Scooter68
Fruit "Wine" Maker
For new wine makers it's sometimes hard to be sure when fermentation has really begun. And sometimes thertoe is no doubt. I'm posting a few pics of a new batch of peach wine. The yeast was pitched 21 hours ago. Temps in the room are at about 77. Peach wine from fresh peaches tends to be very thick - so thick that to get an accurate SG read I have to put the hydrometer in the testing tube and agitate it for at least a minute or more until the hydrometer settles. Normally I do this several times over the course 24-36 hours before pitching the yeast. Straining is not practical when you have used 28 lbs of peaches in a total volume of just under 4 gallons.
So the pictures show that after 21 hrs with yeast EC-1118 I have a cap of about 1 1/2" . For background my yeast starter is always the same. 2 oz water, 1 oz must, 1/16 tsp yeast nutrient and a dash of fetmaid-k (I know not the proper fermaid variety but it works.) The water alone is heated for 20 sec in a microwave then I add the other items stir and cover. Normally the yeast rehydrates in less than 30 minutes with a thick foam layer. That mix is then pitched. Not claiming any magic here. This is what has been working for me now for the last 2 1/2 years as my "standard" starter mix. The only problems have been with my black currant from juice batches. They do start but tend to stall out before reaching 1.000 or lower
So the pictures show that after 21 hrs with yeast EC-1118 I have a cap of about 1 1/2" . For background my yeast starter is always the same. 2 oz water, 1 oz must, 1/16 tsp yeast nutrient and a dash of fetmaid-k (I know not the proper fermaid variety but it works.) The water alone is heated for 20 sec in a microwave then I add the other items stir and cover. Normally the yeast rehydrates in less than 30 minutes with a thick foam layer. That mix is then pitched. Not claiming any magic here. This is what has been working for me now for the last 2 1/2 years as my "standard" starter mix. The only problems have been with my black currant from juice batches. They do start but tend to stall out before reaching 1.000 or lower