Yeast questions

Wizenheimar · Oct 28, 2015

Hello everyone,

I started mixing a batch of spiced apple wine last night, added everything but the yeast. Then I remembered to look in the fridge for some Lalvin K1V-1116 which I've used for apple in the past. :slp

I'm out.

My local supply shop went out of business this summer, and the closest one (30 miles away) isn't open until tomorrow.

My question is can I wait 48 hours to pitch, or should I try this batch with RC-212 that I have on hand?

Your advice will be greatly appreciated.

Second question: I have a batch of pineapple from frozen concentrate clearing. Did a taste test at last racking. Couldn't swallow it, it was almost burning my tongue. Is this typical of pineapple, or should I dump it - it may have been too warm in my house during fermentation this summer.

JohnT · Oct 28, 2015

Give your must a shot of k-meta, , cover it, and keep it cool. Should be ok for 48 hours.

barbiek · Oct 28, 2015

That's exactly what I was gonna suggest RC-212 is for reds

Wizenheimar · Oct 28, 2015

Yeah, I've got the 212 for my blackberry (next month's project).

I actually found a packet of Red Star Montrachet under the cheese slices, so here goes.

Juiced the apples by hand again before pitching, it's got a great bouquet already! I made the same wine a few months ago but only used one sachet of spice (about golfball size) - wife said "MORE SPICE" so this batch gets 2.

Thanks for the responses.

Arne · Oct 29, 2015

When using the montrechet keep the nutrients up. Best bet is to step feed them the nutrients. The yeast can give you the rotten egg thing if it gets stressed. Arne.

salcoco · Oct 29, 2015

on your pineapple wine try some bench trials with sugar syrup. it will blance out the burning(acid?) sensation, should also boost fruit flavor.

Wizenheimar · Oct 29, 2015

I've got the rotten egg thing already - started the pineapple over a month ago, my recipe book (Winemaker's Recipe Handbook) doesn't say anything about adding ingredients in steps, so with all my batches everything has gone in on day one except the yeast.

I've been degassing using my vacuum food saver hose attachment.

By sugar syrup, do you mean the stuff that doesn't restart fermentation?

Man, I've got a lot to learn.

salcoco · Oct 30, 2015

I assume the pineapple wine has stopped fermentation since you say you racked it once already. sugar syrup is one cup hot water and two cups sugar. mix in a blender until dissolved. hot water works best. once cooled make four samples of the wine about a quarter cup each. use the first as control add 1/4 tsp in first, 2 times 1/4 tsp in second etc. 3 times 1/4 tsp in third and 4 time 1/4 tsp in fourth. do taste test. select the one you like the best. calculate necessary sugar syrup for entire batch add along with potassium sulfate and potassium sorbate.

Deezil · Oct 31, 2015

Yeah, Salcoco and I have the same hunch - I think the acidity of the Pineapple is out of whack.

I just made a small batch of Pineapple Mead a few months ago, and it needed some pre-fermentation tweaking.

Do you have a way to test the pH or the TA?
I'm guessing it's pretty high.

You can balance it out with sugar like Salcoco suggests, which is probably the easier way.
Or you can balance it out with a carbonate addition, but that's gonna add 6 months or so to your aging time to give the carbonate time to settle out of the wine so you can rack off it.

Sugar syrup will restart a fermentation, yes.
But in order to keep it from doing so, the wine needs to be treated with Potassium Sorbate (And K-meta at the same time, it makes the Sorbate work more efficiently). The sorbate basically binds to the yeast cells, making them unable to reproduce (restart fermentation). I like to wait at least a few days, preferably a week, between adding Sorbate and Sugar, but some folks do attempt it in the 'same day' or 'day after'... Results may vary, lol.

Wizenheimar · Nov 1, 2015

Thanks for the advice you two. Don't know if it would make diagnosing easier but here's my recipe:

10 cans frozen 100% Pineapple concentrated juice
5 campden crushed tablets
5 tsp Acid Blend
5 tsp Nutrient
1 1/4 tsp Tannin
Water to get up to 5 gallons

Starting SG 1.040 - added 9# sugar to get it to 1.095

Pitched yeast on 9-24-15, transferred to carboy on 10-3-15.

Today, it's not even close to clearing - can't even see light through it.

Should I wait until it begins clearing to do the sugar syrup doctoring? I was told if you plan on backsweeting, you do it just prior to bottling. And, no, I can't test pH.

salcoco · Nov 3, 2015

wait until wine clears before doing any sugar syrup. try some super kleer it will probably help clear the wine. I notice that pectic enzyme was not added try some of that before trying any fining agents.

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