Pear Wine No Fermentation

[DrtDoctor]

Started a pear wine the other day. It was a six gallon batch. added the pears and raisins as well as the kmeta and ascorbic acid and some tannin and acid blend.

Set the top plastic lid on the primary loose. Waited 12 hours and stirred some and added the pectic enzyme.

Waited a couple hours and made a yeast starter using a cup of the pear juice, sugar and yeast nutrient. All was well. the yeast starter took right off and was very active. 24 hours after kmeta was added I added the active yeast starter with some yeast energizer and yeast nutrient. Temperature is good. SG was 1.080. 12 hours later, nothing.

I've done it this way before but never with a six gallon batch, only with smaller batches. I'm wondering if I didn't let the kmeta air sufficiently with the loose plastic lid?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

DrtDoctor

 

[Aaronh]

Do you know what your ph lvlis?
<DIV id=ms__id67>Did you add nutient to just the starter or the whole must?
<DIV id=ms__id68>What yeast did you use?
<DIV id=ms__id11>How much K-meta? only a 1/4 tsp for 5-6 gallons?
<DIV id=ms__id69>Being that you left your lid on unsealed im thinken K-meta didnt dispearse to quickly with only a 12 hour window. Its better to use a towl becouse the whole serfice can breath.
<DIV id=ms__id70>You can try stir the crap out of it to get the S02 to release. When i mean the crap out of it i mean make it splash so oxygen gets in there.You might need a more reziliant ,higher performing yeast like EC-1118 which is pretty much the secret weapon for stuck fermentations half way threw. Stuck fermentations from the get go are a bit harder to diagnose. The culprit is ussaly eather To much k-meta , acid lvl is too high, or not enough nutrients.
<DIV id=ms__id71>
<DIV id=ms__id72>I had a similar problem with my crabapple last month.After 6 days and two failed pitches I ended up maken a small starter and kept adding the must untill I had a 4 gallon starter then put it in the remaining 3.
<DIV id=ms__id81>http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6662
<DIV id=ms__id82>this link is a short story of the ordeal. being that you are only a couple days in the ordeal, you may not have to go threw the same measures i did. I am shure someone else will give you a better point in the right direction soon.Edited by: Aaronh

 

[grapeman]

12 to 24 hours or even two days is not enough time to worry about. It will get going good soon. Take a deep breath and hold, now breathe. Give it another day or so and then all should be good.

 

[DrtDoctor]

Aaronh,

-Do you know what your ph lvlis?

No didn't test it. Should I test acidity level? I often do that. I usually don't test pH.

<div id="ms__id67">-Did you add nutient to just the starter or the whole must?

Yes added both yeast nutrient and yest energizer to Must and starter


<div id="ms__id68">-What yeast did you use?

Red Star Pastuer Champagne


<div id="ms__id11">-How much K-meta? only a 1/4 tsp for 5-6 gallons?

No 5 campden tablets for 6 gallons.


<div id="ms__id69">-Being that you left your lid on unsealed I'm thinkin
K-meta didn't disperse to quickly with only a 12 hour window. Its
better to use a towlel because the whole surface can breath.

I've taken off the lid and put Muslin over it. I'll leave that go for 24 hours, stirring occasionally and then add another batch of Yeast starter.

DrtDoctor

 

[smokegrub]

Patience. It will start.

 

[Wade E]

I agree that it most likely will takle a little more time. Listen in for that sizzling noise!

 

[DrtDoctor]

Still as still can be 36 hours after I pitched an active starter. I think I'll start a new starter tonight and if there is no activity by tomorrow morning 24 hours after covering with muslin I'll pitch the new starter.

 

[Wade E]

Still cant hear any fizzing at all?

 

[DrtDoctor]

Nothing. And there is a light at just the right angle so i can see the surface of the must very clearly and it is like a sheet of glass. Very still, no bubbles.

 

[Waldo]

What is the SG of your must? A high SG can cause problems at times.

