Strange

[Intelekt]

A few weeks ago I juiced some apples and got a couple of DJs on the go, with a starting gravity of 1.048, I left them to ferment out to sg 0.996, and last Monday I racked them off the large sediment.

I didn't use any campden tablets and with such a largish soft sediment I got a tiny bit into the new DJs.

Now everything's fine, just that one of the two DJs has started fermenting again! :wah:
They are both the same batch, both at 0.996, yet one is fermenting like crazy and one isn't, one is clear and the other one is the usual lighter cloudy fermenting colour :shock:

What's going on? How can it ferment at 0.996? It's even got a new froth :shock:

 

[wezil]

Hi, it's probably co2 being released, although the hydrometer reading might be a bit out and transferring to the dj's might just have added enough oxygen to use up the last remaining sugar.

 

[Intelekt]

How come one DJ is clear and one is bubbling?
I don't think it's co2, as bubbles are constant and airlock is regular every 12 secs.

 

[calumscott]

The O2 thing sounds plausible...

...I'd need to think it through though.

 

[calumscott]

How long did it take to start up again?

 

[Intelekt]

It took about a day after racking to start.

 

[calumscott]

Sounds too quick to be anything but yeast. Let it run and keep us posted. :thumb:

 

[Intelekt]

Ok will do.

It's funny because both DJs had all but cleared, now this ones going crazy!

 

[tonyhibbett]

Bear in mind a hydrometer reading at 25 c needs to be corrected by adding 2, so 996 is actually 998 and it is perfectly possible to ferment down to 994, and a malolactic fermentation can be quite vigorous if there is a lot of malic acid present and no sulphite has been added. Carton juice will usually have been pasteurised or UHT treated, so malolactic fermentation will not naturally occur, unlike with fresh juice.

 

[Intelekt]

Of course I forgot it was 25c so that would give it a bit more fuel, looks like its well on its way down to 0.994.

What's the lowest they could go?

Any ideas on why only one of the two DJs has started up?

I thought malolactic fermentation was on the surface :hmm:

Thanks for the input :hat:

 

[tonyhibbett]

The lowest I have recorded is 992.