fermentation not looking good....

[BeatFarmer]

I posted this in a different section first, but then i saw tehre a whole section devoted to this topic...

Ok, so I just tried my first fermentation, and its not looking good. Im trying to make some rum and I'm following the #4 recipe off of the site (under Preparing wash=> rum) Its been a few hours now and nothing has happened. No fizzing, bubbling or anything. I’m using Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast. What could be wrong? It’s like I haven’t even added any yeast!

any info would be great!

[Uncle Jesse]

1. did you aerate the wort?
2. it takes more time than that. be patient.

[BeatFarmer]

Yeah, I gave the entire fermenter a good shake; is that enough?

[BeatFarmer]

oh... someone told me I should add lemon juice from one lemon in.. thats in there too.

[theholymackerel]

A vigorous stirrin' or whiskin' will add more O2.

Active fermentation could take anywhere from a few hours to a day or more, dependin' on conditions.

Unless yer real familiar with doin' fermentations, and started out with a large and violent yeast starter, don't expect it to start up in a few hours. Expect a day or a bit more.







Oh! Folks often think their wash/mash isn't fermentin' when actually it is. Many fermenters leak or get improperly sealed. So check that out.

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

Holy is right. He advised me on my leaking lids a little more than a year ago. I just use the lids and air locks to keeps out dirt nowdays. If the airlock works, fine, I know its going like gangbusters in there. If the airlock aint poppin and it should be close to being done I'll lift the lid and take a taste, look for bubbles, give a stir and look for foam, etc..

Be patient, I know its hard to do, but the hobby does get easier after you get some sperience under your belt.

If you have a way of checking the ph of your water do that. If its around 5 or lower you should be OK. If not put 1/4 to 1/2 cup lemon juice in there depending on how far off it is.

[BeatFarmer]

I'm pretty sure my airlock is ok. The fermenter is a glass 5gal carboy with one of those water filled airlocks that goes through a rubber stopper. There has been one or 2 bubbles come out since last night.

[hornedrhodent]

How's the temperature?

[junkyard dawg]

more specifically, how was the temperature when you added the yeast? Did you rehydrate the yeast? Do you know your specific gravity? Do you know that your ingredients are appropriate? some mollases may contain things unfriendly to yeast. some feedstore mollases can be less than ideal...

[BeatFarmer]

No, i just threw the yeast in there at about 70° F.

I'm using retail store bought molasses. 'Grandma Molasses' and some other Blackstrap molasses.

I set a second carboy up for fermentation today; this time I used a different recipe that called for less sugar, its recipe #3 on the site. So far, that one seems to have a little more action then the first one. I can hear it give off a bubble though the air lock every now and then. I was thinking the sugar content could be too high in the first one.

I also added a vitamin in the new one for good measure. I dont know if that would do anything; I looked at the ingredients and I dont think it had anything that would hurt the fermentation.

I was also thinking that this yeast could just not be good for this. Has anyone had good results with this Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast?

I also talked to my old man (which I should have done first) who is an old wine maker. He told me I should have gotten a colony of the yest going first in a small container and then added that to the large carboys. I guess that would be rehydrating....

[BeatFarmer]

So... my first carboy has totally stopped now (it gave about 3 bubbles). It looks like I just made it and hasn’t changed a bit.

My second one was actually making some bubbles, but now has stopped completely. But that one is different then the first one by 2 things: One, It has less sugar, and Two, it has a ‘One a day’ multi-vitamin in it. It just so happened after I crushed up that vitamin in there it all floated to the top. I can now look and see that the only action to take place in the carboy was right around those vitamin flakes and then stopped once those ran out.

This leads me to believe that the yeast I’m using can’t digest this high-concentration sugar wash. Maybe the types of sugars in the wash are too complex for it?

So now, I have ordered some yeast that is designed for this type of situation; I hope that solves my problem.

A question though, can I just add this new yeast to these carboys? I was thinking nothing really happened in there and no yeast colonies got established so it would be ok! What do you guys think?

[absinthe]

i had the same problem... the gravaty could be to high, i had a wash that did nothing like yours until i split it in two and diluted it to about twice the volume and then she went off like a rocket

[Uncle Jesse]

what's the ABV of this wash? also, what exactly is in it?

[BeatFarmer]

Ok... somthing is happening now in the fermenters!

I'm getting bubbles out the top of the airlock every 5 seconds now! And it seems to be getting faster as time passes. (it was at about 12 seconds this morning)

Heres whats in the fermenters

Fermenter 1
12lbs of sugar and 3lbs of molasses with the juice of 1 lemon.

Fermenter 2
5lbs of sugar and 2.5lbs of molasses with the juice of 1 lemon and a multi-vitamin.

They both seem to be doing about the same. 1 bubble comes out of the airlock ever 5 seconds.