after the s.p. has taken off. In addition why can't you wait till near the end to add the remaining or bulk of the lemon juice.

Remember it needs lots of air so don't be afraid to whip it.......whip it good!

Steve Good question and I was thinking the same thing. Seems like you loose a lot of the flavor during fermentation even though some comes back when you back sweeten. I feel when I blended my SP with Cranberry at the end it really enhanced the flavor.

 

[countrygirl]

Remember it needs lots of air so don't be afraid to whip it.......whip it good!

ok, us devo fans are showing our age, lol
i've made a starter with cotes de blanc...will keep u updated

 

[djrockinsteve]

This past skeeter pee was slow starting. I didn't use a starter. It took and all went well. Just don't want to let it go all week with no hydrometer movement.

Speaking of hydrometer movement, I need one with wings or something. No matter how I put it in it always spins away from me. Can we magnitize the damn thing?

 

[Arne]

Ya Steve,
You would think since they have figured out how to make the hydrometer stop so you can never read it they could figure out how to make it stop so you can. Think they make em that way just to aggrevate us. lol

 

[Minnesotamaker]

It's just like the campfire, no matter which side you choose to sit on, the smoke will blow in your direction; if you move, the smoke will too.

The dang hydrometer does the same thing. It turns so that it's facing away from me no matter what I do. Talk about surface tension!

 

[Panama]

My first batch of lemon I used a mead slurry, and nothing had happened for a couple of days, so I picked up a Redstar Cuvee and spinkled it on top as directed on pack whipped it up and the next morning goin like crazy. Also did not have a slurry for BlackBerry Pee, with the success of the Orig SP taking off, I decided against a starter and did the same, sprinkled on top and whipped her silly, again next day 1 - 1.5 inches foamage. All in all I guess Have had success with just sprinkling the packets on top. Orig SP almost cleared not sure tho, BB Pee taking its time, have been lazy going to rack again tomorroe..

-Panmam

 

[countrygirl]

pitched starter this a.m., n it's workin this p.m.

 

[Panama]

Very Nice, sounds like

-Panama

 

[countrygirl]

still not alot of foam on top, but definitely fermenting...u can hear it! it has a purple cast from the beaujolais must. wonder what could be used to sweeten this later? just keep it simple sugar? i think it would be interesting to try to bring out a more grapey flavor?

 

[Roatan_Mark]

I have been wondering the very same thing gang, I did the same thing Runningwolf and had similar results improving taste. But after all it is Lon's recipe. I did modify mine to add the remaining juice (Lime in my case) at or near the end. This last batch I tried a gallon jug of Lime Juice and whipped it to death for two days then added the yeast starter (no lees left to use) and man did it have a heck of a hard start. Here it is 11 days later and it is finally dropping more than 2 points a day now, initial was 1.076 and today the 11th day it is 1.043! Slowest ferment I have ever seen (except maybe for beer). Maybe they use more sodium metabisulfite than other brands... don't know..

 

[countrygirl]

ok, everything is complete and i racked it over to 5 gal. carboy. it's MUCH cloudier than my first 2 pee's at this point. is it because of using a starter?