Forgot to add yeast

[Fruitmixer10]

Hi, I'm tying to make strawberry wine. All good it's been in my bucket now for 4 days. I have just realised that I haven't put any yeast in. Is it to late and is it ruined. If not can anybody help me please. I was suppose to syphon off today.

Please help.

Garry

 

[Ajmassa]

Just add yeast right away and start your timeline from the yeast addition. Over the next 2 days keep checking to make sure it shows activity.
Put future posts in the right sections so people see it. This is the classified section.----- disregard. The WMT app was actin up and it originally showed in the classifieds.

 

[salcoco]

there should not be a "timeline" except what your hydrometer reads. make sure you have the starting gravity and monitor the fermentation at least every other day if not sooner to insure fermentation is progressing.

 

[Rocky]

there should not be a "timeline" except what your hydrometer reads. make sure you have the starting gravity and monitor the fermentation at least every other day if not sooner to insure fermentation is progressing.

Great point, Sal. Many people depend on a clock or a calendar more than their hydrometer and I believe that is an error. Fermentation rates vary from one batch, variety, environment, etc. to another. When people quote "times" for primary or secondary, they are very rough averages, not something that one should count on for their particular batch. If all the parameters were constants, times would be accurate. However, all the parameters are variable so times are variable.

The same holds true for people trying to determine how much finished wine will be realized from a lug of grapes. That varies from variety to variety, year to year, process to process and even lug to lug. I have seen estimates of 2 gallons from a 36 pound lug to 2.5 gallons, and both could be true. When I made wine from grapes, a 42 pound lug usually yielded about 3 gallons, sometimes more, sometimes less. A "rough rule of thumb" that I use is 14 pounds per gallon but that is not a constant.

 

[Scooter68]

The most important point is that one word "Variables"
The Condition and contents of the fruit is the biggest one.

- Sugar Content
- Acidity
- Moisture content
- Handling and prep of the fruit. '
- And several other aspects of the fruit that are beyond our control

With discipline we can prepare the must and mix things the same way everytime but even that can vary.
Then, unless you have a dedicated AC/Htg system the temperature and humidity.

Most of the rest of the things in wine making are fairly reliable but the Fruit, above all, is a huge variable.

 

[balatonwine]

I wonder if all this technical talk has scared off the OP. Who is a first time poster and maybe just wanted to have a little fun with some strawberries and make some wine.

A little online recipe that needs nothing more than common kitchen tools is a perfectly fine way for someone to start their adventure in wine making.

 

[Julie]

I don't believe the OP has been scared off, he hasn't been on the site since making the post. Also, all the advice given here is very good advice.

 

[balatonwine]

I don't believe the OP has been scared off, he hasn't been on the site since making the post. Also, all the advice given here is very good advice.

Yes, the advise was good. But sometimes those excited about their hobby can throw a little to much at a beginner, all at once, who just wanted a simple answer to a simple question. After all, discussing the quality of the fruit if of course important, but the OP was clearly already beyond that stage. So did not help with their current crisis. Just my humble opinion of course.

And server logs may not show if the OP just drove by with a browser without logging in or using an app (i.e. most Internet IP address are dynamic and can change).

 

[Scooter68]

Perhaps OP is in Florida?

As to the amount "thown" at the OP - Honestly - one needs to be aware of what they are into. Not to scare but to clarify that there is no one correct answer for every situation. Variations occur - Had I known that my first wine could take less than 5 days from pitching yeast to end of fermentation or that it could take 2 weeks I would have been a lot less fearful.

Nobody intends to scare a person off but neither to we want or need to paint a rosy rosy picture. This OP had been led by someone or something they read to believe that their wine should be fermenting very quickly and that led them to perhaps being on the verge of tossing out some perfectly good wine must.

And of course there is also the possibility, as I mentioned, that this OP is caught up in the current weather challenges facing tens millions in the south right now.