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Reason #1
Having The Fermentation Temperature Too Hot Or Too Cold:

Yeast like to ferment between 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit–72

degrees being ideal. Fermentations that are too cool may become

very sluggish and quite often will not ferment at all.

Fermentations that are too warm can perform poorly as well. And

in extreme cases–85 degrees and above–the yeast cells may

become damaged, inhibiting their ability to ferment.

It is also important to note here that fermentations that are too

warm are more hospitable to the growth of unwanted micro-

organisms. This could result in off-flavors in your wine and in

extreme cases complete spoilage.

Having a consistent temperature throughout the fermentation is

important as well. Room temperatures that fluctuate on a daily

bases can play havoc on a yeast’s ability to ferment. Simply put,

the more the room temperature fluctuates, the more likely you are

to have a problem fermentation.

Avoid trying to ferment your wine in places such as detached

garages, attics or spare bedrooms where the room temperature

can easily be ignored or not controlled at all.

If your house has a basement, it is usually one of the better places

to ferment your wine. Basements typically maintain a temperature

that is more constant than the rest of the house.

However in the winter months, basements can become too cool. If

this becomes the case, a mild heat source such as a nearby light

bulb may be enough to solve the problem. Also try to keep your

fermentation vessels up off the cold basement floor. Instead, keep

your fermentation vessels elevated on a table or shelf.

One way to keep a handle on your fermentation temperature is to

use a thermometer. If you are using a pail as a fermentation vessel,

you can use a floating thermometer directly in the wine. Just lift it

out when you want to take a reading, otherwise it stays in the juice.

Or, you can use a crystal strip thermometer which sticks to the

outside of the fermentation vessel. The temperature illuminates by

what appears to be magic. Just a quick glance and you are able to

tell the temperature of your fermentation.

Reason #2
Adding Too Much Sugar At The Beginning Of Fermentation:

When a fermentation occurs what is really happening is the yeast
is consuming sugar and turning it into alcohol. So the amount of
sugar that is available to the yeast controls how much alcohol
that can be made. But contrary to reason, it is possible to have
too much sugar in a fermentation.

If the sugar concentration level of the must becomes too high at
any given point–either at the beginning or during the
fermentation–it starts to have an inhibiting effect on the
yeast’s ability to produce alcohol. In other words, the higher
sugar concentration starts to act as a preservative effecting the
fermentation in a negative way.

Before you add sugar to a batch, it is necessary to know how much
sugar is already being provided by the fruit. This can vary
dramatically from one fruit to the next. For example, in the case
of most California grown grapes, no sugar is required at all to
produce a wine with a reasonable level of alcohol–say 10 to 13
percent–but when making berry wines a considerable amount of
sugar is required to obtain those same levels.

If you have a good recipe from a reliable source, such as a book
on winemaking, you can normally depend on the amount of sugar the
recipe is calling for. Or certainly if you are following
directions that were provided with a wine making kit, your sugar
level should be no issue whatsoever, just follow the directions.

But if you have a recipe from a questionable source or you are
going it alone, it is strongly recommended that you control your
sugar levels with the aid of a hydrometer.

The hydrometer can tell you how much sugar is already in the must
as well has how much sugar to add to end up with a potential
alcohol level that is desirable.

It does this with a scale that is called “Potential Alcohol.” The
more sugar that is in the must, the higher the percentage reading
will be on the Potential Alcohol scale.

Reason #3
Improper Yeast Starting Method:

Many packets of yeast instruct the user to re-hydrate the yeast
in warm water for a few minutes before using it. Re-hydration is
just a fancy word for moistening the yeast.

When following these directions perfectly there are no problems,
but quite often we run into situations where the winemaker’s
water temperature that was used for re-hydration was just a
little too warm or the yeast was left in the water for too long.

The recommended temperature on the packets of yeast we have seen
is 95 to 105 degrees F. for about 15 minutes. Believe me when I
say these directions give little room for error. For every
minute the yeast stays a 105 degrees a small portion of the yeast
cells are being destroyed. If the water is just a little hotter,
say 115 degrees, then the yeast cells are being destroyed at an
alarming rate.

