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[Anitajoye]

This is my second batch of melomel.

Its a strawberry ginger concoction. Found a recipe on the internets. Our first batch went great...

Now, this batch is barely working. The first few days we had some action, bubbles etc... I added yeast nutrient to help it... Nothing... I pitched more champagne yeast, nothing....
Its in a room thats about 65-67 degress.
It has some small bubbles on top, but barely releasing gas.
I am wondering if the ton of ginger is inhibiting yeast growth?

I cannot post the exact recipe, my friend has it,
But we used.... For 5 gallons
1 gallon honey,
3 lbs ginger (boiled then drained and removed)
4 lbs strawberrys
1 champagne yeast packet plus nutrient (then added another)

Thoughts? How do i fix this?

 

[rmccask]

Ginger claims to have a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 so that should be safe. Strawberries are 3.0 to 3.9 but you only have 4 lbs in a 5 gallon batch so that isn't that much. From a quick scan via Google it seems that ginger should help yeast instead of hurt it but I haven't tried it myself. Have you taken any hydrometer readings? Those are really better for knowing if fermentation is happening or not instead of going by the bubbles. If you have any way to, you may want to test the pH just to be safe. I know other people are going to want to know more details of your recipe including all nutrients to be able to help so you should probably get that from your friend and post it.

 

[fatbloke]

Ginger claims to have a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 so that should be safe. Strawberries are 3.0 to 3.9 but you only have 4 lbs in a 5 gallon batch so that isn't that much. From a quick scan via Google it seems that ginger should help yeast instead of hurt it but I haven't tried it myself. Have you taken any hydrometer readings? Those are really better for knowing if fermentation is happening or not instead of going by the bubbles. If you have any way to, you may want to test the pH just to be safe. I know other people are going to want to know more details of your recipe including all nutrients to be able to help so you should probably get that from your friend and post it.

But the pH still needs checking because honey musts can swing around like a kid in a play park......

 

[Anitajoye]

Heat!

I put a heater on them... There is already more action. I am wondering if it was just slowed due to temp....

 

[THawk]

But we used.... For 5 gallons
1 gallon honey,
3 lbs ginger (boiled then drained and removed)
4 lbs strawberrys
1 champagne yeast packet plus nutrient (then added another)

Thoughts? How do i fix this?

1 gallon of honey -- that's about 8 lbs. Is that enough for 5 gallons?

 

[Marshmallow Blue]

Around my neck of the woods, a Gallon of honey is 12 lbs, since a half gallon is 6

 

[THawk]

Around my neck of the woods, a Gallon of honey is 12 lbs, since a half gallon is 6

Ah. ok. But is that enough, though? 2.5/gallon...

 

[Marshmallow Blue]

2.5 lbs per gallon is perfectly acceptable. It depends on what you're going for. But 12 pounds per five gallons will give you a 1.086 Starting Gravity which fermented dry is around 11.5% Still a good strength and shaves a few months off aging time compared to a big 16% one. Anitajoye is also adding strawberries which will add a little bit more as well.