was my must maybe too warm to off yeast?

[mandoe]

Making blackberry wine w sparkling wine yeast (meant to use red wine yeast but picked the wrong one out of fridge). Don't mind if it is sparkling but my question is this: after I added the boiling hot water, I waited 4 hours to let cool then added yeast starter mix. This is a 5 gal batch in a 5 gal bucket so there is only a few inches of space at top of bucket. Recipe said to cover w plastic wrap. It has been 24 hours and not much is happening. Cud I have killed the yeast?

 

[closetwine]

Did you add nutrient? Check pH? Juice or fresh fruit? Did you prep the starter a lil juice at a time or dump it in (that may be the problem)? We need more info....
Blueberry is notoriously hard to get going...

 

[mandoe]

Did you add nutrient? Check pH? Juice or fresh fruit? Did you prep the starter a lil juice at a time or dump it in (that may be the problem)? We need more info....
Blueberry is notoriously hard to get going...

Blackberry. 17.5 lbs
Yes nutrient = t tsp (only 1 tsp in the cup and a half of rm temp o.j. the rest in the must)
1/4 tsp pectic enzyme
Recipe says wait 4-5 days til adding sugar
I just poured the starter in

 

[mandoe]

I meant 5 tsp nutrient not t

 

[jamesngalveston]

have never seen a blackberry recipe that waited 5 days before adding yeast..
pectin enzyme will break the fruit down in a day are two.
a fermenter covered in plastic with no oxygen is just dead....
remove plastic.,.add a pillowcase, musling, some kind of breathable covering.
if you have more yeast, just pitch it (sprinkle on top of the must)
it will dominate over the sparkling.

 

[Julie]

Mandoe,

Welcome to WineMakingTalk. Just curious, where did you find this recipe you are using? If you haven't got one yet, get a hydrometer. This will help you immensely in winemaking. As stated above, remove the plastic and just cover the top with a cloth. 24 hours isn't very long, it take a few days before the yeast becomes active, plus just because you used a sparkling wine yeast does not mean you will have a sparkling wine.

 

[DoctorCAD]

The bigger issue is...boiling water? Why boiling water? All that does is create peptic haze that is hard to clear.

Nothing in wine should ever vary from room temperature.

 

[Julie]

The bigger issue is...boiling water? Why boiling water? All that does is create peptic haze that is hard to clear.

Nothing in wine should ever vary from room temperature.

Sorry DoctorCAD, but I use boiling water when I first start a batch, granted my fruit is partially frozen but not by much. I add boiling water and leave it to cool before adding the pectic enzyme. I have never gotten a peptic haze.

 

[Thig]

The bigger issue is...boiling water? Why boiling water? All that does is create peptic haze that is hard to clear.

Nothing in wine should ever vary from room temperature.

A lot of Jack Keller 's recipes use boiling water in the beginning.

 

[Julie]

Actually it is boiling the fruit that would be the big concern, that is where you would get peptic haze. The boiling water will start decreasing in temp as soon as the water hits the fruit, where as boiling the fruit will bring the fruit up to the boiling temp.

 

[mandoe]

I do need the hydrometer! I will get rid of plastic & wait another day. Thank you

 

[mandoe]

Mandoe,

Welcome to WineMakingTalk. Just curious, where did you find this recipe you are using? If you haven't got one yet, get a hydrometer. This will help you immensely in winemaking. As stated above, remove the plastic and just cover the top with a cloth. 24 hours isn't very long, it take a few days before the yeast becomes active, plus just because you used a sparkling wine yeast does not mean you will have a sparkling wine.

The recipe is from a book called Making Wild Wines & Meads written by Pattie Vargas & Rich Gulling. The book was recommended by the owner of the shop I got equipment from.

 

[closetwine]

Yes... MUST HAVE HYDROMETER..... LOL It is your BFF and buy 2 because inevitable one will break.... (It's happened to us all). Also, blackberry can be acidic... if you can check pH and adjust thats great.... I don't (LOL I'm a rebel). If you suspect you have an acidic batch though you can add a little must at a time to the starter to acclimate it.... once you get a 1/2 gal or so (by adding a few cups at a time over 24hrs-ish) you can pitch it all in... I wouldn't wait and add sugar later either b/c then you don't get an accurate SG.

My 2 copper Lincolns.

 

[Thig]

.. I wouldn't wait and add sugar later either b/c then you don't get an accurate SG.

Why couldn't you take an SG reading immediately before and after adding the sugar and get an accurate reading, unless your not adding enough to make a difference?

 

[closetwine]

Why couldn't you take an SG reading immediately before and after adding the sugar and get an accurate reading, unless your not adding enough to make a difference?

Julie taught me this (I think lol) If you take it right after then it 's not fully incorperated and will give a false low reading.... Take it before (to gauge how much sugar to add) and then an hour after adding. That's always worked better for me IMO. I meant I wouldn't pitch the yeast THEN add sugar 24 hrs or more later...

 

[closetwine]