no yeast activity

[WineOnurse]

Hello folks , I need a little help here. I'm starting my 1st batch of wine & have no idea what I'm doing, so please be gentle with me

.

I started a batch of fresh muscadine wine 9/22 with a simple recipe from a catalog. Started with 30 lbs fruit. Squeezed to about 1.5 gals juice. Added juice, pulp(in bag), 9lbs sugar, 5tsp yeast nutrient, 3/4 tsp pectic enzyme, 1 tsp tannin, 5 campden tabs, & water up to 5 gals in 6 gal bucket. Let sit for 24 hrs added 1 pack ( 5grms) Montrachet yeast--dissolved in sm amt warm water before adding. Must temp is about 80 degrees. Now 9/27 still no activity from yeast. What have I done wrong & how can I fix it??? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[grapeman]

Welcome WineOnurse to the forum. There are a couple things that could be preventing it from starting. First, that's a lot of sugar for six gallons with juice to begin with. Do you have a hydrometer? You should check your must's specific gravity-SG. It should run about 1.080-1.090. If it is too high, it can prevent some yeasts from multiplying to get going. Your must temperature is also on the high side at 80 deg. You could make a yeast starter up and slowly add must to it. Start with a cup and when it gets going in an hour or so, add more juice to it until you get a few quarts going. You can then add it to the primary and the whole thing should star. You probably should find a cooler spot to place the must. If you can find a spot about 75 that would be great.


Good luck and welcome again.

 

[WineOnurse]

Thanks for your response,
First, for temperature controlI just moved all my wine making stuff from the garage and took over the spare bedroom; (any body know a good divorce lawyer?).
Yeah, I got a hydrometer.. Knowing what to do with is another story. Here are all my reading.. see if they make sense.
juice after squeezing nothing added: 1.060
24 hrs after adding sugar & other stuff :1.130
Today 4 days after yeast added :1.040
Temp is still about 80 degrees. Just moved it inside.
Also I'll make a yeast starter & see how that works.
Thanks again appleman

 

[grapeman]

Looking at the information you provided- your yeast has been working all along! No need for a yeast starter. Your starting specific gravity was a little on the high side and it may not finish completely dry. The SG has dropped.090- that is a lot for only four days or so. Is it in a primary bucket? If so it will need to be racked into a carboy when it gets close to 1.010. The must temp is 80 degrees because the yeast is active, but don't let it get much higher. Keep us informed of your progress.

 

[WineOnurse]

Maybe it's not a lost cause after all. I'll watch it &rack it as you suggest. I'll keep you posted... Thanks again

 

[Wade E]

Do you have an airlock that fits into the bung when you put it in the carboy as you will need this. Out of curiosity, what made you think it wasnt working so that we can inform you of what to expect. Sounds like everything is going great though.

Edited by: wade

 

[WineOnurse]

Yeah, I have an airlock with my carboy...came in today from The Toy Store.
As far as yeast activity.. I was expecting a lot of foaming and bubbling and movement in the bucket. I had heard people talking about the bucket running over and such stuff. When mine sat quietly I thought nothing was happening. I feel much better about mysilent winenow.....Thanks a lot.

 

[grapeman]

A lot of the foaming is caused by different varieties of yeast. Some of them are quick movers and foam a lot, others quietly work away. Record little things like this in a journal or notecards and next batch if you don't like something in this one you can change. I use a recipe type card file and put the index cards in it. Usually one card is adequate to record each batch.

 

[Wade E]

I bet if you put your ear in the bucket you can hear sizzling! Some yeasts act different and types act different. You dont hardly ever see a white wine foaming but almost always see a red wine foaming.

 

[WineOnurse]

Thanks appleman. I do need to get my notes more organized, at present I got notes on a box, some on the wall, and some still in my head(that'll probably leak out). I'll start my note card system tonight.

 

[WineOnurse]

Hey Wade, that was a great idea. I just put my stethoscope to the bucket and it sounds like rice crispies. I AM fermenting.

 

[Dean]

From what I calculate, you are aleady at 12%, and montrachet poops out at 14% I think. I'd say you are nearing the end of the fermentation. It should slow down quite a bit now.

 

[Wade E]

Pretty soon youll be racking into carboy. What do you have as far as equipment? Do you have a spigot on your bucket?

 

[WineOnurse]

Yep, I've got a spigot in my bucket. Also have a glass 5gal carboy, wine thief, hydrometer, one of those degassing stirring things, and a few other toys. Aint this fun....
One question. How quickly should I rack after the sg gets to 1.010. Do I have like a day or two or is it important to do it sooner. (Might have to quit my job if its very important

)

 

[Wade E]

You dont have to play hooky from work. RJ Spagnols which is another major manufacturer of wine kits has you do a ful fermentation in the bucket (primary fermenter) before racking. From my experience, I find it easier to degas the wine this way but you better stick to the instructions as straying from them will void the warranty! The pro to racking at this earlier point is creating a layer of gas from the wine still fermenting nthat protects the wine better.

 

[WineOnurse]

Thanks wade. I'll watch it and rack as soon asI can when it's ready.
And dang it I reckon I'll have to go on to work.

 

[dfwwino]

Yeast activity certainly does not always correlate with foaming. I've got two Mosti all fresh juices, one is Moscato, a white juice, with no foaming. The other is Cab, with a nice foamy head. But the hydrometer readings indicate both are progressing at nearly the same rate of fermentation. One sounds like carbonated soda with escaping bubbles, the other with loud fizzing.