No Fermentation after 48 hours

[arcticsid]

I realize I may be jumping the gun here but I haven't seen any ferment action after 48 hours. This is what I did. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Current SG is 1.095 @ 75 degrees/F.

Everything was cleaned and sanitized including my hands.

I placed 1 gallon of room temp water in the primary and added 1/4 teaspoon K Meta, 4 tsp Yeast Nutrient, and 1tsp Tannin and stirred well, allowed to sit for an hour or so.

I then added 8 1/2 # of thawed cranberries in a ferment bag. I then boiled 1 gallon of water and dissolved 4#+6 cups sugar in it and added it to the primary and allowed it to "seep" for a half hour or so.

I squeezed the hell out of the ferment bag and topped off the whole thing with 1 gallon of Ocean Spray Cranberry/Pomegranate juice, and 1 gallon of Ocean Spray Cranberry juice. I allowed this to rest for 12 hours or so and added 3 teaspoons of powdered Pectin E and stirred well. This was allowed to rest for another 12 hours or so.

Before pitching the yeast I measured the temp of the must and it was 72/F.

I couldn't get any cotes de blanc, so I used Cuvee. This was rehydrated in warm water(90F) for 15 minutes, it seem to be activated nice, had nice foam on top, etc. I poured this on top of the must without stirring.

Covered with a clean cloth and waited.

Now it is like 48 hours and don't see any action.

I think I did all the right things and realize sometimes yeast will take a bit to take hold. But I am surprised that the cuvee didn't take off yet.

I may be getting impatient but was wondering if I may have did something wrong. Before posting this I gave it a good stir and covered it back up.

Any ideas? I hope I am just being impatient, this is a batch destined to be nice, I would hate to think in my "infinite" knowledge I did something wrong.

Took me a long time just to gather the berries and would sure hate to think it may be for naught.



Thanks
Troy

 

[Racer]

Just trying to make sure I'm following you articsid. Do you have a 5 gallon batch there?

 

[Wade E]

What is listed as ingredients with those gallons of Ocean Spray? Is there any Benzoate or sorbate?

 

[arcticsid]

4 gallon batch. Wade, I was sure to read all the lables and seen none of those listed. I feel funny asking but I am really at a loss on this one.
Troy

 

[cpfan]

Troy:

"Current SG is 1.095 @ 75 degrees/F."

I don't see a starting sg.

Steve

 

[arcticsid]

Starting Sg was the same but it was more like 70/F. This seems like a question even I should beable to answer, but I cant. This is like my 25th batch of wine so I was sure to do everything "right", at the correct times. I don't really want to try and jump start it at this point. I have seen fermentation start as long as 4 days, but I know enough about Cuvee that I was expecting some kind of action by now.

Thanks for thinking about me Steve.
Troy

 

[Sacalait]

For a 5 gal batch a 1/4tsp of K-meta is required, you only had 4gals. Pour from one bucket to another several times to airate and dissipate the K-meta. Make a yeast starter and you know the rest of the story.

 

[Racer]

For a 5 gal batch a 1/4tsp of K-meta is required, you only had 4gals. Pour from one bucket to another several times to airate and dissipate the K-meta. Make a yeast starter and you know the rest of the story.

Thanks for confirming the math Sacalait. I thought it sounded like a little too much k-meta for the batch size.

 

[Wade E]

I wasnt sure about the size either cause he mentioned 4 galons pf liquid with added berries and also sugar which displaces quite a bit also. You are a littl high like said above with meta so splash rack as said and stir it up really good again and introduce a new yeast.

 

[arcticsid]

Yeah I added 4 gallons of liquid, and the juice from the berries and the sugar. So the fermenter is probably holding 4 1/2 gallons and all I added was 1/4 tsp of kmeta, shouldnt be that nuch off.

I dont have another vessel to splash it, could I just stir the heck out of it and then add the yeast? All I have on hand for yeast is another sachet of Cuvee. I was at the brew shop today and no more cotes de blanc till Monday.

So if the Kmeta ISN"T all that high I cant figure else what else I could have gone wrong.

I.m not gonna make it back to the store for OJ for a starter. On hand I have sugar, corn syrup, raisins, apple juice and a few cans of canned fruit. What can I use to make a starter with? I have never had to make one before, what little I know about starters I heard from you all.
Troy

 

[Luc]

What is listed as ingredients with those gallons of Ocean Spray? Is there any Benzoate or sorbate?

Do a search for Cranberries and benzoate with Google.

Indeed ocean spray does not add any benzoate, they do not need to
as cranberries are full of them.....
It is a natural ingredient in cranberries.

So make a really large yeast starter. Maybe that helps.

There is a trick in which first bakers yeast is added, and next when these die off wine yeast is added.
That way the benzoate is consumed by the bakers yeast and the wine yeast gets a chance.

Do not have the details at hand. It was at Jack Kellers weblog in 2007.

Luc

 

[arcticsid]

I do have some bakers yeast on hand! So are you suggest making a starter with it and let it ferment out, than make another starter with wine yeast and let it do it's thing?

Sounds pretty redundant.

I will see if I can find the log you mentioned on cranberries.

I hope I dont regret not making a liqueur out of these

This must has a nice flavor and I can imagine a nice finished product, really would hate to lose it.

So in the morning I will improvise a "whip" from a plastic coat hanger and stir it up a bunch and prepare a starter.

Sure hope it works.

Keepin the Faith,

Troy

 

[Tom]

A few years ago I made Cranberry wine from fresh cranberries. I do remember having a devil of a time for it to start. I'm not sure bakers yeast will help thou. I would get something like Lalvin 1118 and make a big starter.

 

[Luc]

I will see if I can find the log you mentioned on cranberries.

Look for benzoate.
Open the log and do a search with your browsers search function on that file.

Luc

 

[arcticsid]

I normally rehydrate my yeast in 100?f water, about 1/4 cup. Could I make a starter with warm apple juice say 1 cup or so? And just leave it in a warm place for a bit. Tried search for yeast starter and came up missing. To make a starter I have apple juice, sugar, brown sugar, a few fresh oranges, light corn syrup, and a few cans of fruit cocktail. Please advise on what I can use to make a starter. I've never made one so didn't pay much attention when starters were discussed in here.

The only yeast I have on hand id Cuvee.

Thanks
Troy.

I do plan to aerate it good before adding the activated starter.

 

[Tom]

Apple juice will work, so will just sugar. The idea is to have the yeasties multiply many times before adding.

 

[arcticsid]

Thanks Tom will give the apple juice a shot and report back. How long to letthe yeasy grow in the juice before adding to the must? Should it be stirred in or just poured on top? Sure appreciate your help on this.
Troy

 

[Tom]

Most of the time the yeast drops in solution. If it just stays on top after 20 min give it a stir w/ sanitized spoon.
30 min is avg for me to wait. (don't watch the clock it Will take forever that way)

 

[arcticsid]

Got ya, but I was wondering about adding the starter to the must, usually i just pour the activated yeast on top without stirring, should I treat the starter the same way? How long should I let the starter go after pitching the yeast into it. I feel odd asking this many questions, but so far have had good luck as an amateur wine maker, and am really worried about this batch.

Benn sitting there for like 3 days after I pitched the initial yeast. Is there going to be any problem because it has not begun a fermentation at this point?
Troy

 

[Tom]

Most of the time the yeast drops in solution. If it just stays on top after 20 min give it a stir w/ sanitized spoon.
30 min is avg for me to wait. (don't watch the clock it Will take forever that way)

This for a starter. I start it in a tall glass. I pitch it in 30 min or so.