# Need some start help



## Doug’s wines (Apr 21, 2020)

I started a SP batch on Saturday morning including sugar, water, yeast nutrients etc all the items per original directions. I then pitched the yeast (ec-1118) Saturday evening (early per directions), I just sprinkled it on the must versus a starter, and it is now Tuesday evening with nothing happening. The yeast pack was my only spare ec1118 (I thought I had more, but what I have left is expired by 4 months and the pack I pitched was Good and In date until end of this year) but I do have so BM 4x4 handy. Must temp is 72, Sg is 1.070.

My options seem to be:

1) wait longer
2) pitch additional expired ec1118
3) pitch 4x4
4) make a 4x4 starter and pitch that
5) other

Suggestions?

Tia

Doug


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## hounddawg (Apr 21, 2020)

are you stirring your must to get plenty of oxygen into your must, during your ferment the more oxygen the better after the ferment, then oxygen becomes your enemy,,
i'd pitch the expired,
when i start a SP i make every thing up except i only use one bottle of lemon juice till i get a good start, then i add the rest of the lemon juice,,,
Dawg


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## cmason1957 (Apr 21, 2020)

I would probably make a starter of the ec1118 and pitch that. BM 4X4 probably isn't really the best choice for such a low pH wine as Skeeter pee.


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## Doug’s wines (Apr 21, 2020)

Thanks. Both of you. I’ve stired three times a day, but no such luck. I think next time, I will start with everything but lemon juice then add it after ferment is going. I will give it overnight and then tomorrow put together a starter. If the expired 1118 takes off it will be fine... only risk is the starter and time.


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## hounddawg (Apr 21, 2020)

Doug’s wines said:


> Thanks. Both of you. I’ve stired three times a day, but no such luck. I think next time, I will start with everything but lemon juice then add it after ferment is going. I will give it overnight and then tomorrow put together a starter. If the expired 1118 takes off it will be fine... only risk is the starter and time.


yes before i ever done my first SKEETER PEE, i read many, many threads and tons of them had problems kicking off their ferment, so my first batch i left out 90% of the problem=lemon juice, i've made many , many gallons of skeeter pee, for several years now, knock on wood i have never had a single problem starting my SP's,,, but with it already rigged up i agree 100% with cmanson1957, make you a starter pack, without any lemon in it, get it cranking along then add to your must, then from here on out leave out most of your lemon till your yeast is humming along,
best of luck to you,
Dawg


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## cmason1957 (Apr 21, 2020)

@hounddawg I make three or four batches of Skeeter pee every year. Always add two bottles at the start, stir it like it's a red headed step child. Make a nice yeast starter of Ec1118. Porch it in, after the days add the third bottle of lemon juice. Haven't had one hard to start, yet.


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## Doug’s wines (Apr 22, 2020)

Woke up to no progress. Going to try to get a starter going on the expired yeast. Going to start it in majority sugar water with some nutrients added, then add some must if / when it gets going to see if it can chew that up.


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## hounddawg (Apr 22, 2020)

cmason1957 said:


> @hounddawg I make three or four batches of Skeeter pee every year. Always add two bottles at the start, stir it like it's a red headed step child. Make a nice yeast starter of Ec1118. Porch it in, after the days add the third bottle of lemon juice. Haven't had one hard to start, yet.



yep bout the same difference except i use one bottle per six gallons to start, i have never used a starter batch, in all my wines never, I just pour yeast on top of them, i do vear away from Lon's recipe in that I use one quart per gallon of water, yes in a 6 gallon carboy there is 6 bottles of lemon concentrate, my final SG is 1.040 then i transfer into a 6 an 1/2 gallon carboy pour a fifth of pure grain alcohol into then rack my skeeter pee into the 6&1/2 and bottle from there, . my finished product taste just like lemonade but kicks like a Missouri mule, as for skeeter pee i got 30 gallons ready to rack and will start and will start another 30 as soon as this is bottled,,,
Dawg


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## BernardSmith (Apr 22, 2020)

Don't forget that the original posts about SP suggested that you use the yeast you harvest from a previous batch precisely because of the acidity of SP. Using the yeast "slurry" means that a) the colony size should be very large and b) that yeast will very likely have dropped the pH as it fermented fruit and so would be more acclimatized to finding itself awash in lemon juice...


