I have tried to make a blueberry wine from blueberry syrup,
preservative free. The syrup comes from Croatia and was mixed at 5:1
with boiled water

Initial gravity was 1100 and I put it under an airlock when I pitched
the yeast [Lalvins D47]

It started working in about an hour with a bubble every 5 seconds.

However 2 days later it has slowed to a bubble a minute and SG is
still 1090.

I'm worried because I had the same problem with a blackcurrant juice
I tried to ferment, the blackcurrant stopped at 1040, and I couldn't
restart it. The temperature of the mix is 24° C [ 75°F]

Is there something obvious I'm doing wrong?

Thanks for any help

Charlie

Charlie wrote:
I have tried to make a blueberry wine from blueberry syrup,
preservative free. The syrup comes from Croatia and was mixed at 5:1
with boiled water


Charlie

Check out Jack Keller's site regarding blueberry wine.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/request108.asp He says its typical for
fermentation to slow if you don't add yeast nutrient and energizer.
Blueberries are just like that, he says. I used 3 lbs of blueberries
with other berries to start a batch of berry port recently. I made
sure to add nutrient and energizer, just in case.

isnt primary fermentation supposed to be open to the air ???????

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

Check out Jack Keller's site regarding blueberry wine.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/request108.asp He says its typical for
fermentation to slow if you don't add yeast nutrient and energizer.
Blueberries are just like that, he says. I used 3 lbs of blueberries
with other berries to start a batch of berry port recently. I made
sure to add nutrient and energizer, just in case.

Apparently, blueberries contain sorbate, so that would explain
fermentation problems. Last year I made blueberry port (some
elderberries) and even with K1 yeast and a yeast starter, I got only to
about 14% alcohol with sugar additions before the fermentation stopped
completely.

I should mention that I used a high berry:water ratio, about 7-8lbs of
berries per finished gallon., so that obviously worsened the ferment
conditions.

Pp

I am new to making wine, I am only on my 4th batch, and I thought that the
primary fermentation was open to air. you only put a cover over it to keep
stuff out. Am I under a misconception? All of my batches have done fine so
far, lots of bubbling and foam.
wrote in message
...
isnt primary fermentation supposed to be open to the air ???????

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

On Tue, 11 Oct 2005 13:45:22 -0600, "Roy Boy"
wrote:

I am new to making wine, I am only on my 4th batch, and I thought that the
primary fermentation was open to air. you only put a cover over it to keep
stuff out. Am I under a misconception? All of my batches have done fine so
far, lots of bubbling and foam.
wrote in message
...
isnt primary fermentation supposed to be open to the air ???????
snip

I'm new to it too, but I understood the primary fermentation was when
you got the flavour and colour from the fruit.

I thought if you just used juice, as it had the colour and flavour
already, putting it straight into an airlock would be the way to go.

Charlie

Charlie wrote:

I'm new to it too, but I understood the primary fermentation was when
you got the flavour and colour from the fruit.

I thought if you just used juice, as it had the colour and flavour
already, putting it straight into an airlock would be the way to go.

Charlie

That's true enough. The main reson to stir a primary is to punch down
a cap of fruit skins, and stir up settling pulp so it doesn't spoil
before the yeast get a chance to reach them. But some air is needed
early in the fermentation to let the yeast reproduce so they dominate
the must. I always make a starter, so my yeast is going strong. But,
stirring air in a few times early on is important as well -- the yeast
will grow, and produce other things besides straight ethanol when
exposed to air. That's what gives wine some of its character.