I went straight for the EC1118 and used 2.5 gallons of honey and zested 6 lemons. cut the lemons up removed the pith and dumped it all in. Fermented for three weeks. It slowed way down and its been still for a week. OG=1.167 FG=1.090 I have no idea what my ph is. I figured that it could still go some more, but everything is dropping and it is clearing pretty fast. I tasted it when i took the FG and its good. I have some roses in the nose. It does taste like its around 12%. I have been outsugaring all my yeasts and they quit at tolerance, I am trying not to use sulphites. The apple vanilla was dang good and it has been all drunk except for three bottles that I put up for later. So, the options here are do nothing and let it sit, rack then add water, or mix up a new starter and add yeast. Any ideas or just call it good? Its very tasty now. Maybe my hydrometer is not right??
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Lemon stopped at 12%?
- Thread starter Amazer
- Start date
Hum ? No info on method other than how you dealt with the lemons......
No mention of nutrients etc, so no guess there.....
A 77 point drop so probably not 12 %, lower. I'm thinking about 10 or so witbout checking.....
pH is likely an issue though. With the lemon up front, it wouldn't help any.
Im thinking the possibility of pH and nutrient issues may have slowed and stalled it.
With the strength of the brew, 133 point drop would equate to 18% ABV.So it would still end up with dessert level residual sugars.
If you got some low range pH strips (or better still, a pH meter) you'd have some idea of it and whether its an issue.
If potassium carbonate didn't help restarting it, some organic nitrogen (Fermaid O, yeast hulls or boiled bread yeast), some sort of aeration may help, or of course the final effort would be an acclimatised restart......
No mention of nutrients etc, so no guess there.....
A 77 point drop so probably not 12 %, lower. I'm thinking about 10 or so witbout checking.....
pH is likely an issue though. With the lemon up front, it wouldn't help any.
Im thinking the possibility of pH and nutrient issues may have slowed and stalled it.
With the strength of the brew, 133 point drop would equate to 18% ABV.So it would still end up with dessert level residual sugars.
If you got some low range pH strips (or better still, a pH meter) you'd have some idea of it and whether its an issue.
If potassium carbonate didn't help restarting it, some organic nitrogen (Fermaid O, yeast hulls or boiled bread yeast), some sort of aeration may help, or of course the final effort would be an acclimatised restart......
Super-high starting gravity, lemon juice with low pH, and inadequate nutrition is a combination likely to lead to a stuck fermentation.
I would check the pH and adjust if it is below 3.3.
Diluting by 20-25% may also help.
Adding Fermaid O or other organic yeast nutrient may help.
There is nothing you can pitch on top of this that is likely to work. The only yeast that might have a shot is Uvaferm 43, and your must conditions are probably too harsh even for it.
If you want to leave it as is, you will be at extremely high risk of a an unexpected restart which could cause bottle bombs. If you don't want to stabilize with sorbate + sulfite, I'd urge you to pasteurize it.
Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT
I would check the pH and adjust if it is below 3.3.
Diluting by 20-25% may also help.
Adding Fermaid O or other organic yeast nutrient may help.
There is nothing you can pitch on top of this that is likely to work. The only yeast that might have a shot is Uvaferm 43, and your must conditions are probably too harsh even for it.
If you want to leave it as is, you will be at extremely high risk of a an unexpected restart which could cause bottle bombs. If you don't want to stabilize with sorbate + sulfite, I'd urge you to pasteurize it.
Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT
oh yeah did stepped nutrient additions, and areated with O2. Im thinking that if I dilute it and add some FermO it may start up. I drank what I pulled and it is good. Should I rack it and then try to restart?
Agreed, don't rack it. There could still be viable cells in the yeast cake. If it needs to be transferred for some reason (say bucket to carboy), then transfer all the yeast too.