 

[DrtDoctor]

Waldo it's only 1.082. Currently I've started another starter and am slowly adding to it. The starter is made from the must and there is no problem...active fermentation. I'm up to a quart of starter. I'm thinking of adding another quart now. I figure once I get up to a gallon I'll add it to the other 5 gallons.

 

[DrtDoctor]

Ok, had a quart of active must starter going. Added another quart to it and it stopped. 9 hours now and it stopped. I'm going to work but when I get home I'm going to test the acidity to see if something is wrong. I'm going to try a different yeast.

 

[DrtDoctor]

Ok tested the acidity. It's only .386. I added about 1.5 grams of acid blend per gallon (9 g). I also added some more yeast energizer. Trying to decide whether to just pitch dry yeast or go through another starter. What I don't understand is that if I take some of the must out, add a bit of yeast nutrient and yeast energizer and some sugar and a bit of water, fermentation takes right off? Add small amounts of must and it keeps going. Why did it stop when I doubled the amount from one quart to two? SG is still 1.082.

 

[Wade E]

Im stabbing in the dark here now but what was the source of these pears, if canned does it say sorbate or benzoate on the can? Are you sure you only added 1/4 tsp and not tbls? What is the SG now. I may just be being anal but noticed that you started with an SG of 1.080 and now you say it is 1.082. Just trying to figure this out.

 

[DrtDoctor]

Thanks for the suggestions. Pretty confident on the tsp vs. tbls. It's been almost a week now. The pears were fresh. Very ripe. We made a small batch of pear mead that just won't stop fermenting. Also added raisons to this wine. My wife skinned the pears so the skins were not in the must. The 1.08 vs. 1.082 is just how careful I bother to read the hydrometer. I've adjusted acidity. Added some yeast energizer and pitched some yeast dry. I'm thinking of making another starter as well and doing the slow starter thing.

I feel like a bunch of work is about to go down the drain. Thanks for your help.

Drtdoctor

 

[Wade E]

The only thing that really makes sense at this point is that somehow it got over sulfited somehow and it does happen not saying you did it. Maybe someone interrupted you during starting this batch or something or maybe this is just the most stubborn batch we have ever seen. I would try stirring the snot out of it as maybe the sulfite you put in there just hasnt dissipated enough. Try pouring it from bucket to bucket harshly a few times and then introducing the new yeast.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Question....Did the raisins have any oil on them????

Waldo had an issue with a film of oil on the top of the fermenter that hindered fermentation.

 

[DrtDoctor]

I read somewhere else about if there are dead yeast that the new yeast might not start. That they somehow sense the dead yeast. So I think I might rack the must and leave all old yeast behind. I'll dump it from bucket to bucket. Tomorrow.

What doesn't make sense is that I can make a starter with this must and it starts right up? That's the part that really confuses me. I made a starter with a weak yeast and no more nutrient or energizer since I'm pretty sure the must has plenty now. This yeast started as well. Just added a second cup of must and it is still fermenting. Last time I got it up to a quart and when I added the second quart it stopped.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and concern. My wife tells me to quit worrying since she did most of the work and she's not worried. If it is over sulfated at least no bad bugs have started. The raisin box said they have SO2 in them as a preservative but it's been a week so I can't imagine that that is still a problem. I went to a supply store today and bought a bunch of yeast. A few that take a high sulfate level. I'll use one of those.

Wish me luck!

 

[Wade E]

The raisins are probably the problem. leave them out and splash rack this wine and rack off the dead yeast cells even though I dont think that that has anything to do with it as many here have made starters and got going on stuck fermentations. Get those raisins out of there!

 

[DrtDoctor]

No oil on the raisins. I'm in the process of dumping the must from primary to primary. Probably at 15 pours thus far. Taking a break. I'll do up to 30. The pears and the raisins are in a nylon bag. Pulled it out and letting it get air.

I'm thinking of sorting through the bag and pulling all of the raisins out. Or, trying to start the must without the fruit bag. Question is, what to do with the fruit while I wait? Maybe freeze it?