Help. Kit Rioja Stopped

[Malinois]

Hi,
8 days ago I started a Beaverdale Rioja. I did change the yeast for lalvin and in the first 24 hours I had the temp too high at 80 degrees. I then dropped to 22 degrees.

As per the kit instruction I removed the wine off the bark chips yesterday and put it in a sterile 23L Carboy. The temp is still at 22 degrees but there is no airlock activity.

This wine is supposed to take upto 20 days at low temps and it appears mine has stopped at 7/8 days. That can't be right!

Any ideas?

Cheers

Ian

 

[Chippy_Tea]

All the kits i have made have said the temperature has to be below 30c when you add the yeast so i assume at 80c you have killed it.

I have never used a belt or heat-pad can i ask what did you use to get it to 80c ?

 

[Malinois]

Meant 30 Degrees.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I am new to wine making so wouldn't know if 30c will kill it but having read this it looks like it may have, i believe having it at a high temperature also makes it ferment a lot faster so it could have finished, have you got a hydrometer?


Because yeast generates heat during fermentation, the liquid temperature will be much higher than the air temperature.

The difference between the two will increase as the volume you are fermenting increases. High temperatures will kill yeast. Where there is 11% alcohol, Temperature Tolerant Turbo Yeast dies at 42-43°C, but as the alcohol increases, this “killing temperature” decreases. At 14% alcohol, the killing temperature for Temperature Tolerant Turbo drops to 40-42°C and at 17% alcohol, down to 38.5°C. For normal yeast, lower the killing temperatures by 5-8°C.

 

[Brewtrog]

You won't have killed your yeast at 30, don't worry. It can take a bit for a brew to get going again after racking, yeast doesn't seem to like being moved, I've had one or two brews stick from racking. Also are you sure the seal is perfect, if not then there won't be any airlock activity as the CO2 will escape through the seal.

 

[Malinois]

Yes, cheers, checked everything. It's totally dead. Nothing in the airlock at all, its a 23l PET Carboy with rubber bung and airlock.

That was a waste of £45.00


Ian

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I don't know if this will help in your case but rather than bin £45 it has to be worth a try, BTW did you use a hydrometer to find out what happened?

When can one expect a stuck fermentation?

Fermentations may stick when the wine is racked from primary to secondary vessels.

Fermentation may stick when you have experienced large temperature changes or when the temperature has gone too high or too low for the yeast.

Fermentation may stick when chaptalizing (adding sugar) to make a higher alcohol yeast.

How do we restart a fermentation?

Adding another package of yeast may not work. Yeast become alcohol tolerant during the fermentation process. The yeast cells do have a limit at which they will grow and become productive little alcohol makers.

This limit is quite low when the yeast is first re-activated from their dormant phase so when adding a fresh yeast culture, it is important to acclimatize the yeast to the higher alcohol level.

This is a slow involved process, but is essential if you wish to finish the wine.

First, you will add yeast nutrient to the stuck must. Mix it with either water or some of the must and then add it back to the carboy, stirring in gently, but fully.

Next, rehydrate a high alcohol tolerant yeast (Lalvin EC- 1118 is what I use) according to the manufacturers directions. While this is being done, draw 1/2 cup of the stalled must and add 1/2 cup of water. This dilutes the alcohol and sugars to a level that the new yeast will tolerate.

When the new yeast has cooled to room temperature (or the temperature of the must) add the yeast to the 1 cup of reduced must. Cover and allow to sit for a day.

When you see signs of good fermentation (slight foaming on the must) you will add 1 cup of the stalled must. Allow this to begin fermenting steadily and then add 2 cups of the stalled must.

Continue this process doubling the volume of the new must until you have 1/4 to 1/3 of the must fermenting strongly. You may then add this back into the carboy containing the stalled must. Stir it in gently and your wine should ferment to dryness (or the alcohol limit of your yeast).

If you are lucky, and have a similar batch of wine ready to transfer into secondary, you may be able to use the yeast from that batch to restart the fermentation.

To do this you would transfer the active batch to secondary and then rack the stuck batch into the primary you have just emptied. The remaining yeast should be alcohol conditioned and fermentation should take off again.

