Champage yeast does not ferment!

[andrew_ysk]

I am trying to make glutonous rice wine, purchased the "yeast" from asian market, the "white cookie / powder" broke rice down into sugar.
I have measured, it is 40%, very sweet to taste. But it just does not ferment.. the sweetness always there.
I tried to pitch the champage yeast into it, it only last 2 days, before bubbles stopped. why ?
is it too sweet (40%) for champage yeast ?

 

[An Ankoù]

I think you need to give us some more details. How much rice have you put with how much water. After the cookie powder (an amylase based powder, I imagine) had done its work, did you wash the sugary solution off the rice husks? If so, how much water did you use. So, in short, how much rice did you use to produce what volume of wine?
Then we can start looking at the yeast. It doesn't sound like champagne yeast to me.

 

[andrew_ysk]

Hii,

I steamed glutonous rice 5kg and let to luke warm. mix in amylase powder to 1 liter bottled water and mixed evenly into rice. and put it in glass jar with silicon seal removed (so not to explode). Actually the instruction as on youtube said no need water, however some other instruction asked to pour in water..hence i believe water ammount is not critical. I rather it to be as non diluted as possible, hence only add 1 liter of water for mixing.

I am using dehusked rice bought from store, there is no husk.
The amylase powder works, the liquid pooled out and rice floated after a few days.. the liquid is surper sweet.. around 40%brix if not remember wrongly.

so far, i can' taste any wine, but just super sweet liquid come out from rice. the reuslting liquid is about half of jar, the original rice that i stuck into the jar was 2/3 of 5 liter jar..

I saw korean rice wine uses Nuruk as amalyse.. then they uses yeast to ferment the sugar resulted from Nuruk.
I also (after i realized it is not fermenting , the liquid stays sweet and no bubble) pitch in champage yeast.. it only bubbled for 2 days and stopped. i checked the brix is still 40%..

 

[andrew_ysk]

It doesn't sound like champagne yeast to me.

Sorry, What did that mean ?

 

[An Ankoù]

That's about 1160 SG. A wine yeast should be able to ferment that. I suggest you get some fresh wine yeast and add a teaspoonful of wine yeast nutrient, too.

 

[andrew_ysk]

That's about 1160 SG. A wine yeast should be able to ferment that. I suggest you get some fresh wine yeast and add a teaspoonful of wine yeast nutrient, too.

According to this website: brix to sg 40% brix is SG 1.17541 .. i saw most website mentioned the highest should be SG1.127.. which will make 17%ABV. Thats means mine is way higher..

 

[BeerCat]

If your gravity was 1.175 and it fermented dry you would end up with 23% wine. I would dilute it and add fresh yeast and nutrient.

 

[andrew_ysk]

If your gravity was 1.175 and it fermented dry you would end up with 23% wine. I would dilute it and add fresh yeast and nutrient.

Yes, i think i should i should dilute it.. it seems to be too sweet.., how should i do it ? any advice on it ?
I also have this yeast nutrient that i purchased many years ago.. already expired, but i have not even open it yet.. never used. does yeast nutrient expire ? can i still use it ?
Should i use the same rice yeast (Rhizopus oryzae ) from asian store or should use champage wine ?

 

[BeerCat]

If it were were me i would dilute it with water using this calc. Aim for 14%, use the champagne yeast and the nutrient. Add a teaspoon every few days whilst its actively fermenting. It should ferment down to 1000 so base your calculations on that. I have no idea about the rice yeast but champagne yeast should be good for up to 18% although its best not to add all the sugar at once or you can have fermentation issues.