So what this means to the home winemaker is that if they re-
hydrate their yeast at too warm of a temperature, or if they keep
the yeast in the warm water for a longer period of time then
recommended, the cell count may become too low to support a
proper fermentation.

When preparing the water for re-hydration we recommend always
verifying the water’s temperature with a thermometer before
adding the yeast, as well as tracking the amount of time the
yeast is to be in the water.

Secondly, we also recommend that you shoot for a temperature no
higher than 90 degrees And keeping the yeast in this water for no
longer than 10 minutes. The 90 degree temperature for 10 minutes
is plenty to complete the re-hydration process and will result in
the destruction of less yeast cells.

To be more frank, if the re-hydration process was skipped
entirely it would not be of great detriment to the wine. The
yeast would simply take a little longer to start fermenting.
Basically this means instead of seeing the first signs of
activity in 2 to 4 hour, without re-hydration it might take 4 to
8 hours.

Reason #4
Closing Up The Fermenter After Adding Sulfites:

Most wine making recipes instruct the winemaker to add sulfites
such as Sodium Bisulfite or Campden Tablets to a starting must.
These sulfites are added to the juice 24 hours before adding the
yeast as a sterilizing process. The sulfites are released into the
juice destroying any molds or other contaminants that may be
present, wild yeast included. This allows the winemaker to start
his fermentation off with a clean slate, so to speak.

Once the sulfur has been added to the juice, it slowly starts to
dissipate into the air in the form of a gas and eventually all
goes away. This process usually takes between 18 and 24 hours.
After the 24 hour waiting period, the winemaker can then safely
add fresh, domesticated wine yeast without fear of it being
destroyed by the sulfites.

It is important during this 24 hour waiting period that the
juice is allowed to breath. That is, to allow the sulfites to
escape. The container should not be sealed up or even fitted with
an air-lock, but rather, it should be covered only with a very
thin towel, at best. This is simply to keep foreign matter from
getting into the juice.

If the sulfites are not allowed to dissipate into the air during
the 24 hour waiting period, then it is highly likely that most
of the yeast will be destroyed when it is later added to the juice.
The result is a fermentation that is very sluggish or one that
will not start at all.

Reason #5
Using An Air-Lock At The Beginning Of Fermentation:

During the first few days of a fermentation, the yeast is in a
multiplying stage. It is devoting a significant portion of its
energy to reproducing itself. On average, the yeast will multiply
itself to around 100 to 200 times the amount of yeast you
originally put in the must.

This is known as the “Primary Fermentation.” Later, once the
yeast has fully created the number of cells needed, it will then
devote most all of its energy to creating alcohol. This is known
as the “Secondary Fermentation.”

The cell reproduction stage is necessary to successfully sustain
a healthy, vigorous fermentation. If the yeast does not multiply
successfully then the remainder of the fermentation will become
sluggish and drawn out, and in many cases the yeast will give out
completely before it has completed the task placed before it.

For the yeast to be able to multiply itself to it fullest
ability, it needs air during the primary fermentation. Using an
Air-Lock during this time seals the fermentation from much need
air, in effect, suffocating the yeast and putting a damper on its
reproductive activity.

Instead of using an Air-Lock during the Primary Fermentation,
simply cover the container with a thin towel, cheese cloth or
something similar. You can secure it by tying it down with a
string to make sure it doesn’t get knocked or blown off. By doing
this you will allow the yeast to get all the air it needs without
allowing bugs and other little nasties from getting in the mix.

After about 4 to 6 days of fermentation the yeast will go into
its slower, secondary fermentation. This is the time when the
air-lock should be used. The air is no longer needed, and in
fact, is a detriment to the must at that point.

