D.D. Dragon's Blood question

[gsf77]

First of all, A big thank you to Danger Dave for sharing his recipe and the many folks who's chimed in with their versions. So I started my second batch. This one I'm taking notes! The first one is still in the carboy. I'll probably do some checking on it next week.

Up front my question is - why can't I ad my yeast as soon as it goes in the fermenting bucket? These are my notes to my self thus far;

16Aug19

Qty Cost
1 lbs. $2.66 Wyman’s Fresh Frozen Berries
(Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries)
2 lbs $6.06 Cape Cod Select – Cranberries Plus
(Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries)
3 lbs $9.09 Cape Cod Select – Power Berry Blend
(Cranberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries)
7 lbs $24.36 Great Value – Triple Berry Blend(three 3 pound bags)
(Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries)
*Note; Removed 2 lbs Strawberries because they overpower the other berries taste.(I think)
6 Qts $9.96 (2)Welch’s “Family Size” (3 qts each) 100% Concord Grapes
No preservatives – pure grape juice
1 GL. $0.99 Distilled Water

Steam juiced all of the above fruits. Added enough sugar to bring SG up to 1.150 – 13 pounds? (Sorry, I like my wine to have a little bit of a kick to it. After 3-4 good swallows I sleep very good). I'm looking at about 5 gallons of liquid without the nylon bag. Waited for temp to drop to 110-115 then;
Added; ½ tsp tannin, 8 tsp Fermax Yeast Nutrient, 3 ½ tsp Pectic Enzyme, 3 tsp Acid Blend. I added each ingredient one at a time and stirred good each time.

I plan to add more juice or water to bring the SG down a tad. The yeast I'll be adding will be EC-1118. Could I not just put the yeast in now? The wine I made last year from fresh fruit I put it in up front. Any thoughts/suggestions or corrective criticism?

 

[mhopkins]

@gsf77 You ask: "Up front my question is - why can't I ad my yeast as soon as it goes in the fermenting bucket?"

By waiting a day you allow the pectic enzyme to do two things: (1) it breaks down the fruit some which helps in the extraction of color and juice from the fruit, and (2) it destroys pectin cells in the fruit that might otherwise leave the wine with "pectin haze" which can be difficult to clear.

I am working through a difficult clearing process with some peach wine at the moment because I didn't add enough Pectic Enzyme at the beginning of the batch.

 

[gsf77]

Thank you, now I have a better understanding of the process.

So.., would two days be better or does it do all it's going to in one day?

 

[mhopkins]

Most fruit recipes I have seen (and my practice) is to wait one day. Jack Keller (guru of fruit wines) doesn't even wait that long. He writes; "The reason I add crushed Campden, wait 12 hours and add pectic enzyme, and wait another 12 hours before adding yeast is because both Campden and pectic enzyme release gases after being introduced. While the gases released by pectic enzyme are not really "harmful" to yeast, I once forgot to add pectic enzyme and added it to the fermenting must and watched my fermentation almost stop. It didn't really stop, but it came close. Ever since, I have chosen to err on the side of caution and let the pectic enzyme sit in the must 10-12 hours before adding the yeast culture. ... This also works well for me because I usually add Campden in the evening, pectic enzyme the next morning, and yeast that evening, and the three-step process gives me "something to do" besides look at my checklist."