Stop Dumping your Homebrew - Do THIS instead...

Рет қаралды 8,962

2 ай бұрын

We hear a lot of people dumping out their homemade meads and wines when they don't start up immediately. Please don't do that. Just give it some time. We use one of our latest meads as an example of what to do and how to handle it.
_____________________________________
1 Gallon Carboy with Airlock: amzn.to/3QVq9QZ
1/2 Sheet Baking Tray: amzn.to/3WORYhm
Fermaid O: amzn.to/3QUoNpx
Fun T-shirts: city-steading.com/product-cat...
You may notice we do not have a lot of sponsored products or sponsored ads in our videos! That's intentional. We have found most offered sponsorships are completely not appropriate to you, our audience, so we don't want to waste your time. What we actually do is offer you links to products we USE and BELIEVE in. We use the Amazon Affiliate Program for these links and we DO receive a small commission if you purchase using our links and all this comes at no additional cost to you!
_____________________________________
Become a City Steading VIP - Click to learn more
www.city-steading.com/vip-club
_____________________________________
Want more City Steading?
Website: www.city-steading.com
Instagram: / citysteading

Пікірлер: 118

@elricthebald870 2 ай бұрын

And no bubbles in the airlock might, of course, be nothing more than an improperly seated lid or bung. I've seen it in Discord multiple times: "My airlock isn't bubbling." "Check your lid/bung." "HEY. Now it is bubbling."

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Yup, could be! Not with this one though!

@Gmrgrl-mb5np 2 ай бұрын

I had this too and realized the seal was complete that apparently the seal was compromised for nearly a week.

@tripledprojects 2 ай бұрын

In 2022 made a pear wine; it went normally for a couple weeks and fermented dry (or so I thought). I left it in the demijohn to age and forgot it in the garage. 6 months later I saw it start bubbling again. Talk about a long stall! I can only assume a breakdown of nutrients and change in temps woke the remaining yeast up again.

@AndrewNuttall 2 ай бұрын

Had wine brew go like this recently for me, it seemed to put the CO2 into suspension instead of letting it out. I have since started swirling my brews every time I walk by them, whether day 1 or day 20 as long as it has an airlock and I'm not planning to rack in the next 48 hours or so.

@farquarfarkle6957 2 ай бұрын

Hi Team, Just wanted to take this chance and thank you for all you have taught me about brewing at home. Watched another brewers video from 2 years ago making cherry wine from packaged frozen cherries, I laughed so hard my wife had to come see what I was watching. They did more talking than a Congressman, edits were awful and they never showed the final product or took a final Hydrometer reading. just "yadadadadada and there it's done". Did not know what a Hydrometer was called or how to take a reading. used a blender to turn 18 pounds of cherries into mush before pouring it into a brew bag. 18 pounds of cherries and 10 pounds of sugar. So, for all you have taught me, especially taking the time to explain each step, I thank you from the bottom of my Fermenter! Keep up the good work.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Wow... I haven't seen that one.

@davidwright7140 2 ай бұрын

I had three batches do that recently. Just gave em a little swirl, and they took off again. Great video.

@maxlutz3674 2 ай бұрын

I started a ginger beer last weekend. Yesterday the airlock showed that the inside presure was slightly lower than the outside pressure and no bubbles were visible. The fix:let the brew do its job (shamelessly swiped from CSB). Today it started bubbling happily with a lot of airlock activity. The weather currently changes from sunny to rainy a couple of times a day. Saturation and athmospheric pressure contribute to airlock activity.

@noelosborne103 2 ай бұрын

Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all of the great brew content you guys produce. I've made gallons of mead using your recipes as well as finding my own favorites. Over time I've incorporated more of your techniques into my own practice and I can say i've gotten pretty good at this. I've made several different types of meads but currently my house white is a lemongrass mead and my house read is a hibiscus mead. Lastly, since the summer is soon upon us I'll leave you with this simple tip... After having mosquitos and such breach my airlocks (but thankfully not my must), I started rubbing a bit of a DIY mosquito repellent around the seal points and top and bottom of the airlocks. No more bugs in the locks. And since the repellent is only clove, eucalyptus and a few other food grade ingredients its totally mead friendly (though not particularly tasty). Thanks again.