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## hounddawg (Apr 22, 2020)

BernardSmith said:


> Don't forget that the original posts about SP suggested that you use the yeast you harvest from a previous batch precisely because of the acidity of SP. Using the yeast "slurry" means that a) the colony size should be very large and b) that yeast will very likely have dropped the pH as it fermented fruit and so would be more acclimatized to finding itself awash in lemon juice...


oh i know, i have no complaints , i just wondered if he was looking for interactions, ways things got handed down, no, no, no, i meant zero gripe. i was merely wondering, i'm cool, just curious to understand the overall scope of the ways of venterior
Dawg


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## hounddawg (Apr 22, 2020)

in my travels i have figured out that those of us from very southern rural areas put our sentence structure differently sometime causing confusion ... i didn't mean to infer anything on his survey at all. it just made me curious is all, nothing else inferred ,,,
Dawg,


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## BernardSmith (Apr 22, 2020)

hounddawg said:


> oh i know, i have no complaints , i just wondered if he was looking for interactions, ways things got handed down, no, no, no, i meant zero gripe. i was merely wondering, i'm cool, just curious to understand the overall scope of the ways of venterior
> Dawg


I was responding to the original post. I occasionally make SP and typically sprinkle yeast but I know the risks.. But I never read any gripe in what you posted, hounddawg.


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## hounddawg (Apr 22, 2020)

Doug’s wines said:


> Woke up to no progress. Going to try to get a starter going on the expired yeast. Going to start it in majority sugar water with some nutrients added, then add some must if / when it gets going to see if it can chew that up.
> 
> View attachment 60328


aw man , that sweet tea glass is way to cool. jeeze i like that glass, can them still be ordered/bought??
Dawg


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## hounddawg (Apr 22, 2020)

BernardSmith said:


> I was responding to the original post. I occasionally make SP and typically sprinkle yeast but I know the risks.. But I never read any gripe in what you posted, hounddawg.


thank you, that means alot to me,


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## Doug’s wines (Apr 22, 2020)

Ok. Starter is up to a full cup of must in it now. Looks pretty good. Will pitch it shortly. Here’s hoping. 



ps will ask the missus when she gets back from the store where the glasses came from.


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## cmason1957 (Apr 22, 2020)

Them glasses come from somewhere down South of that you can be assured.


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## Doug’s wines (Apr 22, 2020)

We live in Georgia so yep. Down south. My wife says they came from Belk, but she’s had them several years. Quick search of their web site came up with nothing.


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## hounddawg (Apr 22, 2020)

cmason1957 said:


> Them glasses come from somewhere down South of that you can be assured.


yep and i am from down south, i've been in 46 of the lower 48, and here in the south sweet tea is normal language, i'd fight a bear with a small hickory switch for a couple of them glasses, now let me be clear when i say i'd fight a bear i'm limiting to care bears and teddy bears,,, 
DAWG


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## hounddawg (Apr 22, 2020)

ok i have made a few posts if any are confused please forgive me, i am diabetic and my sugar dropped to 34, and was very confused, i kinda figured it out took 3 glucose pills and got my sugar readings climbing back up. i and very tired and weak so i am signing off, 34 is my lowest point before i go into a coma, so if any of my post are off i beg forgiveness, 
Dawg,,,


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## sour_grapes (Apr 22, 2020)

Oh my goodness, Richard. I hope you recover quickly, and continue to be well.


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## Johnd (Apr 23, 2020)

hounddawg said:


> yep and i am from down south, i've been in 46 of the lower 48, and here in the south sweet tea is normal language, i'd fight a bear with a small hickory switch for a couple of them glasses, now let me be clear when i say i'd fight a bear i'm limiting to care bears and teddy bears,,,
> DAWG



Hmmmm, let’s see if we can convince you to skip the bear fight, at least for now. Found your glasses, here’s a link to Amazon, there out of stock right now on Amazon and Belk, but at least you have a lead. They may get stockedas summer draws near...... Buy Home Essentials & Beyond 2688 20 oz. Country Lane Sweet Tea Highball Glass Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in


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## hounddawg (Apr 23, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> Oh my goodness, Richard. I hope you recover quickly, and continue to be well.


thank you, i could barely remember my name last night, but after the glucose and some rest i'm as ornery as ever, 
again thank you very much
Richard


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## hounddawg (Apr 23, 2020)

Johnd said:


> Hmmmm, let’s see if we can convince you to skip the bear fight, at least for now. Found your glasses, here’s a link to Amazon, there out of stock right now on Amazon and Belk, but at least you have a lead. They may get stockedas summer draws near...... Buy Home Essentials & Beyond 2688 20 oz. Country Lane Sweet Tea Highball Glass Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in


thank you so very much, i'll be the envy of the land,,,, lol,,, 
as soon as they are in stock they will be ordered
Richard


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## Doug’s wines (Apr 23, 2020)

@Johnd good find I think. Wondering why you were searching amazon India which is where the link points! 

woke up this morning to a nice layer of foam on the surface of the fermenter so looking good. No real change in SG yet, but hopeful. Thanks for everyone’s help. 

