slow to ferment

[JLS]

Keep temperature at 74, should be much better

 

[jimmyjames23]

Keep temperature at 74, should be much better

My temp is 77.5

 

[Arne]

Think this mite be why Lon's origional recipe said to use the lees from an active ferment. That way you already have things going and it is a lot easier to get it started. That being said, seems like quite a few are having trouble with it right now. I Will just about put money on it that it has something to do with temp. not quite being warm enough. Arne.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Think this mite be why Lon's origional recipe said to use the lees from an active ferment. That way you already have things going and it is a lot easier to get it started. That being said, seems like quite a few are having trouble with it right now. I Will just about put money on it that it has something to do with temp. not quite being warm enough. Arne.

Thanks Arne
I didn't have any white lees. I chucked the mead lees I had last month. They stank. I'm adding a liter of the pee twice a day to two separate primary buckets.
Still going but not frothy. I was out of energizer so I'm hoping when I pick up some tomorrow it will get things frothing along
Lots of nutrient added but I started without the lees and energizer.

 

[hobbyiswine]

Mine was still not going after about 3 weeks. Pitched it in the lawn for spring fertilizer I whipped up another batch tonight. I used Realemon this time instead of the walmart stuff and Ozarka bottled water. I also boiled the lemon juice a couple minutes and stirred it very well to hopefully drive of the preservatives. Maybe it will work. Gonna let it sit a day or so then make up a hefty starter.

 

[jimmyjames23]

I've been adding a liter of pee to my new starters and I think it's starting to ferment well.
I'm getting lots if fizzing but no intense foaming. But there's a distinct smell of scotch/malt liquor.
So far half the 57 liters is "fermenting".
SG is 1.066... down from 1.073

I think we have liftoff.

 

[jimmyjames23]

I transferred everything to carboys today. Getting 4 bubbles per second. It's just ripping through fermentation.
Yayyyy skeeter pee!

 

[GeoS]

I transferred everything to carboys today. Getting 4 bubbles per second. It's just ripping through fermentation.
Yayyyy skeeter pee!

I didn't use an air lock I just set the lid on loosely, with a gallon jug of water on top, so I could easily open it up every day and whip some air into it. I was getting 2inchesnof foam on top every day.

 

[Hokapsig]

Geo, check your SG as it will drop rapidly over a few days with that much fermenting going on. At 1.050, add the rest of the energizer and the second bottle of lemon. Whip it good.

 

[GeoS]

Geo, check your SG as it will drop rapidly over a few days with that much fermenting going on. At 1.050, add the rest of the energizer and the second bottle of lemon. Whip it good.

I already did that a few days ago. I racked it into a secondary today. SG is 1.020. I'll let it get to 0.998 then plan on racking again, degassing and adding sorbate and sulfite. Then letnit set for two weeks or so before bottling.

 

[jimmyjames23]

My skeeter went from 1.073 to 1.050 in less than 12 hours. Wow.
And here I was ready to feed it to the toilet. Lol.

 

[hobbyiswine]

Update....so I dumped the first batch that was the initial reason for the thread. I came to the conclusion it was bad (off-brand) lemon concentrate that was to blame.

I started another batch with Realemon. I even boiled the lemon juice with some water for a few minutes. Let everything "chill out" for a couple days, whipped up a monster EC1118 starter and pitched it. It is fermenting but not really strong. What the heck!!!! Question is...I am using " Go-ferm " nutrient, anyone use this? I looked back in my notes of previous batches that fermented well and I used a different nutrient but don't have a name written down. Anyone have a suggestion for nutrient to the use with lemon skeeter?

 

[jimmyjames23]

How many bottles realemon?

What size batch and did you add all the lemon at once. Did you pitch the whole starter?

 

[hobbyiswine]

6 gallon batch. Only 32oz of Realemon so far. Going to add the rest if it ever gets fermenting. Yes I added the whole starter. 5g pack of yeast. I rehydrated it then baby stepped some must into. It was rolling good before I pitched it into the must. I added a couple tsp each of yeast energizer and go-ferm nutrient just now and whipped some air into it with the drill and stirrer. I have had the temp up to 77 the last couple days and still the SG has only moved from 1.074 to 1.062 in 5-6 days.

 

[jimmyjames23]

That's pretty good. Mine sat and did nothing for 10 days. Now it's day 18 and ferment is almost done. It really takes off after a while. Just keep adding nutrient and stirring.

 

[GeoS]

I just bottled my first batch of skeeter pee. I had to crack a bottle to trying. I'm now on bottle number 2. Its going to be a rough day tomorrow! This is really good stuff.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Great. Now I'm jealous AND thirsty.

 

[hobbyiswine]

1.052 today. Temp holding at 77. Poking along but at least its going.

 

[hobbyiswine]

1.040 last night. Gave it a good splash racking between a couple primary buckets. Poking along is better than stuck. Waiting to add the rest of the Realemon. Was hoping to get the ferment going a bit stronger first but will have to wait and see.

 

[hobbyiswine]

This batch has been going for about five weeks. Put into secondary last week at 1.016. Today it is at 1.013. I don't think this batch is going to go dry. Seems like it is doing exactly what my last batch did. Oh well. Will let it sit a month or so in the carboy. If it gets a lower SG by then I might let it go another couple weeks. Otherwise i will just sorbate, stabilize and bottle like the last batch. Made an easy drinking 9% poolside sipper just a bit sweeter than I had hoped.