@bobs6536 2 ай бұрын

Okay okay this is very nice compared to a short, ( way better exactly) but still I stand with my advice 😅 the shorts will get more new people to the channel. Love you guys 💚

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

But.... they really don't. We tried. The few shorter extras we did brought more viewers! People who come because of shorts only want to watch shorts. The numbers prove that out, sadly.

@scotmcpherson 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews that’s true. When I watch shorts (which I do from time to time) it’s just scrolling through random content. Rarely do I stop to learn more about the channel. It happens, but it’s rare.

@gregorytomasulo4313 2 ай бұрын

I had a brew with lots of minced fruit that floated to the top and seemed to prevent airlock activity. I swirled twice a day and saw vigorous airlock activity that stopped all together after a minute. After 10 days of this, it went compketely dry and tasted great (for a new mead)!

@Bartolomei406 2 ай бұрын

I have made a few different brews, using your recipes. Most of the time, the length of time for it to start is longer for me than what you guys get BUT a little patience, as you say, does the trick. They run longer to finish, but patience! They have all turned out to varying success. Some just more time, others more yeast butthey did turn out. Love your videos and info. Thank you.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

We are in FL and keep our house pretty warm.

@Bartolomei406 2 ай бұрын

No I get that. I live in Montana so a bit different climate. Just trying to make the point to others that what you say about patience pays off. Just because it doesn't do exactly what you guys put on the video doesn't mean it won't work at all.

@andyn3532 2 ай бұрын

Weather can be a big factor especially in colder climates like here in the UK, my ferments start later take longer and tend not to bubble in the airlock as much as the action in the fermentation vessel also sometimes it can be something as simple as the airlock not being snug in the rubber bung and it's a good idea to replace old rubber bungs (uk not so sure about the material in the us) with new ones as the rubber can become worn and porous after a while. Don't leave fermentation vessels in bright areas yeast seems to thrive more in darker areas. The yeast might be a slower lower fermenting strain or might have been stored incorrectly and as always knowledge and patience are the key to brewing.

@amberbydreamsart5467 2 ай бұрын

my first time I used a big mouth, I could not get it to seal properly at all, so no airlock activity. It was also my first brew started in the winter and started with fruit, so I was worried about slow starting and mold. It was my first brew to take more than 1 hour to start (warm georgia apartment means they usually love starting) but after about 36 hours I could see the side bubbles, so I figured it was starting fine. I taped around the lid to make sure no bugs could get in through the threads just in case (still didn't air seal it, the airlock never started) but I could see bubbles still and smell proper fermenting smells, swirled it daily and checked for mold, and after a week it slowed down and I went ahead and racked it to secondary in my traditional narrow-necked jug so I could track fermenting - and now I have a perfectly good 15% blueberry brew finishing its last sweetening!

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Yeah the seals on those aren't the best. However... a seal isn't required for brewing really.

@karenwilson3968 2 ай бұрын

Lipped trays. I used to bake elaborate cakes and probably should have gotten rid of my supplies years ago, but now I have plenty of pans to put my brews in 😂. Im building stock for fall/winter 2025 to give as gift sets, so I have 13 going now.

@Damiancontursi 2 ай бұрын

Oh I thought it was going to be a video on how to turn a bad brew into vinegar or something like that. Got pleasantly surprised because that happened to me a couple of times. Recently I mead some batches and the one with Citrus Honey wasn't starting so threw a little nutrients and swirling and after a couple days it started.

@rileymosman2808 2 ай бұрын

It's hard operating on yeast's timing but it seems like that's just the best way to brew.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Most times our brews are fairly reliable and consistent, this one was just a little odd. Seems to be working out fine though.

@eutha6 25 күн бұрын

I was attempting a 'wine' from store bought apple juice using your wine from juice recipe and after a week it stopped bubbling-maybe one or two bubbles. So I thought it was dead and went to put it down and it slipped out of my hands and fell about a foot(plastic container ) no biggie- put it back went about my business and forgot to toss it-a week later I went to toss it and it was bubbling like normal-2 weeks later still bubbling-slow but still going. So I will attempt your de-gas next time.

@tbatrics 2 ай бұрын

Just finished fermentation on my first mead. It was slow to start fir sure and seemed to kind of stay that way. Still turned out well in my opinion.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Awesome!

@Max_Snellink 2 ай бұрын

Crazy how this happened on my latest brew.. Both in fact... Definitely was the yeast. I always wake it up but it took a week or more to kick off. Added a brand new yeast in after 3 attempts and it almost immediately started.

