Cherry Wine Fermenation Stuck?

[Bill Kolosi]

John - On Sunday, July 24, I squeezed 18 pounds of pitted sour cherries into 6 gallons of juice (includes nylon bag holding all the skins). Additives were as directed in the recipe for sour grapes I picked up at your store - peptic enzyme, yeast nutrient, campden tablets and boiled-cooled sugar water. 24 hours later July 25, when the SG=1.10, I sprinkled 1 package of Red Star Pasteur Champagne on the surface of the juice mixture. The yeast had been refrigerated for about 6 months. The juice, nylon bag with skins, additives and yeast are all in a 6 gallon wine juice pail, lid on with airlock attached. It is now Thursday, July 28 and I am not seeing any foaming. The airlock is reacting releasing gas build up but I don't see the usual foaming-must at the top of the juice. Is my fermentation stuck? Perhaps the yeast was too old?

If it is stuck, I was thinking about adding Red Star Pasteur Red or a Yeast Starter for stuck fermentation that I bought at your store yesterday.

Your advice please.

Bill

[grapeadmin]

It would not hurt to add an additional pack of yeast. However, some yeast strains are very low foaming so if you are seeing gas being released, it is likely fermenting. Maybe take a reading with your hydrometer and see if the reading is changing (getting lower). If it is, it is fermenting.

thanks
john

[Bill Kolosi]

OK John...I think I'll give it one more day before adding another whole packet of yeast (this time Red Star Pasteur Red). And, while the airlock is showing increasing gas release, the SG reading remains basically unchanged. As you said, the Red Star Pasteur Champagne may be a slow reacting yeast and there is gas being released so I think it's worth another day of observation. Tomorrow I'll take another SG reading, hopefully it will be lower.

Another question: Do you think it is ok to leave the nylon bag with the cherry skins in the pail or should I discard?

Bill

[grapeadmin]

I would try to keep the pulp bag in so that you get the color/flavor extracted from the pulp. I would try to keep it in for a week.

john