Another newbie needing help

[SharonJQ]

Hi guys, I've been reading for the last few months but have not quite seen this problem. I purchased 2 different gallons of juice from a small outfit to make wine. I had some problems on the 1st batch that I'm trying to work out but it's the 2nd batch that I could use some help on.
After pitching yeast, there is a 6-8 week wait fermenting directly in a 5 gal. carboy. I pitched on 6/23 with a SG of 1.104 and today tested and it's still at 1.046. Obviously something went wrong but I'm not sure exactly what it is. I know I will have to add yeast again but should I do anything else since it's been sitting so long?
This particular company doesn't advocate using campden or any sulfites which I think was the problem with the first batch. I've already decided that I will indeed add some to this batch and my question is whether I should do it now or after fermentation is finished.
Thanks in advance to all you experienced wine makers who have helped so many newbies like myself.

Sharon

 

[drainsurgeon]

Something is obviously wrong. Fermentation should start within a few days. What yeast are you using? Did you make a yeast starter or just sprinkle the yeast into the must? What is the must temperature? Have you tested the pH level? What color is your bucket? (just kidding )

 

[salcoco]

I would add a yeast nutrient, insure the juice is at last 70 degF and pitch EC1118 yeast. this yeast is a good all round yeast very vigorous. do you know the total acidity and ph of the juice? high acid may prevent yeast multiplying.

 

[SharonJQ]

Fermentation DID start but since it has to sit for 6-8 weeks, I didn't notice that it had stopped. I think I used Montrachet, it's whatever came with the juice and the instructions say to follow label instructions so I would say that I did make a starter. I checked temp this morning when I checked the SG and it was at 66 degrees. I don't have a basement but I do have an insulated room in my pole barn with an air conditioner and a dehumidifier. I will have to turn air conitioner up a little.
I have nutrient and EC118 and I just tested the ph and it was about 3.2. I don't have a way to test acidity.
Should I add campden tablets also or wait until it has finished fermenting?

 

[BernardSmith]

Hi Sharon - and welcome.
Not sure that there is any immediate obvious benefit in adding more yeast until we have a good understanding of why the fermentation has stalled . So, three questions:
1. What is the juice that you are fermenting ? 2. What is the pH of the wine? 3. What is the yeast that you pitched?
If the juice lacks nutrients (honey never has enough) then the solution may be to add nutrient.
If the acidity is too high (the pH is 3.00 or less) then the fermentation will stall.
If the problem is something else - for example, a lack of oxygen and too much CO2 (both inhibit fermentation) then the solution may be to simply stir air into the carboy. Simply aerating the wine may restart the fermentation.

If the problem is that the yeast you pitched was cultured to make a wine with far less alcohol (the problem cannot be that the yeast was old because it has worked to drop the gravity almost 60 points and has made a wine of about 7% ABV) then the solution may be to add a different yeast but don't simply pitch a package of yeast into the stalled liquid. Here's what I would suggest that you do:
.
Take a cup or so of apple juice (with no preservatives) and to this pitch (add) your fresh batch of yeast. Once this is obviously fermenting take 1 cup of the stalled wine and add that to the active cup of apple juice. Once that is actively fermenting take two cups of the stalled wine and add that to the two cups of the actively fermenting wine. And keep on repeating this every three or four hours until all the wine from the stalled carboy has been added to the actively fermenting wine.

This process helps ensure that the fresh batch of yeast will not be stressed or even killed by a high concentration of alcohol - and will fairly quickly alert you to the fact if the problem seems to be with wine itself and not the yeast.
Good luck!

 

[Scooter68]

Deleted original post - You answered the questions I had and it looks Like Bernard has a good bead on the possible issues.

 

[SharonJQ]

Thanks, Bernard.
The juice is a berry blend with a brix of 68. The ph was 3.2 and the yeast was Montrachet. The instructions from this company is to mix the juice with 3 gallons of water (for a total of 4 gallons) into a 5 gallon carboy, pitch the yeast and let ferment for 6-8 weeks. After that, it gets racked into a bucket to add sorbate, an additional gallon of water and back sweeten. It's then racked back into the cleaned and sanitized carboy for another 2-4 weeks. No campden, no topping off, etc. My first batch had some problems and now this. I appreciate your input and will do as you suggest.

 

[SharonJQ]

Scooter,

The 6-8 week timeline is what their instructions call for. I did log what I had done with the exception of the yeast brand. I added to the juice 3 gallons spring water, pectic enzyme and sugar into a bucket and then immediately syphoned into the carboy. I then added yeast and an airlock...and waited.

 

[Scooter68]

Scooter,

The 6-8 week timeline is what their instructions call for. I did log what I had done with the exception of the yeast brand. I added to the juice 3 gallons spring water, pectic enzyme and sugar into a bucket and then immediately syphoned into the carboy. I then added yeast and an airlock...and waited.

Great - I'm going to drop out because it sounds like some senior folks have a better knowledge of the possible causes. Good Luck!

(PS - Over all acidity - pH Is the number that's needed TA has little to do with this unless you have too much of a bad acid like acedic acid in there.)

 

[SharonJQ]

Thanks for all of the help. I am going to try Bernard's advice.

Sharon

 

[BernardSmith]

A pH of 3.2 should be OK but you need to be convinced that whatever you are using to measure the pH is reliable. If the pH is below 3.2 then I would think that that might create problems for fermentation. You may want to look for some K-carbonate to increase the pH by 3-5 points

 

[cmason1957]

I just had this thought. Are you using a hydrometer or a refractometer to measure your sg? 6-8 weeks sounds life a really long time to wait for fermentation to finish.

Refractometer don't read correctly one the alcohol is present.