Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Homebrew => Topic started by: timtheenchanteruk on March 24, 2012, 16:18

Title: sticking fermentation.
Post by: timtheenchanteruk on March 24, 2012, 16:18
I have a batch of wine that seems top keep sticking, its a recipe I have used before, but only ever in 1 gallon demijohns, this one is a 5 gallon brew.
Its basically made from a supermarket bought apple and pear squash, and in the past has given a good (enough) simple easy brew to go along side the more adventurous stuff.

just before Christmas, one of my beer barrels split on the shoulder, so not holding pressure, so thought this would be an ideal use for it, removed the pressure valve and fitted an airlock.

Ive done about 7 gallons from this batch of juice, the 2 in demijohns have fermented fine, but the 5 gall ferments for 2 days at a time, the stops, give the barrel a good shake and it does another 2 days.
its not finished yet (by taste and hydrometer) and I didn't add the full amount of sugar at one go, theoretically it needs more yet.

I have also tried adding some more nutrient, and yeast (at separate times) but it still seems to be sticking.

one thought is there isn't enough air-liquid ratio to get enough oxygen in the brew, agitation solves this temporarily.

the brew hasn't gone "off", and im at a loss now, the 2 gallons have been racked, the 5 gallon is still (albeit slowly) fermenting
Title: Re: sticking fermentation.
Post by: Lardman on March 24, 2012, 16:43
About the only other thing I can think of it temperature, the small amount of water in your 1Gal DJ will heat up much quicker than the 5Gal FV.  Can you get it somewhere a constant temperature of around 20ish?  Do you have a thermometer - what's the brew at?

I have a gallon of Vimto on the go and it refuses to do anything until the ambient temperature is 22, but then it bubbles away nicely.
Title: Re: sticking fermentation.
Post by: timtheenchanteruk on March 24, 2012, 16:55
Hmm, will see if i can find my other themometer, broke mine a couple of weeks ago, and not remembered/bothered buying another one.

I dont have anywhere that is constant, but do have a brew belt i can whack round it, I was more concerned with it not getting too hot now the weather has warmed up.
Title: Re: sticking fermentation.
Post by: Lardman on March 24, 2012, 17:33
I don't think Id be overly concerned about it overheating just yet, its going to take a while  to warm 5gal up. Put the belt round it and warm thing up a bit, which yeast did you use?
Title: Re: sticking fermentation.
Post by: timtheenchanteruk on March 24, 2012, 18:18
just the youngs dried active yeast as usual (I just keep that and youngs wine yeast in stock) was well within BB date.
belt is round it now, will see what happens.
Title: Re: sticking fermentation.
Post by: timtheenchanteruk on March 29, 2012, 16:47
that seems to have done it, seems to  need to be warmer than most of the other brews I have done, it fermented out, just added some more sugar (I dont put the whole lot in at once) so shall see how we do.