No cap at all in my primary

[agdodge4x4]

This is my first attempt at wine from fruit. Its a frozen strawberry with 5lbs of berries. I put m yeast in yesterday, and this morning, its fermenting like crazy, but has no cap whatsoever to push down. I suppose ill just stir it daily an treat it as if it did? Maybe its because I put my fruit in a straining bag. Either way, it smells awesome.

 

[winemaker_3352]

If you fruit is in the bag - you won't have a fruit cap. The cap is the skins being pushed up to the top by the CO2.

You should however see bubbling or foaming at the top. Keep checking your sg - if it is dropping - it is fermenting.

Keep it stirred a few times i day - i like to dunk the bag in the must - to keep mold from starting up.

 

[surlees]

I think it may be because it's been strained. Cap is formed when CO2 gets trapped underneath large particles and pushes them to the top. Don't worry. As long as the cap isn't drying out, it's not necessary to punch down. Stirring once or twice a day will help keep yeast and fruit in suspension and aid in a complete fermentation.

H2S (rotten egg smell) can be a problem in strawberry wine, so if you begin to detect that odor stir vigorously to incorporate air into the wine. Also, I assume you added nutrient. If not, be sure to do so.

Fred

Fred

 

[agdodge4x4]

oh yeah, it's fermenting like crazy. And it had nutrient. Ill stir as often as I can.

 

[abefroman]

Sometimes you get a cap some times you don't.

 

[agdodge4x4]

It does smell a bit like rotten eggs. I have stirred vigorously as directed, to the point of decarbonating it a bit. Is this sulfur common and harmless? I cannot stir it but twice a day....is this a problem? The smell is still there, but not quite as pronounced.

 

[surlees]

Is this sulfur common and harmless?

H2S is common, but not harmless. If allowed to stay, it will eventually form mercaptans and spoil your wine. Keep aerating and possible add more nutrient until the odor is gone. As a last resort you can add copper sulfate or stir with a copper pipe, but these should be as a last resort only.

Fred

 

[JohnT]

H2S is common, but not harmless. If allowed to stay, it will eventually form mercaptans and spoil your wine. Keep aerating and possible add more nutrient until the odor is gone. As a last resort you can add copper sulfate or stir with a copper pipe, but these should be as a last resort only.

Fred

I agree with above. Airation and adding additional yeast neutriant are great steps to take. You should also make it a poin to rack your wine as soon as possible. If you have a layer of dead yeast, I would rack even if the wine is still fermenting. H2S is produced by yeast breakdown (yeast cells devouring other yeast cells). By doing an early racking, you can remove a large portion of the dead / active yeast.

 

[djrockinsteve]

In addition, prior to the yeast dying they become stressed and will give off a sulfur odor. It is important to stir your must several times a day and dispurse excess CO2 and introduce O2 to help your yeast.

You'll be ok

 

[agdodge4x4]

thats a lot of cell death and things going on for two days of fermentation....kind of cool.

Ill keep an eye on it and stir when I can. How much additional yeast nutrient should I add?

 

[surlees]

How much additional yeast nutrient should I add?

How much did you add initially? Usually 1 tsp./gal. divided into two doses, 1 dose on Day 2 and the other when the s.g. is about 1.04. I think twice this much should be enough. If you add way too much nutrient, you may then be adding food for spoilage microbes later on so be judicious.

Fred

 

[agdodge4x4]

the recipe says to rack this wine into a secondary when PA gets to 3-4 percent. Says that should be in about a week, but Im guessing that will happen much sooner. I will check it tonight, but if it is at 4%, is it a problem if my strawberries havent been in the must long enough?