Posted on 01/05/2014 11:32:16 AM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
You have a yeast infection.
/johnny
Use a 5 gallon deep rock water bottle and make a larger batch.
Try cranberry juice to get the process down. Or add ascorbic acid. Lower pH (higher acid) works better for beginners.
Mountainlion is right. Larger quantities are better too.
To be a REAL snob, run it through four times and you can call it "fourth run."
It leaves one "legless," that is, no hangover but one's THIGHS ache. I tried it ONCE...and that was enough.
As already mentioned by jrf, preservatives in packaged juices kill the yeast.
Have you tasted it may already have enough alcohol to kill the yeast. Wine yeasts usually have more alcohol tolerance. more sugar the better if you suspect the juice use less with more water sugar and real fruit
I have 20 gallons made of persimmon wine this year. 12 pounds of sugar per five gallons.Citric and ascorbic acid. Will finish out about 17-18 % alcohol.
A lot of folk use a balloon for wine.
Maybe try sterilizing the juice, if it's old it might already have had a lil hep in the fermentation situation.
You may want to check the pH, if you can. Temperature and pH are the most basic conditions for any fermentation process
Cranberry is a very acidic juice, such that it is always sold “in cocktail.” you could not drink 100% cranberry juice - far too bitter.
Strawberry juice is relatively lower acid.
Same in your mouth - yes, plaque is bad, but its also the pH environment in your mouth that does damage to your teeth....
This would be my number 2, after preservatives in the Kroger brand as number 1.
In short, it is highly likely that the yeast cannot properly eat the high-fructose corn syrup, which is why it's not fermenting nicely.
The Ocean Spray bottle specifically mentions no preservatives, artificial flavors or artificial colors. The Kroger doesn't but I also don't see anything on the label that's significantly different from the Ocean Spray other than corn syrup. They both have "natural flavors" added, which could mean anything but other than that there isn't anything in the Kroger label that hints of added chemicals. That's what's so annoying about it.
I don't really have the room to make or store 5 gallons of wine at a time plus I couldn't drink it fast enough. The reason I started to make my own is because I wanted 1 glass per night before bedtime and the least expensive commercial wine I could find came in a 5 liter box for around $15, so it was around $15/month versus less than $5 if I make it myself. If I have a gallon in the fridge and a gallon being made that should keep me stocked up quite nicely.
It's also possible the yeast realized what I put it in and committed suicide.
Lord have mercy. When I read the headline I thought this was going to a gynecological thread.
The juice has potassioum sorbate in it to stop fermentation in the bottle. They don’t have to include it in the ingredients.
You usually can make a starter with sugar water and some yeast nutrient then add it to the container.
Other than yeast inhibitors, too high an alcohol or no fermentable sugars will stop ferment. Some long chain sugars, or polysaccharides cannot be consumed by yeast.
I make beer and wine.... never have stuck ferments....
/johnny
That makes sense. From now on I'll avoid any juices with corn syrup added. Now that I have enough nice bottles I'll be going for 100% juice anyway but if I see another amazing closeout I'll look at the ingredient label before I buy.
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