Hi all,

Last night I started my first batch. I am using one of Jack's recipes
for Strawberry wine. I made two slight changes from the recipe.

The first is the recipe called from yeast Nutrient. In the kit I have
it contained both yeast nutrient and yeast energizer, thus I added the
yeast energizer & yeast nutrient according to the directions on the
bottles. This shouldn't be a problem?

The Second and I think this may be a problem. The recipe from Jack's
site did not call for using Campden tablets, however other reading on
his site states to always use Campden tablets, so I used them at the
amount of 1 tablet per gallon of must. However, I added my yeast
about 20 minutes after using these tablets. I noticed that on most of
the recipes that have Campden listed they say to wait 12-24 hours
before adding the yeast. So, my question is will my yeast start
working, or today, 24 hours later, should I add another packet of
yeast since the yeast I added yesterday is dead?

thanks!!!

Dan

You indicate you are making a kit strawberry. I don't know which of Jack's
recipes you are following but you probably should lean toward following the
kit instructions as much as possible.

If fermentation is not obvious after 24 hours, pitch some more yeast. It
will not hurt anything and yeast is cheap.

Ray

"Dan" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all,
>
> Last night I started my first batch. I am using one of Jack's recipes
> for Strawberry wine. I made two slight changes from the recipe.
>
> The first is the recipe called from yeast Nutrient. In the kit I have
> it contained both yeast nutrient and yeast energizer, thus I added the
> yeast energizer & yeast nutrient according to the directions on the
> bottles. This shouldn't be a problem?
>
> The Second and I think this may be a problem. The recipe from Jack's
> site did not call for using Campden tablets, however other reading on
> his site states to always use Campden tablets, so I used them at the
> amount of 1 tablet per gallon of must. However, I added my yeast
> about 20 minutes after using these tablets. I noticed that on most of
> the recipes that have Campden listed they say to wait 12-24 hours
> before adding the yeast. So, my question is will my yeast start
> working, or today, 24 hours later, should I add another packet of
> yeast since the yeast I added yesterday is dead?
>
> thanks!!!
>
> Dan

Dan, you've raised at least three points, so let me cover them.

Yeast nutrient and yeast energizer are not the same thing at all and
are not interchangable. Each has a purpose and rarely do I encourage
one to add both products at the same time (look up each item in
"Glossary of Winemaking Terms" at
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/glossary.asp). However, since you
have done so there is no turning back -- you cannot remove the
energizer. It will probably cause no harm, but should not be used
unless actually needed.

My website has a page called "Getting Started" at
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/starting.asp that contains a section
called "Using Recipes." There I explain that in the interest of
brevity many of the recipes were written without reference to using
Campden tablets or potassium metabisulfite, but good winemaking
practices require you to use one or the other and you are encouraged
to do so. I also discuss the frequency at which you should add
additional doses if you do not test for SO2 periodically. I usually
recommend that one reads "Getting Started" before they start, but
since you didn't I recommend you read it now.

Adding the yeast almost immediately after adding the Campden is not
recommended, as it will certainly create an environment the yeast will
not like. However, after a few hours the initial dose of SO2 will
diminish somewhat and the yeast will decide it will not kill them and
do what they are there to do. Also, most commercial strains of wine
yeast are much more tolerant of SO2 than are wild strains, which is
one of the reasons to add SO2 initially -- to slow down wild yeast so
the yeast you added can get a head start at dominating the
fermentation. Remember, Campden does not kill yeast, at least not
this low a dosage, but it does cause most yeast to cease propagation
for a while (a few minutes to a few hours). I suspect by the time you
read this your must will show evidence of active fermentation.

Jack Keller, The Winemaking Home Page
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/

This is not from a kit, but using the strawberry #2 - possibly #3 from
the requested strawberries recipies on Jacks Site.
>
> Yeast nutrient and yeast energizer are not the same thing at all and
> are not interchangable. Each has a purpose and rarely do I encourage
> one to add both products at the same time (look up each item in
> "Glossary of Winemaking Terms" at
> http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/glossary.asp). However, since you
> have done so there is no turning back -- you cannot remove the
> energizer. It will probably cause no harm, but should not be used
> unless actually needed.


ok, leason learned! I guess I thought energizer was used to get
the yeast going? Is it not recommended to be used?



>
> My website has a page called "Getting Started" at
> http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/starting.asp that contains a section
> called "Using Recipes." There I explain that in the interest of
> brevity many of the recipes were written without reference to using
> Campden tablets or potassium metabisulfite, but good winemaking
> practices require you to use one or the other and you are encouraged
> to do so. I also discuss the frequency at which you should add
> additional doses if you do not test for SO2 periodically. I usually
> recommend that one reads "Getting Started" before they start, but
> since you didn't I recommend you read it now.


Thanks Jack. I did read that page, as well as a thread either on
here, or in your weblog explaining exactly what you stated above -
good practice to always use them. The yeast part is what I didn't
understand. Thats why I used them even though the recipie left them
out.


>
> Adding the yeast almost immediately after adding the Campden is not
> recommended, as it will certainly create an environment the yeast will
> not like. However, after a few hours the initial dose of SO2 will
> diminish somewhat and the yeast will decide it will not kill them and
> do what they are there to do. Also, most commercial strains of wine
> yeast are much more tolerant of SO2 than are wild strains, which is
> one of the reasons to add SO2 initially -- to slow down wild yeast so
> the yeast you added can get a head start at dominating the
> fermentation. Remember, Campden does not kill yeast, at least not
> this low a dosage, but it does cause most yeast to cease propagation
> for a while (a few minutes to a few hours). I suspect by the time you
> read this your must will show evidence of active fermentation.\

No signs of fermentation yet, but I have moved my batch to a warmer
environment. It was about 68* so I think everything was on hold
waiting for a bit of a warm spell.

sorry, one more thing. The Kit I was referring to was the "wineMAKING
kit" I purchased. the hardware side of things. Not a "wine kit".

Dan