Reason #6
Lack Of Nutrients:

Having sufficient nutrients in a must is an integral part of any
successful fermentation. Without nutrients the yeast is unable to
perform to its fullest ability. The result is a fermentation that
is sluggish and quite often, one that will stop
altogether–before the fermentation is complete.

The typical nutrient-deficient fermentation will usually struggle
along with some success for the first few days and then seemingly
hit a brick wall, ceasing all but an insignificant amount of
activity. This scenario occurs primarily because the yeast is
able to consume the simplest sugars that are available without
much nutritional need. But as the simple sugars are used up and
the preserving effects of alcohol starts to increase, the yeast
cells end up simply “meeting their match”.

Another reason the yeast will stop in mid-fermentation, is that
the little amount of nutrients that were available to the yeast
are now gone. The yeast actually consumes them, leaving the must
that was just short on nutrients, now with next to no nutrients
at all.

When making wine from grape juice, either fresh or packaged,
nutritional needs are easily met by simply adding what is known
to home winemakers as “Yeast Nutrient” or “DAP” which stand for
Di-Ammonium Phosphate.

There are two reasons why nutritional needs are fully met so
easily when fermenting wine from grapes. The first being that
wine yeast are specifically developed with grape juice in mind.
The various strains of wine yeast are actually developed in a
grape juice environment so as to acclimate them to grape juice.
The result is yeast strains that are very happy with the set of
nutrients that grape juices typically provide.

The second reason is that when making wine with grape juice, very
seldom is the juice diluted with water. So the nutrients from the
grape juice are at full strength as well. Even when making wines
from concentrated grape juices, this holds true. The concentrates
when diluted back to their original volume, contain a same wealth
of nutrition as they did before being processed.

The only thing you can really do to improve the set of nutrients
in these grape juices is to add “Yeast Nutrient,” as mentioned
earlier. This product adds both nitrogen and phosphorus to a
fermentation. You can kind of think of it as adding fertilizer to
your yeast.

Unfortunately, when making wines with most other fruits the plot
thickens a little. When making wines from berries, plums and the
like, having ample nutrition in the right balance for the yeast
is a significant issue that needs to be addressed.

With these types of wines, the nutrients that are naturally
provided by the fruit may not be of the balance or type that
yeast needs to perform to their maximum ability. Also with these
wines, the juice almost always needs to be diluted significantly
with water and sugar. This in turn dilutes the various vitamins,
proteins and minerals as well.

When making these types of wines a more well rounded set of
nutrients is required. One that not only provides more nitrogen
and phosphorus in a simple form such as our Yeast Nutrient, but
one that also provides proteins, minerals and vitamins in a
proper balance. Such is the case with “Yeast Energizer.”

Yeast Energizer is designed specifically for nutritionally aiding
the fermentation of everything from berries to bananas. It
contains a blend of nutrients that helps to fill the nutritional
voids that some recipes can create.

One way to know if Yeast Energizer is needed in a wine you are
making is by giving it a simple test. Ask yourself, “how close is
the produce I am using to a grape?” The closer the produce is to
a grape, the less likely you will need to use Yeast Energizer.
For example, a currant wine is much less likely to require Yeast
Energizer than say, watermelon wine.

Another way to know is by simply following a recipe. Most recipes
will indicate if “Yeast Nutrient” or “Yeast Energizer” is
required. There really is no reason to second guess a recipe that
indicates a specific type of nutrient. Just the fact that the
recipe calls for a nutrient of any kind, usually means that it is
probably from a sound source.

As a final note, there are some produces that put a tremendous
strain on the yeasts’ ability to ferment. Some of these would be
things like honey, dandelions and vegetables. With these types of
produces, nutrients may be plentiful, but they are not of the
kind wine yeast need. When fermenting these types of musts, we
recommend not only using Yeast Energizer, but also using
something called “Ghostex” along with it. Ghostex enhances the
yeasts’ ability to multiply itself. This gives the yeast a
fighting edge when it comes to completing a fermentation.

