[missallym]

Im new to wine making and set off a batch, but then remembered I hadnt rinsed out the bucket after I had sterilized it 
ive since transfered the wine from the bucket into demijohns, but there is no fermentation happening and the air lock hasnt bubbled. (it did froth in the bucket)
have i ruined this batch of wine, as I have read that sterilizer kills yeast.
Can it be saved if I add more yeast now into the demijohns?
its been sat in the demijohns for a couple of week now.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SG6]

Best I can suggest is to make up a yeast starter, then add to the demijohns.
It may take a day or two to start however.
It does sound as if the yeast was killed off - what did you use?

If campden tablets then they dissolve out. Presume Potasium Sorbate does also but possibly slower.

Post says there was "frothing" in the bucket - bubbling?

If so then what was the recipe and what did you do?
Basically how much of what did you use.

Wondering if there was too little sugar and it has used it all up in the first ferment.

[missallym]

Thanks for your reply,
I used vwp sterilizer which is a powder, but didnt rinse the tub out.

the recipe i followed was this one:

6 lb blackberries
2-1/2 lb granulated sugar
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
7 pts water
wine yeast and nutrient
Wash berries thoroughly in colander, then crush in bowl, trasnfer to primary fermentation vessel, and pour 7 pts. boiling water over must. Allow to steep for two days, then strain through nylon sieve onto the sugar. Stir well to dissolve sugar, add pectic enzyme, cover well, and set aside for 24 hours. Add yeast and nutrient, cover, and set aside 5-6 days, stirring daily. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel of dark glass (or wrap clear glass with brown paper), filling only to the upper shoulder of the secodary, and fit airlock. Leftover must should be placed in a 1.5-liter wine bottle with airlock (a #2 bung fits most 1.5-liter wine bottles) and used for topping up. Top up when all danger of foaming over is past. Place in cool (60-65 degrees F.) dark place for three months. Rack, allow another two months to finish, then rack again and bottle in dark glass. Allow 6 months to age, a year to mature

I used one tsp of yeast to begin.
the froth on the top looked like I had been mixing it with a whisk.

Ive syphoned it out of the first demijohn into another and Ive added another tsp of yeast.
this seems to have got it going, and the airlock is bubbling at the moment, but very slowly.
Im keeping it near the fire to keep it warm. about 21c.

fingers crossed!!

[SG6]

If it is bubbling now then that is fine.
The yeast has started and sugar is being converted.

I would have poured 2 pints of boiling water over, added sugar and dissolved that, then added 5 pints of cold water. If temperature was right then added yeast and let it ferment with the berries for the initial 4-7 days.

I don't like the idea that over the 3 days it was standing without yeast in it that an unwanted bacteria could have got in. An actively fermenting wine would help prevent that.

Then into the DJ and top up with water.

Still that is just me.

You may need to mature for more then a year, there will be a fair degree of tannin in the mix, 6 lb berries, and that will take longer to "soften".

If the fermentation takes a while just let it. Had a blackberry wine ferment for 5-6 months once. I added a small bit of candy sugar at intervals and it carried on fermenting. It eventually stopped but much longer then I had experienced. Still it was good.