Pitch more yeast?

[wineview]

pail of Chianti juice. Pitched BM4x4. OG 1.085. Eight days later SG 1.012.

Let it rest for another week or so or pitch more yeast. I have some EC1118.

 

[Johnd]

Your yeast stopped for a reason. Temps or nutrients????

 

[wineview]

Your yeast stopped for a reason. Temps or nutrients????

Can’t get back to it until next week. Will come armed with nutrients.

 

[wineview]

Your yeast stopped for a reason. Temps or nutrients????

Today I added yeast nutrients and gave it a good stir. The temperature of the juice is 60*. I know sounds a bit low but it’s the best I can do. I’m only at the house on weekends. I wrapped the bucket with several wool blankets hoping to keep it warm. So what if the 1.012 doesn’t drop in a week? Should I pitch the EC1118 to get the last of the sugars?

 

[Johnd]

Today I added yeast nutrients and gave it a good stir. The temperature of the juice is 60*. I know sounds a bit low but it’s the best I can do. I’m only at the house on weekends. I wrapped the bucket with several wool blankets hoping to keep it warm. So what if the 1.012 doesn’t drop in a week? Should I pitch the EC1118 to get the last of the sugars?

You could try that, but at 60, you may struggle to finish. With a little nutrient on board and a brew belt (or heating pad duct taped to the sides), you could push it over the edge pretty easily.

 

[wineview]

You could try that, but at 60, you may struggle to finish. With a little nutrient on board and a brew belt (or heating pad duct taped to the sides), you could push it over the edge pretty easily.

I am going to put heat on the bucket with a belt today or tomorrow. Would you recommend adding EC 1118 or leave it be with the nutrients? Remember BM 4x4 is the original yeast pitched.

 

[sour_grapes]

Wineview, how are you measuring the SG? With a hydrometer or refractometer?

 

[wineview]

Wineview, how are you measuring the SG? With a hydrometer or refractometer?

The same way I did for 17 years of brewing. I take a sample put it in a test vile and drop the hydrometer. Sometimes I just place the hydrometer into the bucket.

 

[sour_grapes]

Okay, I was just making sure that you weren't trying to measure with a refractometer during an active fermentation. We see that a lot here as the explanation for a "stuck fermentation."

Personally, I would give it some more time (and temperature!).

 

[Johnd]

As @sour_grapes said, get the heat on it, the yeast you have in there should get going given favorable conditions.

 

[wineview]

Tomorrow I plan to get a heat belt on the pail. Hopefully that will do the trick along with the nutrient already added.

 

[Slappy]

Please be careful with the brewbelt and not leave it on while you are away during the week especially if wrapped in anything. I had a brewbelt melt on me last winter on a fermenter I had in a box. I smelled it before it caused a fire but was a very close call. I think my problem was a part of the belt that doubled up and cooked itself. Another thing is I've had several wines take a few weeks to ferment out fully so would not be alarmed at 8 days. are you sure it's not just kicking along slowly?

 

[wineview]

Now you have me concerned. This is the heater. I will monitor it over the day and night and see what happens. I thought it would be safe because it has a thermostat that turns it on and off. I will not wrap anything over the top. You may have to google it to see the photos.

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Kenley Fermentation Carboy Heater with Thermostat - Kombucha Heating Kit - Home Brewing Heat Strip Belt Wrap Mat Brew Warmer Warming Pad with Temperature Controller - Works with any Vessel up to 8 Gal

 

[Slappy]

Now you have me concerned. This is the heater. I will monitor it over the day and night and see what happens. I thought it would be safe because it has a thermostat that turns it on and off. I will not wrap anything over the top. You may have to google it to see the photos.

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Roll over image to zoom in

Kenley Fermentation Carboy Heater with Thermostat - Kombucha Heating Kit - Home Brewing Heat Strip Belt Wrap Mat Brew Warmer Warming Pad with Temperature Controller - Works with any Vessel up to 8 Gal

That looks like a lot better piece of kit than what I had. I was using a 'brew belt' that adjusts by slipping through a loop. As it was too big part of it got doubled over and I think that was how it overheated itself. I know lots of people leave them unattended I'm just ultra careful now but as I said I may have not used it properly. I think that set up should be fine as it has a thermostat. Sorry if I alarmed you just want to make sure you thought about how it all gets set up.

 

[wineview]

That looks like a lot better piece of kit than what I had. I was using a 'brew belt' that adjusts by slipping through a loop. As it was too big part of it got doubled over and I think that was how it overheated itself. I know lots of people leave them unattended I'm just ultra careful now but as I said I may have not used it properly. I think that set up should be fine as it has a thermostat. Sorry if I alarmed you just want to make sure you thought about how it all gets set up.

No worries. Good to err on the side of caution. I put a space heater near the pail and raise the temperature from 58* to 70*. Because I didn’t trust the yeast in the pail I pitched some ec1118. It is now bubbling away. I hope it creates enough heat on its own to finish. I had a pail if Grenach right next to this one in the same environment and it was 70* fermenting away.