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[arthurmaysii]

Hello, Im new to making wine and started a batch of plum. I added everything but forgot the pectic enzyme so I added it when I pitched my yeast. When I checked the next day to see if fermentation had started, it wasnt doing anything. Did I kill my yeast by putting the pectic enzyme and the yeast in at the same time or did I do something wrong in the my process? I made a yeast starter and the yeast activated properly, so Im thinking there isnt anything wrong with the yeast. Is it salvageable?

 

[grapeman]

What is the must temperature. It should be around 70-72 degrees otherwise the yeast won't multiply well.

 

[Deezil]

I'm not sure if the pectic enzyme will work, but the yeast should. Some fermentations take longer to pick up speed than others, depending on the strain and some other factors.

 

[arthurmaysii]

Im using a champagne yeast. I dont have a thermometer so I dont know what the temp is. I will invest in one though. The room where I place my wine is a consistent 70 degrees.

 

[Julie]

Give it A few more days. Sometimes fermentation takes a couple of days to start. But if I was you I would add more pectin enzyme once fermentation is done.

 

[arthurmaysii]

What about acid blend. The recipe i used called for 5tsp. Could that have possibly been too much and that would have killed my yeast making the acidity of the must too high?

 

[Deezil]

To really diagnose the problem, we would need more information from you. Basically, what you did from the beginning 'til now. If you have a Titration kit, its always smarter to adjust acids by measuring first and calculating from there. Without knowing where it measures now, its too iffy to say if thats the cause or not.

Have patience though, and take the measurements if you can.

 

[arthurmaysii]

This is the recipe i used. The only thing i did wrong was added the pectic enzyme when i added the yeast because i forgot to do it after letting the must sit for 12 hrs.
3.5 qt. water
2 lbs sugar or 2 lbs. light honey
4 lbs. ripe sweet plums or 3 lbs. wild plums
5 tsp. acid blend (Do not use with wild plums)
1/8 tsp. tannin
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 Campden tablet (recommended)
1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
Champagne or Montrachet yeast

Boil water and sugar/honey. If using honey, skim the scum.
Wash, stem, and pit the plums. Cut into small pieces saving the juice.
Put in straining bag in bottom of primary fermenter and mash.
Pour hot sugar water over fruit and fill up to 1-gallon mark.
When cooled add acid, tannin, nutrient and Campden tablet. Cover and fit with air lock.
After 12 hours add the pectic enzyme.
24 hours later add yeast and stir.
Remove straining bag after a week.
When must reaches Specific Gravity of 1.030, rack to secondary fermenter.
Rack again in 2-3 weeks.
Rack again in 2-6 months.
After it ferments out, stabilize with Campden tablets or stabalizer and add 2-6 oz of sugar to sweeten if needed

 

[mmadmikes1]

Plum starts hard. I learned from Luke(where the hell has he been) that is you wash off the natural wax on plums it helps. I would have froze the plums first. makes them break down easier. I also would check SG with Hydrometer before adding sugar or honey. Adding sugar blind can create problem that don't need to happen. If SG is to high the sugar will prevent fermentation. Last, be patent. If it is not going soon. Like in 2 days make a yeast starter and re pitch the yeast

 

[arthurmaysii]

I made a yeast starter in the beginning. I guess I will wait a few days to see what happens. I didnt wash off the wax. What did you use to do that? I just rinsed them off and liquefied them in a blinder instead of pressing. That's how I started my grape wine and it turned out fine.

 

[Arne]

It mite help to stir some oxygen into your must. If you boiled the water hard, it might of removed some of the oxygen from it. Just get a stick, spoon, drill stir mixer, sanatize whichever and whip some air into it. Just mite get it going. If it is cold there and you have the primary fermenter on a concrete floor, the temps mite be too cold also. If you have it on concrete, put a couple of boards under it to seperate it from the concrete. Arne.

 

[arthurmaysii]

I had to add more to the must. I realized that I added to much acid blend. The recipe called for 5 tsp and its a gal batch. I guess the must was too acidic. I pourd water in the must then airlocked it. I woke up this am and it was bubbling. I inturned added that back to the rest of the must (hope that wasnt a mistake) if it was i know what to do now. I willpost an update to let everyone know what happens.

 

[jrh143]

Patience

I have had many batches take three days to show signs of fermentation, even with the use of a starter which had taken off very well on its own. You need that rarest quality in a new winemaker: patience. Give everything time. I've found it's quite hard to outright RUIN a batch or to kill the yeast. You're starting from (presumably) a tried and true recipe, you're following general rules of sanitation and sound winemaking principals, so all should work out fine. If you still have a problem in two or three days, let us know. I can be reached via email anytime, too, if you need help.

Cheers!

- John Hance
Hance Wines, North Carolina
[email protected]

 

[arthurmaysii]

Its working now. I took it from my primary and placed it in a gal demijohn airlocked it overnight. The next morning it started fermenting. I poured it back in the primary and off it went. I guess that did the trick.

 

[robie]

Its working now. I took it from my primary and placed it in a gal demijohn airlocked it overnight. The next morning it started fermenting. I poured it back in the primary and off it went. I guess that did the trick.

All that pouring injected some additional oxygen into the must. That's probably what caused it to take off.

 

[arthurmaysii]

All that yeast I put in there is having fun too. I know Im new to wine making but its bubbling like crazy. I guess thats expected. I understand now that I used too much acid blend in my recipe. What can I do to lower the acidity without changing the flavor of the wine if the finish product taste too acidic?