Need some start help

[Doug’s wines]

I started a SP batch on Saturday morning including sugar, water, yeast nutrients etc all the items per original directions. I then pitched the yeast (ec-1118) Saturday evening (early per directions), I just sprinkled it on the must versus a starter, and it is now Tuesday evening with nothing happening. The yeast pack was my only spare ec1118 (I thought I had more, but what I have left is expired by 4 months and the pack I pitched was Good and In date until end of this year) but I do have so BM 4x4 handy. Must temp is 72, Sg is 1.070.

My options seem to be:

1) wait longer
2) pitch additional expired ec1118
3) pitch 4x4
4) make a 4x4 starter and pitch that
5) other

Suggestions?

Tia

Doug

 

[hounddawg]

are you stirring your must to get plenty of oxygen into your must, during your ferment the more oxygen the better after the ferment, then oxygen becomes your enemy,,
i'd pitch the expired,
when i start a SP i make every thing up except i only use one bottle of lemon juice till i get a good start, then i add the rest of the lemon juice,,,
Dawg

 

[cmason1957]

I would probably make a starter of the ec1118 and pitch that. BM 4X4 probably isn't really the best choice for such a low pH wine as Skeeter pee.

 

[Doug’s wines]

Thanks. Both of you. I’ve stired three times a day, but no such luck. I think next time, I will start with everything but lemon juice then add it after ferment is going. I will give it overnight and then tomorrow put together a starter. If the expired 1118 takes off it will be fine... only risk is the starter and time.

 

[hounddawg]

Thanks. Both of you. I’ve stired three times a day, but no such luck. I think next time, I will start with everything but lemon juice then add it after ferment is going. I will give it overnight and then tomorrow put together a starter. If the expired 1118 takes off it will be fine... only risk is the starter and time.

yes before i ever done my first SKEETER PEE, i read many, many threads and tons of them had problems kicking off their ferment, so my first batch i left out 90% of the problem=lemon juice, i've made many , many gallons of skeeter pee, for several years now, knock on wood i have never had a single problem starting my SP's,,, but with it already rigged up i agree 100% with cmanson1957, make you a starter pack, without any lemon in it, get it cranking along then add to your must, then from here on out leave out most of your lemon till your yeast is humming along,
best of luck to you,
Dawg

 

[cmason1957]

@hounddawg I make three or four batches of Skeeter pee every year. Always add two bottles at the start, stir it like it's a red headed step child. Make a nice yeast starter of Ec1118. Porch it in, after the days add the third bottle of lemon juice. Haven't had one hard to start, yet.

 

[Doug’s wines]

Woke up to no progress. Going to try to get a starter going on the expired yeast. Going to start it in majority sugar water with some nutrients added, then add some must if / when it gets going to see if it can chew that up.

 

[hounddawg]

@hounddawg I make three or four batches of Skeeter pee every year. Always add two bottles at the start, stir it like it's a red headed step child. Make a nice yeast starter of Ec1118. Porch it in, after the days add the third bottle of lemon juice. Haven't had one hard to start, yet.

yep bout the same difference except i use one bottle per six gallons to start, i have never used a starter batch, in all my wines never, I just pour yeast on top of them, i do vear away from Lon's recipe in that I use one quart per gallon of water, yes in a 6 gallon carboy there is 6 bottles of lemon concentrate, my final SG is 1.040 then i transfer into a 6 an 1/2 gallon carboy pour a fifth of pure grain alcohol into then rack my skeeter pee into the 6&1/2 and bottle from there, . my finished product taste just like lemonade but kicks like a Missouri mule, as for skeeter pee i got 30 gallons ready to rack and will start and will start another 30 as soon as this is bottled,,,
Dawg

 

[BernardSmith]

Don't forget that the original posts about SP suggested that you use the yeast you harvest from a previous batch precisely because of the acidity of SP. Using the yeast "slurry" means that a) the colony size should be very large and b) that yeast will very likely have dropped the pH as it fermented fruit and so would be more acclimatized to finding itself awash in lemon juice...

 

[hounddawg]

Don't forget that the original posts about SP suggested that you use the yeast you harvest from a previous batch precisely because of the acidity of SP. Using the yeast "slurry" means that a) the colony size should be very large and b) that yeast will very likely have dropped the pH as it fermented fruit and so would be more acclimatized to finding itself awash in lemon juice...

oh i know, i have no complaints , i just wondered if he was looking for interactions, ways things got handed down, no, no, no, i meant zero gripe. i was merely wondering, i'm cool, just curious to understand the overall scope of the ways of venterior
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

in my travels i have figured out that those of us from very southern rural areas put our sentence structure differently sometime causing confusion ... i didn't mean to infer anything on his survey at all. it just made me curious is all, nothing else inferred ,,,
Dawg,

 

[BernardSmith]

oh i know, i have no complaints , i just wondered if he was looking for interactions, ways things got handed down, no, no, no, i meant zero gripe. i was merely wondering, i'm cool, just curious to understand the overall scope of the ways of venterior
Dawg

I was responding to the original post. I occasionally make SP and typically sprinkle yeast but I know the risks.. But I never read any gripe in what you posted, hounddawg.

 

[hounddawg]

Woke up to no progress. Going to try to get a starter going on the expired yeast. Going to start it in majority sugar water with some nutrients added, then add some must if / when it gets going to see if it can chew that up.

View attachment 60328

aw man , that sweet tea glass is way to cool. jeeze i like that glass, can them still be ordered/bought??
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

I was responding to the original post. I occasionally make SP and typically sprinkle yeast but I know the risks.. But I never read any gripe in what you posted, hounddawg.

thank you, that means alot to me,

 

[Doug’s wines]

Ok. Starter is up to a full cup of must in it now. Looks pretty good. Will pitch it shortly. Here’s hoping.


ps will ask the missus when she gets back from the store where the glasses came from.

 

[cmason1957]

Them glasses come from somewhere down South of that you can be assured.

 

[Doug’s wines]

We live in Georgia so yep. Down south. My wife says they came from Belk, but she’s had them several years. Quick search of their web site came up with nothing.

 

[hounddawg]

Them glasses come from somewhere down South of that you can be assured.

yep and i am from down south, i've been in 46 of the lower 48, and here in the south sweet tea is normal language, i'd fight a bear with a small hickory switch for a couple of them glasses, now let me be clear when i say i'd fight a bear i'm limiting to care bears and teddy bears,,,
DAWG

 

[hounddawg]

ok i have made a few posts if any are confused please forgive me, i am diabetic and my sugar dropped to 34, and was very confused, i kinda figured it out took 3 glucose pills and got my sugar readings climbing back up. i and very tired and weak so i am signing off, 34 is my lowest point before i go into a coma, so if any of my post are off i beg forgiveness,
Dawg,,,

 

[sour_grapes]

Oh my goodness, Richard. I hope you recover quickly, and continue to be well.