My primary doesn't look like the other ones

[LJPelletier]

Okay... so I have fermented a few batches now and they are all successfully in secondary.

I am attempting to make some "hard" iced tea at the moment. I used Tetley Infusions, which according to the ingredients, should ferment just fine. Maybe I am wrong?

ingredients: raw cane sugar, white tea (filtered water and real brewed white tea concentrate), cherry juice from concentrate, natural flavour, natural orange blossom flavour, citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sodium citrate

Each packet of concentrate makes 500ml of iced tea. I used 46 packets, and about 23L water. I added sugar directly to the iced tea mix in the primary bucket, to get it up to SG 1.090. I did not add sulphite or anything else. Then it sat, covered, for about 20 hours, and I then, inoculated with about 1L of slurry from a fruit wine that had just been racked into secondary.

That was 48 hours ago, and although there is some activity in the primary bucket, it doesn't look anything like what I am used to seeing. The current hydrometer reading is 1.080, so it has fermented a bit in the 48 hrs.

The other ones all had at least an inch foam constantly on top, but this one is very light fizzing on top. I will attach a picture of what it looks like this morning. I have stirred it up well a couple times yesterday, and once this morning as well.

 

[LJPelletier]

Almost forgot, I did add some yeast nutrients, 2.5 tsp as directed, just before pitching the slurry.

Maybe I should add a bit more yeast nutrient? Should I be worried about this very slow ferment?

 

[Sirs]

with it being a lite color I'd want it to ferment slower to let more flavor come thru

 

[LJPelletier]

with it being a lite color I'd want it to ferment slower to let more flavor come thru

So it is a good thing that it is like it is?

 

[jtstar]

it looks to as it is fermenting just fine not all fermentation produces a lot of foam

 

[LJPelletier]

Okay, thank you jtstar

 

[Charlietuna]

I've had some fizz for 5 days with absolutely no foam. I've had batches nearly foam out of the bucket. I think it may have a little to do with the thickness or just the type of wine being made.

Brian

 

[wvbrewer]

Your yeast could be a low foaming strain. It looks good.

 

[LJPelletier]

Your yeast could be a low foaming strain. It looks good.

The yeast is Lalvin EC-1118... but I didn't add a new pack, this has been used to ferment a few times now. I started with the yeast pack in a chardonnay wine, and that slurry went into skeeter pee, then I used some of that slurry for a fruit wine, then from the fruit wine into this iced tea. All the other primary's had at least an inch of foam. So, I was partially concerned that the yeast wasn't working properly because of being old or something. I read that when yeast cells multiply, the lipids split, and eventually get too small to split again... that was making me a bit nervous. After hearing everyone else say it looks okay, I am feeling better about it. I will probably wait to the hydrometer reading gets down to about 1.050 and add some more yeast nutrients.

 

[Wade E]

You really sholdnt use wine yeast many times in a row like that. It gets weaker in some aspects every use. Not all fermenmtations will be vigorous.

 

[LJPelletier]

Thanks Wade... I guess it's time I splurge on another $2 pack of yeast lol