can a wash been saved?

[Red Rum]

Learn from your mistakes is my key learning here but...

I recently made the MUM wash and in the end came out with 6.5% of what should have been 10% abv. Telling me I still had some sugar to eat up. Then I thought, well more yeast will resort in more fermentation. so on my second batch I doubled my yeast to 2 packets.

Needless to say I've learned my lesson, fermentation is much slower than before and the whole batch just doesn't have a good vibe.

Question is, how do I save her?

I've added 2tbl of nutrient, along with some addition mirclegro for my 4gal batch.

[Prairiepiss]

What kind of yeast? What temps? What's a mum wash?

[Stilly]

What kind of yeast? What temps? What's a mum wash?

http://kelleybarts.com/PhotoXfer/OrigHybridMUM.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Prairiepiss]

Have I ever said how much I hate pdf files.
Nice if you on an actual computer.

So basically a Birdwatchers with fertilizer added. Not sure why?

So what temps and yeast you using? And what are the actual SG readings?

[Stilly]

PP, I believe the fertilizer is there for the same reason RAD uses it in All Bran Recipe. Makes the ferment go faster.

cheers
stilly

[Red Rum]

using the 1118 yeast
SG 1.080
Temp: indoors (kitchen) flux from 66 to 70

thanks for the help

[Prairiepiss]

It's at 1.080 now? Or that's what it started at? 1.080 is around 13% potential ABV. That's high. So it will take longer. You said its going slow. How do you know it is? How long has it been working? EC-1118 can be slow. And it can also work with very little indication it is. Did you airate it good before pitching the yeast? What was the temp when you pitched the yeast?

It could be any number of things. So any and all info would be better. Don't make me drag it all out of you.

Less sugar is better to make it go faster. Not more yeast. More yeast just shortens the lag time. The difference in ferment times from 12% to 13% can be a big deal.

[Red Rum]

Ha! Sorry my friend, I'm not trying to hold out on you I just don't know any better.

Initial SG:1.080
36 hour SG: 1.080 <----that's not a good sign

I'm using a puffer (water lock) I was getting a release of CO2 about every 4 seconds on batch 1, this batch is every 10.

How can I airate? haven't made it to that chapter in fermenting.

Temp could have been a little high when pitching the yeast, I had hot water to dissolved the sugar and it had cooled to what I thought was working level for the yeast but I could be wrong. (I know 1118 peaks out around 80f)

[Prairiepiss]

Airate by pouring it back and forth between two buckets. Or stirring the crap out of it whipping air into it. That's before you pitch the yeast.

It sounds as if you may have pitched at a high temp? This could be the problem. If so pitching more yeast would help.

[Red Rum]

Thanks for the help! I'm going to airate the hell out of her and pitch another packet.

[Schmicter]

If aeration and repitching doesn't do the trick, check you PH and bring it to around 6.0.

I had a similar situation recently with a 3 gallon sugar wash. I didn’t have any tomato paste but some yeast nutrient about a tablespoon, and ec-1118 yeast. Starting gravity=1.090. It started slowly then almost stopped after 2 days. I was patient and waited a week, checked gravity it was at 1.075. WTF I thought, so added a little more nutrient and pitched some bread yeast. I keep my must at 78-80f. It reacted the same, started slow, but was fermenting, and after 2 days almost nothing, patiently waited until the weekend then checked gravity, it was at 1.060. WTF again its been almost 3 weeks. After some research I suspected a possible reason was ph, and with all that sugar I didn’t just want to throw it away. So, I picked up some PH strips at the local brew store 4.0-6.0 pulled out a gallon of must checked it, and it was less than 4.0, off the scale low. So I simmered the gallon to drive off alcohol, and kill off any yeast, added I tablespoon of tomato paste this time, and also 1 can of frozen Welch’s grape concentrate, (from my days making fruit wines) adjusted the gravity back to 1.080, adjusted the PH to about 6.0, pitched yeast, and viola, took off and foaming nicely. I repeated with another gallon, same result.