@LolLol-pt8mf 2 ай бұрын

@CitySteadingBrews Thanks for the quick reply, I forgot to mention that I mixed a koji starter into the rice to turn the rice into usable sugar. Is there anything I can do to save it or do I have to start over. Thank you for the help and the interesting and inspiring videos. ps. the yeast in the video takes 20 to 30 days shipping

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

At this point, if it's not started up after 3-4 days, all you can do is add more yeast. If all you have is bread yeast, you kinda have to do it, or the rice will spoil and grow mold.

@candyce2144 2 ай бұрын

My blueberry pie mead (bochet?) is being kinda funny and foamy too. lol.

@natelyman6642 2 ай бұрын

For some reason, my traditionals always seem to take the longest to get moving and finish out. The strawberry rose I started recently plowed through fermentation at lightning speed lol

@CitySteadingBrews Ай бұрын

There's less nutrient content in traditionals.

@shannoncraig509 2 ай бұрын

I have a slower fermentation going right now. Temperature is usually the culprit for me as the basement gets colder once we start running the AC. I usually add a tiny bit of yeast nutrient to mine (reserved from the start of the mead) to degass but I have a larger mouth on my fermenter.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Temp is often a factor to be sure. In our case... wasn't temperature, not sure what it was tbh.

@KeysundKreisPlaylists_Colt 2 ай бұрын

I made a banana mead, I pasteurised it and I put the fermenter in too cold water, glas broke, mead dumped itself, couldnt taste if the recipe was good 😅😢

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Well, yeah, you don't put hot glass into water... it can cause thermal shock and break. After pasteurizing, we just let it sit on a wooden cutting board and come to room temp on it's own.

@KeysundKreisPlaylists_Colt 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews yes that was a great Idea 😅

@RetroFuturistMusic 2 ай бұрын

Same exact thing happened to me with a rhubarb Mead. Broke my carboy and my heart.

@wadmoore 2 ай бұрын

I just recently started two batches that were close enough to identical +- a few oz honey, both using lalvin D47, one fermenter took off and and needed a blow off tube and the other one looked like this. Same water, same honey, same tanins and fermaid-o, same yeast, both mixed and pitched at the same time but acted completely different

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

We used the other half of this yeast in another brew the same day that took off after just 24 hours. Weird how it works sometimes.

@Jon-ul3hi 2 ай бұрын

I made a mead about a year ago with some spices like cinnamon. Anyway, it fermented for a while, dropped from 1.100 to 1.050 and then iust stopped for ages. After a few months of trying everything I could think of, it started up again and went wild, going down to 1.030 where it stayed and never moved for months. I finally bottled it and left it in the fridge for about 3 months, checking it every so often. I got two bottles out of it, on the second one now. It's really nice, but man that was a crazy fermentation!

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Yeah... cinnamon is antibiotic and may have played a part!

@Jon-ul3hi 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews Ahhh! I didn't know that, but that makes sense! I'll bet that's why it took so long. I'll have to see about adding it in in secondary. Thank you!

@julietardos5044 2 ай бұрын

@@Jon-ul3hi I've been adding all spices and fruit in secondary, which has gives you more control over how long they are in there. When you have enough cinnamon flavor, you're done. If you put the cinnamon in primary, and you've got enough cinnamon flavor, you might have to rack your brew off the cinnamon before it's done fermenting.

@Jon-ul3hi 2 ай бұрын

@@julietardos5044 I think that's a good idea, I'll be doing that from now on, give the yeast time to settle in and ferment before adding other flavours. Thanks!

@markteeling8598 2 ай бұрын

Just wondering I want to make Viking blood mead. 23 litres how much honey and cherry juice should I use? I want to use a 14% yeast for sweetness. Thanks

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Just scale up from our recipe. We have at least three VB meads on the channel.

@SusanJCanon 2 ай бұрын

Started the caramel apple “bocet” 15 May 2024 but was stuck using a 2 gal plastic bucket. (Sad face emoji). Pressing on lid produces airlock activity. Tempted to rack to a more “visual” container now that they have been freed up but wondering if the brew would better off left to sit for another week prior to drastic action…thoughts?

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Better to leave it.

