I've been following Dangerdave's Wine-Made-Easy 2.0 pdf

[Juggernaut]

I decided I would give the easy peesy recipe a try. I have followed it exactly, but it isn't going well. After 19 days it is only at 1.03 and fermenting slowly. I compared it to the original recipe last night and I noticed it is short 3 tsp of yeast nutrient and 1 tsp of yeast energizer, so I added them last night and I'm hoping that will speed things up.

 

[jamesngalveston]

do you have it under an airlock...
yeast needs air and nutrient..give it both

 

[Juggernaut]

do you have it under an airlock...
yeast needs air and nutrient..give it both

No, I have the lid on loosely and I've been stirring it once a day. It's also been sitting at 75 degrees the whole time.

 

[jamesngalveston]

75 degrees is ok...i always replace the lid with a muslin sheet, are something so i can get the air..
i would add some yeast nutrient.

 

[vernsgal]

I would keep it under airlock if it's been 19 days. the nutrient and energizer should help . sometimes it takes longer than others. Watch you SG if it stays the same after 3 days then I'd repost for stuck ferment.

 

[Juggernaut]

The nutrient and energizer has sped things up. It is sitting at 1.02 now. Does the recipe work for most people without the extra nutrient and energizer?

 

[dessertmaker]

Works fine for me but I do DB and SP on the low ABV side.

 

[dangerdave]

I need to look at that file! May be a typo!

 

[jamesngalveston]

his recipe works perfect for me...not sure how much i have made with the original recipe...quite a bit, was all ways like clockwork.

 

[huntva89]

I can now comment from experience...mine took almost 5 days to get going. I covered my primary with a light dish towel and stirred it twice daily. By day 5 it really took off.

 

[derunner]

when I did skeeter pee, I had to do a total of 9 tsp nutrient and 3 tsp energizer. I had a stuck fermentation and adding the extra 3 tsp nutrient and 1 tsp energizer made it take off.

 

[dangerdave]

Ah, now I understand the confusion---on my part. The very first time I made a Skeeter Pee (years ago), I completely forgot the second dose of nutient (3tsp) and energizer (1tsp) advised by Lon in his original recipe. In spite of this, it fermented well and turned out fine, so I've never used that much additive.

I have to state my wonder on this subject. I have made dozens and dozens of batches of both Skeeter Pee (of varying kinds) and the Dragon Blood, of course. I have yet to have a batch not begin vigorous fermentation within hours of pitching the yeast. Like James said, the recipe works perfectly for me, every time. I could just about make a DB with my eyes closed. I am always bewildered when people say it takes days to get going or gets stuck. There must be a variable involved that James and I share.

My guess is that it may have something to do with the local water supply. If everyone follows the recipe exactly, that would be the main differential, I suppose. Does anyone have other ideas?

 

[FABulousWines]

Temperature could also be a factor.

 

[wineforfun]

No other ideas other than there must be something else that was altered or missed.
I too, have never had a batch not work or start fermenting within a day. Very, very foolproof recipe. And this has been true of the original DB, Especiale, DB Melomel and Tropical version. All work with no issues.

 

[dangerdave]

D.J., you are a true DB enthusiast!

 

[Juggernaut]

Maybe your water is increasing the pH. I just checked the pH of my slow batch and I'm at 2.9. I don't know if the pH changes after fermentation. Have you ever checked your pH? Maybe I need to start adding some Potassium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate to my batches.

 

[Juggernaut]

This batch has been stuck at 1.012 for 11 days. I was planning on bottle carbonating and stove top pasteurizing, but now I'm worried it wouldn't ferment in the bottle. I think I'm going to have to bottle it still and try carbonating in the bottle on the next batch unless someone thinks otherwise.

 

[dessertmaker]

You can bottle carb it with a little bit of champagne yeast added along with the sugar. But you probably want to wait to pasteurize it until AFTER you've got it carbonated the way you want. And pasteurize it good, or you'll have a serious bottle bomb on your hands.

A safer option would be to make a starter and pitch some champagne yeast in there and let it ferment to dry. Easy stuff, I get about 8 oz of "simply apple" juice from Walmart and pitch my yeast in there and wait till I see krausen. Makes a mean starter.