The use of yeast nutrient should also be considered for this process.

 

[Malinois]

Cheers. I tried all that. Tasted it, it's like vinegar and has a reading of 0.992 on a a wilkos hydrometer.

#riojadownthedrain.

I meticulously sterilise everything. Only think I can think is that I used bottled as opposed to boiled water. Research indicates yeast likes hard water.

Just put 23L of blush pineapple WOW on as the daughter has taken a shine to it as a party drink.

If at first and all that.


Ian

 

[PuggledPrune]

0.992?
Surely it's not stuck, its fermented out?

 

[Malinois]

That's what I thought. Hard to believe given that the instructions say 20 days dependant on temp.

Yes I did change the yeast to Lalvin and the temp was 80 degrees F in the first 20 hours but after that I got the temp stabilised at the recommended 20 degrees C. (Sorry I can't make my mind up who I prefer Celsius or Fahrenheit).

It would mean it had fermented out in 7 days.

It went to a totally equal airlock. Not even one bubble every 24 hours.

Final straw tasted it. It was awful. I could have put it on my chips.

Ian

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Cheers. I tried all that. Tasted it, it's like vinegar and has a reading of 0.992 on a a wilkos hydrometer.

I meticulously sterilise everything. Only think I can think is that I used bottled as opposed to boiled water.
Ian

When i make my 5 gallon kits after adding the initial 5 litres of boiling water and the juice to the FV it tells you to top up to 23 litres with tap water, i have never had one go wrong, imagine what a PITA it would be to boil 23 litres of water.

 

[Malinois]

Hi,
I made it short at 21 L. There is 7.5 L of juice in the kit so would have needed to boil 13.5l which is 3 pans and an kettle. The only other thing I can think of is the rinse water for my carboy was not boiled. In future I am going to use Milton which is no rinse and kills everything.


Ian

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I rinse my FV (bucket) out under a tap in the bath as its the only tap it fits under, i wouldn't get too hung up about sterilisation there really is no need to boil all the water i think you were just unlucky, if you go the belt and braces method its going to take you hours to get a brew on as all the water is going to have to cool below 25c.

 

[Malinois]

Cheers, at £45.00 a pop I can't afford to be unlucky too many times :)


Ian

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Why not try a cheaper kit as a test, the Solomon Grundy Rose kit i tried when i first started was fine, the instructions say ready in 7 days but they are a little optimistic i think it was 10 days by the time it had cleared, at just over £20 its a lot less to lose if it goes wrong which i am sure it won't.

SOLOMON GRUNDY - 7 Day Wine Kits -
Start the fermentation on day 1, it's finished by day 5, and cleared, ready to drink by day 7. With constant research into fermentation speed and alcohol strength, we use this technology to continually develop new products - hence Solomon Grundy.
This comprehensive range starts with the four popular 6 bottle Table Wine Kits. All designed to give approx. 11%ABV. This has also seven popular fruit wines which produce a medium to medium sweet wine. The 30 bottle winepacks have the same four popular Table Wines. These were the first kits to be launched in the range, and the best sellers. All the range use addbacks which go into the finished wine - this improves taste & bouquet.
Fermenting Sugar Required Basic Brewing Equipment Also Required

Instructions - http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... ctions.pdf

 

[Malinois]

I have heard the Solomon Grundy blush wine kit is about the best they do. Apparently it has a zinfandel flavour sachet.


Ian

 

[bobsbeer]

Hi,
I made it short at 21 L. There is 7.5 L of juice in the kit so would have needed to boil 13.5l which is 3 pans and an kettle. The only other thing I can think of is the rinse water for my carboy was not boiled. In future I am going to use Milton which is no rinse and kills everything.


Ian

I made this kit a while back. I used regular tap water and had no problems. I noticed you made this short at 21l. Don't forget when you do this, you not only increase the alcohol %, but you also concentrate the tannins and the ph. I suspect that is what you are tasting. If you can, bulk age or bottle for at least 6 months to allow the tannins and extra acidity to mellow out. You could also try adding MLF culture, which will also mellow the taste by converting the malic acids into lactic acids. But do not chuck this out. Leave it alone in a dark place and try it again in 6-12 months time.