Delayed fermentation start - wine.

[Harry Bloomfield]

On Monday evening, I started my third Wilko kit - a Wilko Medium Red 30 bottle kit. The previous two being the white versions, both of which turned out OK. All have carefully temperature controlled at 22C and all have been rather slower than I would expect to begin fermenting. The instructions suggest the fermentation stage should be complete after 7 days, but that is not what I have found.

Each batch has progressively taken longer to start and my third one (the red) is the slowest yet - 3.5 days and still not a single bubble. I'm beginning to panic a bit, wondering where I might be able to get some more yeast from, with everywhere closed due to the virus. A friend has a packet of dry white wine yeast which I could fall back on, would that be OK for a medium red wine if I have to use it?

 

[Dutto]

If everything was sanitised okay then I wouldn't be too worried that there is no sign of life after 3.5 days and leave it for another day after ...

... double checking that the air-lock is properly sealed and that the CO2 isn't escaping round the cork or (not as daft as it seems) checking that I hadn't forgotten to put liquid in the air-lock! (Usually, the first sign that fermentation is taking place is that the liquid in the air-lock is "off-set", indicating that the pressure us building up on the DJ side of the fermentation.)

If these checks are made and there is no obvious reason for it not fermenting then another reason could be that it was an old kit with an out of date yeast that had died If this is the case then personally, I would chuck in the packet of white wine yeast and get things moving.

Hope this helps.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks, yes - I checked the obvious things. Touching the lid of the FV the level in the airlock moves. There is still no activity, I will leave it until Monday - a full seven days, then time for the white wine yeast I think.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Last Monday came with no fermentation, so I added in the white wine yeast. Still no progress yesterday, so I begged some more wine yeast from another source. This last, rather than adding to the 5gal I tried using it to make up a yeast starter in a jug, with water and yeast nutrient, at the correct temperature, following on line instructions to the letter. The instructions suggested it should show signs of activity within around 30 minutes. 30 hours later and there is absolutely no activity.

I am tearing my hair out trying to get this batch of wine fermenting, - has anyone any more suggestions please?

I have never, ever before had a batch of wine or beer, where I could not get the fermentation going, never an issue.

 

[johncrobinson]

Its worth checking you havent added the sorbate satchet by mistake.
That would account for the events you have descibed here.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks, but no I have not made that mistake - I have the correct additive packets still unopened from the kit. It wouldn't account for my latest attempt with the yeast starter in a jug failing too.

 

[johncrobinson]

Well here we are on the 8th April,If your wine is still not fermenting,I should think the must will be beginning to spoil by now.
The drain might be the only place for it.

Assuming your yeast is actually alive and well when you pitched it you MUST be making some fatal fundimental error
this could be allmost anything.???
Without seeing what you have been doing in person,In cases like this unfortunatly Its really hard to advise over the internet.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks guys for your patience, but I gave up on this a week ago. I found specs of mold forming on the surface of the wine. I dumped the lot, thoroughly cleaned all my equipment and will try again with a fresh kit.

One thing occurred to me as a possible cause, that I had not thought of before - I found 2Kg of sugar stashed away in a little used cupboard, in a sealed plastic container, for possibly several years. Reading up on the shelf life of sugar, it suggested it was fine to use for years, so I used that as 2 of the 3.5Kg the kit needed. Might that have been the cause of the problem?

 

[johncrobinson]

Should be fine sugar wont go off

Might pick up unwanted flavours if stored next to something with a pungent flavour but thats about it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks, that's what I understood. Oh well, try again with a new kit.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

New 23L kit of Wilko white purchased yesterday lunch, started at 2pm and it seemed it might be fermenting by the same evening. This morning it is showing much more definite indications of fermenting.

 

[johncrobinson]

Glad to hear it Harry
At least you know the "curse" has now been lifted