Lime pee not fermenting (3X)

[hobbyiswine]

I have made a few batches of pee and have never had one not ferment. This batch is lime made with the standard recipe just lime instead of lemon.

I mixed the lime must up to 1.075 and let it sit almost 24 hours. Then I added the slurry from a batch of lemon pee I was racking to the secondary. SG was at about 1.005 which is low I know but figured I would try to use the slurry. Waited two days and no bubbles. I then rehydrated a pack of yeast and pitched it. Waited two days and no bubbles. Third time I rehydrated, added some nutrient and energizer plus some simple syrup and left it overnight. By morning it had foamed up the glass so I dumped it into my lime pee. Came home from work and STILL no bubbles. Seems whatever ferment I had going in my yeast starter is dead.

All three times I tried EC1118. Any ideas? I would Hate to dump 6 gallons.

 

[southlake333]

Check the SG to verify that a slow ferment isn't occuring (just without visible bubbles).

 

[Arne]

Get the temp. up in the high 70's. Stir the heck out of it to get oxygen into it. Make sure you have energizer and nutritent in it. Good luck with it. Arne.

 

[hobbyiswine]

Well...seems the sparkplug has fire bit still waiting on ignition. About 48 hours after throwing yeast at this batch a third time I have some bubbles. The SG still hasn't moved at all though. I have had the temp in the upper 70s since I tried to start it over a week ago and have beat it with a spoon real good each day so it should have plenty of oxygen. Think I should put anymore nutrient or energizer in the must? I put in 3 teaspoons when I made the must last week.

 

[Arne]

Having tried doing most everything wrong,I racked a s.p. earlier than I should have once. When racking instead of siphoning I poured into a secondary. What I thought was about done took off like crazy again. Since it has started but going slow, if you have an empty primary you mite try pouring it over. It will add a bunch of oxygen and mite make it go faster. Not necessarily saying this is the way to go, but think I mite try it. Slow s.p. ferment tends to give the dreaded H2S smell. It is easier to not have the smelly wine not happen than it is to get rid of the oder. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[hobbyiswine]

Thanks for the tip Arne. I have two empty 3 gallons I can splash it into. Would you suggest hitting it with more nutrient and energizer too? I hate to overdue it with that stuff if there is such a thing.

 

[Arne]

If it hasn't started, you havn't used the nutrient and energizer you have in it. Don't think I would add any more right now, but if it starts fermenting maybe after a couple of days give it a bit more of both. I have also had it not want to start and got it just a bit warmer like about 80 and boom away she went. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[hobbyiswine]

This batch is off and cooking away nicely now. Never got the chance to get it splashed into carboys. I have been giving it a stir every day or so. It hasn't developed and H2S and I didn't add any energizer. I snapped the lid on yesterday and airlocked the primary. Should be ready for secondary by next week if not before. Never had one be such a pain to get started but seems like its business as usual now. Thanks for the great tips!

 

[ffemt128]

I personally would not snap the lid down on primary especially for pee. Just set it on so that it can get needed O2 during primary fermentation. With Pee, I try to stir it 2x a day until it gets almost done with the primary fermentation.

 

[Arne]

I personally would not snap the lid down on primary especially for pee. Just set it on so that it can get needed O2 during primary fermentation. With Pee, I try to stir it 2x a day until it gets almost done with the primary fermentation.

I agree with Doug. I like to keep it stirred up and every time you stir it, it dumps lots of co2. Lots easier to get at the stuff if the lid is left on loose. Arne.

 

[saramc]

And don't forget to dose it with energizer/nutrient as called for in the recipe.