No sign of fermentation

James Franksain · Feb 3, 2016

Recipe:
3 lbs local honey
2 cups Simply Apple juice
3/4 gal water
1 packet of fleischmann's yeast

Problem: My first batch of mead was bubbling after a few hours but this batch seems to be pretty still after 48 hrs. The only thing that I changed in the recipe between batches was the apple juice and the yeast. Previously I used Lavin D47. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with a similar recipe and if it is just the yeast being a slow start or if the apple juice may have killed my yeast for some reason.

Farmboyc · Feb 3, 2016

Did the apple juice possibly have sorbate in it? Lots do unless it specifically states preservative free.
Do you have a hydrometer? Sometime the fermentation is tough to see but the gravity still drops.

Mazer828 · Feb 4, 2016

What was your yeast hydrating protocol? What temp was the must when you pitched? What temp was your yeast? What temp has your must been since pitching?

James Franksain · Feb 4, 2016

Farmboyc said:
Did the apple juice possibly have sorbate in it? Lots do unless it specifically states preservative free.
Do you have a hydrometer? Sometime the fermentation is tough to see but the gravity still drops.

It said no preservatives but perhaps not completely true. But no I do not have a hydrometer at the present. Running low on funds. It is bubbling now but still not as active as my first batch. I'm really hoping I don't have to go back to the other yeast as it is significantly more expensive as I cannot purchase it at a b&m anywhere locally so I have to order online.

James Franksain · Feb 4, 2016

Mazer828 said:
What was your yeast hydrating protocol? What temp was the must when you pitched? What temp was your yeast? What temp has your must been since pitching?

Must? Is that another term for wort? Forgive my ignorance I have only been doing this for three weeks. If I am assuming correctly you're question and you're talking about the honey/water/apple juice mixture, it was raised to 170 degrees F for 30 mins, then rapid cooled to about 80 degrees F before being moved to my carboy. I waited approx 5 mins before pitching my yeast and yeast nutrient. It has been maintaining a temp since between 60 and 70 degrees F.

Mazer828 · Feb 4, 2016

Yeah sorry! Must is the wine/mead makers word for the product before inoculation. Just like wort for beer.

I ask the above questions for a few reasons. There are some suspicions I have with regard to why your yeast may not be so vigorous right now. First off you used a common bread yeast, which CAN work well under certain circumstances. But not always. If you dry pitch a yeast directly into the must, you shock the yeast by forcing it to hydrate, gather nutrients, adjust to huge sugar presence and osmotic shock, and depending on must temperature, you may also shock or damage the yeast by temperature shock. It is what it is at this point though.

If it hasn't started yet you might try re pitching. Get about half a cup of hot water in a pint mason jar, and a thermometer. Wait until the water cools to 104F. Pour a packet of your yeast into the water and let it hydrate for 15-30 minutes. Add about 1/4 cup of your must to the jar and wait 5 minutes. Do this two more times. You are slowly acclimating your yeast to it's new home, like buying a new fish for your aquarium. After the third time, your yeast solution should be within a few degrees F of your must. Pitch it and aerate the heck out of it. Get oxygen in there! Might not hurt to add about 1 tsp of yeast nutrient, or if you don't have any, a handful of raisins.

And make sure your must is in the mid 70s F until fermentation takes off. Then it can go cooler (mid-60s) for the rest of the time.

James Franksain · Feb 4, 2016

Mazer828 said:
Yeah sorry! Must is the wine/mead makers word for the product before inoculation. Just like wort for beer.

I ask the above questions for a few reasons. There are some suspicions I have with regard to why your yeast may not be so vigorous right now. First off you used a common bread yeast, which CAN work well under certain circumstances. But not always. If you dry pitch a yeast directly into the must, you shock the yeast by forcing it to hydrate, gather nutrients, adjust to huge sugar presence and osmotic shock, and depending on must temperature, you may also shock or damage the yeast by temperature shock. It is what it is at this point though. If it hasn't started yet you might try re pitching. Get about half a cup of hot water in a pint mason jar, and a thermometer. Wait until the water cools to 104F. Pour a packet of your yeast into the water and let it hydrate for 15-30 minutes. Add about 1/4 cup of your must to the jar and wait 5 minutes. Do this two more times. You are slowly acclimating your yeast to it's new home, like buying a new fish for your aquarium. After the third time, your yeast solution should be within a few degrees F of your must. Pitch it and aerate the heck out of it. Get oxygen in there! Might not hurt to add about 1 tsp of yeast nutrient, or if you don't have any, a handful of raisins.

And make sure your must is in the mid 70s F until fermentation takes off. Then it can go cooler (mid-60s) for the rest of the time.

I suppose I may have to do that. I hope it will not spoil before I get home, though. I'm a truck driver so I won't be able to go home for another 13 days. Thank you all for your helpful advice.

Mazer828 · Feb 4, 2016

Eek! I hope your yeast comes back to life and gets to work soon then. Because in that time, something surely will. Best of luck!

James Franksain · Feb 5, 2016

Mazer828 said:
Eek! I hope your yeast comes back to life and gets to work soon then. Because in that time, something surely will. Best of luck!

Thanks. It finally did start. It is now more active than my previous batch. Thanks for the advice.

zpeckler · Feb 5, 2016

James Franksain said:
Thanks. It finally did start. It is now more active than my previous batch. Thanks for the advice.

Glad to hear it! Sounds like it was an extended lag phase from directly pitching the dry yeast into the must.

+1 to what Mazer said. Even rehydrating your yeast in warm water makes them start out way healthier than dry pitching. Just remember, don't put the yeast into water hotter than 110F because that will kill them.

To start off with even stronger, healthier yeast use a product called GoFerm when you rehydrate them. It's a blend of nutrients and organic nitrogen that really helps them turn their activity way up before pitching them into your must. Instructions can be found in a .pdf in the product description.

Mazer828 · Feb 5, 2016

James Franksain said:
Thanks. It finally did start. It is now more active than my previous batch. Thanks for the advice.

Excellent!

Mazer828 · Feb 5, 2016

zpeckler said:
Glad to hear it! Sounds like it was an extended lag phase from directly pitching the dry yeast into the must.

+1 to what Mazer said. Even rehydrating your yeast in warm water makes them start out way healthier than dry pitching. Just remember, don't put the yeast into water hotter than 110F because that will kill them.

To start off with even stronger, healthier yeast use a product called GoFerm when you rehydrate them. It's a blend of nutrients and organic nitrogen that really helps them turn their activity way up before pitching them into your must. Instructions can be found in a .pdf in the product description.

Funny because in my early home brewing days, the conventional wisdom had it that a wort over 80 or 90 degrees could kill the yeast. The motto was never pitch until you were below 80F. Now we're hydrating at 104F.

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