Reason #7
Fermentation Has Already Completed:

In a twisted way, you may not be getting a fermentation because
the fermentation has already completed. Many ask, “how could this
be?” It’s almost like experiencing an unbelievable magic trick.
“How did my wine do that?” But, after checking the wine with a
hydrometer, the truth becomes clear. The juice fermented, and you
didn’t even know it.

Relax, its really not your fault. And, there’s really no problem,
anyway. Most wine making directions you run across will lead you
to believe that all fermentations will take anywhere from 4 to 6
weeks. But in reality, if the conditions are right, a
fermentation can complete in as little as seven days. Yes, that’s
right “seven days.” We have personally experienced fermentations
that have completed in as little as five days, but this is far
more rare.

The only real way to know where you stand with your
fermentation’s progress is to take a hydrometer reading. The
hydrometer has the final say as to what has actually happened. If
you take a hydrometer reading and you discover that the Specific
Gravity is 0.998 or less, well then, yes, the wine is done
fermenting. If this is the case, there is really nothing else for
you to do other than continue on with rest of the directions
ahead of schedule.

Many first-time winemakers will get the notion that they should
add more sugar if there fermentation completes quickly. If you
have added the correct amount of sugar at the beginning of
fermentation, this would not be the right thing to do.

Just because a fermentation only lasted a week or so, does not
mean the wine has any less alcohol than a fermentation that took
2 months. Time does not control the amount of alcohol made, the
amount of sugar available to the yeast does. Adding more sugar at
this point will only complicate the situation.

For example, if your starting hydrometer reading indicates that
you have enough sugar in the must to produce 12 percent alcohol,
you will have 12 percent alcohol once all those sugars are
fermented, regardless of the amount of time it takes. And, you
will know when all those sugars have been fermented by the fact
that the hydrometer reads 0.998 or less on the Specific Gravity
Scale.

Many ask, “why does this happen?” The fact of the matter is,
there are many reasons why a fermentation might go fast or slow.
There are an endless number of variables that can come into play
when dealing with Mother Nature. But having said this, a large
percentage of the time it is temperature related.

All things being the same, musts that are 75 degrees F. or higher
will ferment much, much faster than a must that is 70 degrees F
or less. The amount of yeast that is pitched into the must can
make a difference. Two packs of yeast will ferment the same
juice, not twice as fast, but faster that one pack of yeast will.

If the yeast is pre-started ahead of time, this can influence the
rate of fermentation as well. Not only does pre-starting the
yeast allow the yeast cells to hit the juice with their feet
running, so to speak, but it also allows the yeast to multiply in
number, ahead of time, which could contribute to having an
explosive fermentation.

Having a fast fermentation is neither a good thing or bad thing.
But the reasons that caused it to ferment fast may be bad. For
example, if you had a fast fermentation that was caused by warmer
temperatures, this could be bad. Having too warm of fermenting
temperature will also facilitate the growth of unwanted
micro-organisms, which may give the wine an off-flavor. But, if
you had a fast fermentation because you pre-started your yeast,
then no harm is done.

Having said this, there is really no advantages to having a fast
fermentation in of itself. Of course you get to bottle your wine
sooner with a faster fermentation, but I know of no studies that
have indicate “fast” is better or worse than “slow.”

Reason #8

Too Much Alcohol Already In The Wine:

One thing that must be understood when making wine is that
alcohol is a preservative. By definition, a preservative is
something that helps a perishable to remain in its current
state–to not change, but remain as is. How this translates to
wine making is that the alcohol itself can be the reason a must
is no longer fermenting.

Musts that are just beginning fermentation and are still at lower
levels of alcohol concentration, say 5 percent, do not experience
much problem hosting a fermentation. But, as a must’s alcohol
level rises, one will usually begin to notice a slowing of the
fermentation activity. This slowing is primarily due to the
increased preserving effects the rising alcohol is having on the
must.

And, as the alcohol level continues to rise throughout the latter
part of the fermentation, 10-12-14 percent, the fermentation
becomes slower and slower until it simply can no longer overcome
the increasing effects of the alcohol.

