Primary fermintation didnt start! Now what?

[tatd69]

I started a peach Sauvignon Blanca 6 gallon wine kit 5 days ago. I added the peach concentrate and enough sugar to bring the SG to 1.12. I was hoping to make a sweat wine with high alcohol content without back sweetening.
The problem I am having is the wine didn't start to ferment. What should I try to do to correct this.

 

[GreginND]

Add yeast! Make sure you hydrate it according to directions prior to addition to make sure it is the most viable. What yeast are you using? It may not stop with residual sugar if it is a strong yeast and you'll have to backsweeten then.

 

[JohnT]

Just to add to Greg's post,

1) use yeast. Please use a wine yeast and not bread yeast.
2) also use yeast neutriant
3) also, get the temp of the wine up to 65 or 70 degrees before adding the yeast.
4) to sweeten, you need to add sorbate and then sugar at the back end (after fermentation is complete.

 

[Rocky]

I suggest that you have the SG too high. If you ferment to SG 1.000, your ABV will be just under 16%. What level of alcohol did you want?

 

[tatd69]

It is my understanding that 14% alcohol will kill the yeast. So I wanted a strong sweet wine. That would leave the remaining sugar for the sweetness. Is this true?

I did hydrate a new pack of wine yeast the yeast is lalvin bourgovin RC 212. I just put it in today.

 

[GreginND]

It depends on the yeast. Some are capable of getting up to 18% or so. RC 212 has a tolerance of about 16%. You also never know what wild yeasts are capable of that are all around. Trying to get it to stop with sugar left is difficult for a home winemaker.

The best way to do this is to use only enough sugar to get to the alcohol you want. Ferment it dry. Let it age and clear. Then stabilize with potassium sorbate and back sweeten with sugar to the desired sweetness level.

 

[tatd69]

Thanks for the information, about back sweeting. I have mad wine that I have back sweetened but I was trying a new technique.
I hope that the fermentation process starts with the new yeast.

 

[Pumpkinman]

If the fermentation doesn't start, you can try adding yeast hulls, followed by the ultimate go-to yeast for stuck fermentations..EC-1118...this yeast can ferment a brick.

 

[tatd69]

If the fermentation doesn't start, you can try adding yeast hulls, followed by the ultimate go-to yeast for stuck fermentations..EC-1118...this yeast can ferment a brick.

l

I tried what you said with the EC 118 and years hulls. I properly hydrated the yeast and then added a small amount of the juice.

It is now fermenting and going strong. The EC 118 is good
For 18% alcohol.

Thanks!

 

[GWT]

I started 6 gal. of blue berry and in 7 days it went from 1.08 to 1. Is this normal? I have never had wine go this fast in the primary.

 

[Johnd]

I started 6 gal. of blue berry and in 7 days it went from 1.08 to 1. Is this normal? I have never had wine go this fast in the primary.

It’s normal and can be much faster. No worries.