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Stuck ferment....

I hope no one minds that this is really a mead based question, but the principle is the same for wine and it takes a lot longer for people on the mead newsgroup to respond (not as many subscribers) -

I've just started a small batch of ginger and lemon mead - I first mixed 4lb of honey up to 1 gallon of water, added nutrient (diammonium phosphate/ ammonium sulphate/ magnesium sulphate and thiamine),

1 teaspoon of mixed acid and mixed thoroughly. I then separated half into 1 gallon jug and the other into another 1 gallon jug. I added yeast to one of these and set to ferment aerobically - THIS IS FERMENTING FINE.

The other one I added 4oz of grated rooted ginger and the juice and rind (zest) of 6 lemons (not all the rind was used and got fed up with the zester). I also added half a teaspoon each of amylase and pectin reducing enzyme and left for about 6 hours. I then added yeast (a high alcohol tolerance type, the same for the other half gallon), but it won't ferment??!

I've figured out it must be either the ginger, lemon or enzymes that are doing something bad to the yeast - could the half gallon be too acidic?

Does anyone have any advise on the above and what I should do??

Reply to
Franklin P Patchey
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well Franklin I respond both on this site and the other.

With ref to your stuck ferment did you add the yeast directly to your batch or did you make a starter bottle.

Depending on your response this will affect the outcome?

I've just started a small batch of ginger and lemon mead - I first mixed 4lb of honey up to 1 gallon of water, added nutrient (diammonium phosphate/ ammonium sulphate/ magnesium sulphate and thiamine),

1 teaspoon of mixed acid and mixed thoroughly. I then separated half into 1 gallon jug and the other into another 1 gallon jug. I added yeast to one of these and set to ferment aerobically - THIS IS FERMENTING FINE.

The other one I added 4oz of grated rooted ginger and the juice and rind (zest) of 6 lemons (not all the rind was used and got fed up with the zester). I also added half a teaspoon each of amylase and pectin reducing enzyme and left for about 6 hours. I then added yeast (a high alcohol tolerance type, the same for the other half gallon), but it won't ferment??!

I've figured out it must be either the ginger, lemon or enzymes that are doing something bad to the yeast - could the half gallon be too acidic?

Does anyone have any advise on the above and what I should do??

Reply to
Stephen.....

I added the yeast directly to the must.

Reply to
Franklin P Patchey

that's your problem you drowned it. Stephen. Start again. Follow these instructions and all should be well Using a super wine yeast compound, Champagne type. Boil half pint of water, allow to cool to 80 F (27c) and measure 4 fl oz (114ml) into a clean narrow necked starter bottle. Add the contents of sachet (new yeast) and shake the bottle until the yeast and water is evenly mixed. Plug starter bottle loosely with cotton wool or lock. Fermentation will soon start. After 5-6 hours shake starter bottle and add contents to the "must" in the demijohn.

It is advisable that when adding the yeast one should place it into a starter bottle first in the event that the yeast has been spoiled or the sugar content does not exceed the parameters of the yeast. Stephen

Reply to
Stephen.....

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