@hounddawg glad to hear you are feeling better.


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## hounddawg (Apr 23, 2020)

i'm already on amazon's alert list when them glasses come back in stock,,,, 
Dawg


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## Johnd (Apr 23, 2020)

Doug’s wines said:


> @Johnd good find I think. Wondering why you were searching amazon India which is where the link points!



LOL, have no idea why it went to Amazon India, just did a Google search for images matching "Sweet Tea Glasses", found the image of the identical glass and clicked into it.......................


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## cmason1957 (Apr 23, 2020)

hounddawg said:


> i'm already on amazon's alert list when them glasses come back in stock,,,,
> Dawg



If you do EBAY, you might want to consider these, I have no relationship and just thought, what the heck, go look at ebay. I typed sweet tea glasses into the search bar, lots of choices









The Alabama Sweet Tea Co. Glass Mason Jar with Lid & Straw - 32 oz. Quart | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Alabama Sweet Tea Co. Glass Mason Jar with Lid & Straw - 32 oz. Quart at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



www.ebay.com


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## Doug’s wines (Apr 23, 2020)

Good progress after adding the starter. Thanks again for the support!


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## hounddawg (Apr 23, 2020)

Doug’s wines said:


> Good progress after adding the starter. Thanks again for the support!
> 
> View attachment 60349


you might need to mow your must, is that 2 hydrometers and 2 other handles growing out of your must? lol


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## Doug’s wines (Apr 23, 2020)

Lol. Added second hydrometer to make sure the reading wasn’t off, I leave my stir spoon in primary, and the orange handle is a thermometer. 

Lots going on in there!


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## hounddawg (Apr 24, 2020)

Johnd said:


> LOL, have no idea why it went to Amazon India, just did a Google search for images matching "Sweet Tea Glasses", found the image of the identical glass and clicked into it.......................


i know why you did John, in my language you're a man worth his salt, plain and simple,


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## hounddawg (Apr 24, 2020)

cmason1957 said:


> If you do EBAY, you might want to consider these, I have no relationship and just thought, what the heck, go look at ebay. I typed sweet tea glasses into the search bar, lots of choices
> 
> 
> 
> ...


in my book cmason1957 you as well is a man worth his salt.


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## hounddawg (Apr 24, 2020)

Doug’s wines said:


> Lol. Added second hydrometer to make sure the reading wasn’t off, I leave my stir spoon in primary, and the orange handle is a thermometer.
> 
> Lots going on in there!


Doug. you know i keep 4 hydrometers, 1 to use and 3 as backups since i live so rural i have to order all equipment online, i know i ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but i aint a butter knife either, well at least i hope not, lol,, but dang you taught an old dawg a new trick, it had never dawned on me to check my meters for accuracy , i dail in my PH meter so on so forth, but the hydrometers went over my head,,,lol, thank you for the food for thought,,


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## TurkeyHollow (May 8, 2020)

Doug’s wines said:


> I started a SP batch on Saturday morning including sugar, water, yeast nutrients etc all the items per original directions. I then pitched the yeast (ec-1118) Saturday evening (early per directions), I just sprinkled it on the must versus a starter, and it is now Tuesday evening with nothing happening. The yeast pack was my only spare ec1118 (I thought I had more, but what I have left is expired by 4 months and the pack I pitched was Good and In date until end of this year) but I do have so BM 4x4 handy. Must temp is 72, Sg is 1.070.
> 
> My options seem to be:
> 
> ...


Hey Doug - You may want to check your pH as I've had this issue with it being too low. If it's lower than 2.8, you may want to add a little calcium carbonate (chalk) to raise the pH to get the fermentation kicked off.


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## Doug’s wines (May 8, 2020)

Thank you @TurkeyHollow. I got the wine started and finished it yesterday. Here’s a batch photo (got a little sediment in the 3 gallon carboy that I will have to let resettle. 




This was also before backsweetening so now all the carboy are topped off and plan to bottle tomorrow in 16oz plastic juice bottles for easy summer consumption!


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