To put an analogy to this, if you have ever seen a tractor pull,
you can think of a fermentation as a single pull. It takes off
with little hesitation, but as it grinds on further and further
and the resistance from the weighted trailer becomes greater and
greater, there comes a point when the yeast can’t pull any more
and it simply has to shut down.

And, it will shut down regardless of how much sugar may be left
in the must. So, it is possible for a must to have more sugar
than the yeast can turn into alcohol, resulting in a wine with
significant alcohol but way too much sugar to be drinkable.

Using a hydrometer is the key to knowing how much sugar can be
safely added to a wine recipe. By using a hydrometer you can add
the correct amount of sugar to a recipe to shoot for a specific
alcohol level that is reasonable and achievable.

Expect wine yeasts to produce up to 12-13 percent alcohol with
minimal effort, this is assuming that all other environmental
conditions for the yeast are optimal, such as: temperature,
nutrients, and so on. Anything beyond 13 percent, you’re on your
own.

Reason #9

Using Distilled Water:

Using bottled water when making your wine is fine, and in some
cases preferred, depending upon what’s in your tap water. But,
not all bottled waters are the same. Some bottled waters have
been distilled and that’s a bad thing for winemakers. When
choosing bottled water for wine making be sure that it is labeled
as spring water, mineral water or some kind of drinking water and
not labeled as distilled water.

Using distilled water can cause big problems for the unsuspecting
winemaker. There are two reasons for this. The first being
distilled water has had all of the excess or “free” oxygen
removed from it. The second reason is that distilled water has no
minerals either. Both of these conditions are direct results of
the distilling process and both conditions have inhibiting
effects on a fermentation.

During the primary fermentation the yeast need an ample supply of
oxygen in the must to allow them to freely reproduce themselves.
The yeast have the monumental task of multiplying themselves to
around 100 to 150 times during the primary fermentation. If the
yeast are not given enough oxygen to multiply successfully, then
the result will be a sluggish fermentation that can drag out for
several additional weeks.

Having no minerals in the water affects the fermentation in a
negative way as well. Minerals are a significant portion of the
nutritional meal the is required by the yeast to perform at their
best. Different minerals effect the yeast in different ways, but
in general, minerals increase the yeast’s ability to metabolize
or consume sugar. Without a supply of minerals you have yeast
that consume sugar at a slower pace.

Reason #10
Yeast Is Too Old:

If you have a must that has started fermenting very slowly or
hardly at all, one of the many things you need to ask yourself
is, how long have you had the yeast, and how was it being stored
during that time.

Yeast is a living organism that has a limited life-span just as
any other living thing would. When you purchase yeast it come
conveniently packaged in a suspended, freeze-dried state. When
the dried wine yeast is put in a liquid it rejuvenates itself
back to its original, natural state.

While the yeast is in freeze-dried form it can become old,
however it does not do so all at once, but rather, slowly over
time. The average 5 gram package of dried yeast contains roughly
150 billion yeast cells. More than enough to produce a healthy,
vigorous fermentation in a 5 or 6 gallon batch. Even 75 billion
active yeast cells would be more than sufficient to ignite a very
active fermentation.

A portion of these cells die every year, every month, and even
every day. If you store your packets of yeast at room
temperature, it will be active enough to use for at least 1 year.
If your yeast is being stored above 80 degrees F., then its
useful life-span will be shortened accordingly.

If you store your yeast in the refrigerator, your yeast will be
fine for at least two years. It is important to note here though
that you should never store your yeast in the freezer. Doing so
damages the cell walls of the yeast with freezer-burn. The cell
walls of the yeast actually become damaged from the effects of
freezer-burn.

So, the whole point here is to be aware of the age of yeast
packets you have on hand. Understand that these packets of yeast
will not be usable forever and may be one of many possible
reasons for having a fermentation that will not start

For more information, along with pictures and access to the winemaker’s inner circle, pick up your very own copy of “The Complete Illustrated Guide to Homemade Wine”