Using a slurry to start a new wine

[Neviawen]

So, I just racked a red zinfandel kit into a clean carboy and had a great idea.. I hear a lot about people using the left over sludge/yeast from one wine and making SP out of it or other wines.
I had 2 bottles of organic cranberry juice laying around so I figured why let a good yeast slurry go to waste? Lets make more wine out of it! I opened them up, dumped them in the carboy with the yeast at the bottom, swished it around and dumped it into a primary bucket to start fermenting. Then I got to wondering if this will really work? I already added p.sorbate to the zinfandel wine around 2-3 weeks ago. So did this kill the yeast? Do you think these yeast are done for or do I have a shot of them kicking back up a fermentation? If these yeast are dead then should I just add more yeast to this new cranberry/zin yeast concoction? Thanks for any help you guys can provide! ~Kate

 

[g8keeper]

So, I just racked a red zinfandel kit into a clean carboy and had a great idea.. I hear a lot about people using the left over sludge/yeast from one wine and making SP out of it or other wines.
I had 2 bottles of organic cranberry juice laying around so I figured why let a good yeast slurry go to waste? Lets make more wine out of it! I opened them up, dumped them in the carboy with the yeast at the bottom, swished it around and dumped it into a primary bucket to start fermenting. Then I got to wondering if this will really work? I already added p.sorbate to the zinfandel wine around 2-3 weeks ago. So did this kill the yeast? Do you think these yeast are done for or do I have a shot of them kicking back up a fermentation? If these yeast are dead then should I just add more yeast to this new cranberry/zin yeast concoction? Thanks for any help you guys can provide! ~Kate

the slurry people use to start a new batch is from the initial racking from a primary fermentation vessel to a secondary fermenter, namely a carboy...beer makers will often do this as well, but know to only do it maybe once as the number of times the yeast from a previous batch is used, the more it gets stressed and more the chance of off flavors and such....in your case, if sorbate has been added, then this sounds to me more like the sediment from a secondary racking, in which case i highly doubt it will take off...you could pick up a packet of a strong yeast, say ec 1118, perhaps making a starter out of it and then pitching it....give it a shot, kate....good luck...

 

[Neviawen]

Thanks, Ken. I figured that I goofed up with this after I did it. Last night I started a packet of 1118 yeast and put it in before I went to bed. I figured worst case senario
, I wasted ~$10 total on the juice, sugar, and yeast. It looks like the yeast thrived from last night. Maybe it will be ok. If not than it's a learning lesson. Thanks for the advice!
Kate

 

[g8keeper]

Thanks, Ken. I figured that I goofed up with this after I did it. Last night I started a packet of 1118 yeast and put it in before I went to bed. I figured worst case senario
, I wasted ~$10 total on the juice, sugar, and yeast. It looks like the yeast thrived from last night. Maybe it will be ok. If not than it's a learning lesson. Thanks for the advice!
Kate

you are welcome, kate....any time....isn't that what this forum is all about???...lol...just remember for next time, if you want to try that experiment, use the slurry from the 1st racking, from primary to secondary, to start a new batch....with this one now that is seems to be going, stir it every day for the first few days at least....i don't think it'll hurt anything to give it a little shot of yeast energizer either....

 

[Ernest T Bass]

Don't be surprised if your second run isn't better than the first run, it happens.
Semper Fi