@AlbeeSoaring 2 ай бұрын

I wonder if this sometimes happens due to the viscosity of the liquid. I had a high gravity pastry stout that I was making that after 3 days the airlock activity was painfully slow. I gave it a little swirl and it foamed like this. Did this a few more times and then the next day the airlock was going crazy. So I was wondering if the viscosity of the liquid could have held in more co2 and caused the yeast to slow, but then after swirling a few times it released enough trapped c02 to let the yeast go to town?

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

More likely t was the high gravity as the yeast will struggle with that.

@AlbeeSoaring 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews So the swirling probably didnt make a difference and just happened to be cowincodental? Or was that also helpful?

@alexander8708 2 ай бұрын

I just start mine and I was nervious at the start... But 2 hours later I can see bubbles and well now is the third day and I'm really happy and nervous that don't go right, but just time will tell

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

If it's fermenting.... what didn't go right?

@satchice9102 24 күн бұрын

I've found honey based wines / meads slower to start fermenting strongly than fruit based wines. I've wondered if it's because honey contains natural preservative, because honey keeps for a long time because bees use it as a long-term store of food.

@CitySteadingBrews 24 күн бұрын

I've not experienced that. Ours all start up in about the same time really for the most part.

@Info-God Ай бұрын

Aeration. I use 22 plastic grape must pails. I mix the must quite often. No air lock. Still get a great wine. Could be better if I use an air lock?

@CitySteadingBrews Ай бұрын

Air locks keep things out is the gist. We have cats. I don't mix the must once fermentation gets going to prevent oxidation.

@Info-God Ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews Oxydation? How do I know of this phenomenon occurence? I use a wooden dowel. Disinfected with 95° alcohol.

@CitySteadingBrews Ай бұрын

Oxidized brews taste "off", could seem bland, could be sherry like. Takes a while though.

@Info-God Ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews Ah. Nohing like this so far. Thank you for teaching me this.

@LolLol-pt8mf 2 ай бұрын

Hello, This is my first time brewing and I have a problem that I need advice on. My yeast (LALVIN EC-1118) doesn't start after 3-4 days and I don't have any yeast at home other than baker's yeast. I also can't get any more yeast because I live in Austria and it's not available on Amazon for me to buy. For information, I'm trying to make sake. Thank you for all the answers.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Sake doesn't use traditional yeast... you need something with amylase in it to convert the starches in the rice into fermentable sugar.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d611qdGmlavFj2w.htmlsi=SG-tIMH0vn6t6sbx

@Stevethesearcher 2 ай бұрын

Since I am the first commenter I have a question. I have been making Cider recently. After 4 weeks it tastes like very watery tasteless apple juice. Not what I expected. The fermentation went well and there was plenty of airlock action. Fermentation stopped after about two weeks. I let it sit for another two weeks. What am I doing wrong? I put tannin in it via a large cup of tea so I don’t think it’s a lack of tannin. It’s like the fermentation has sucked the juice taste out of the apple. I used store Apple Juice this time but I tried it before with real Apples and the same problem. Thoughts? Thank you in advance.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Did you take any readings? I probably finished fermentation. If your question is about flavors.... young, dry cider can taste anything from harsh to watery, depending on the recipe and the juices or fruits used. We have a cider that came out wonderful: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ZsypY8WTvMezdZc.htmlsi=ec8IwqYHUGKnumxH

@Stevethesearcher 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews From what I have read and this is just what I gleamed from some forum, the Apple taste should return if I leave it another month. I am just recanting what I read. It seems weird that it will resurrect its apple flavour from its current dead watery state.However I just wanted to get your take on it. Anyway thanks for your response.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Age can often help a lot, yes. I would say it needs more than a month though. Usually 6 months to a year is good for bringing back the flavors to a cider that tasted watery.

@minielektricar247 2 ай бұрын

Hey I was making strawbery wine and I put to much sugar in it, it wont ferment, can I ad water to lower the sugar levels and will it ferment then. Its my first time making wine.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Diluting should help.

@minielektricar247 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews thank you so much

@minielektricar247 Ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews did it and it went crazy in 1 day, thank you

@julietardos5044 2 ай бұрын

On Sunday, I broke my hydrometer. I'm a Real Homebrewer (TM) now!

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Sorry for your loss!

@anthonylauderdale1250 2 ай бұрын

Hey mamma D and daddy B! I just did a small batch of mead for myself and it’s only 4 cups in a big Mason jar. I heated a splash of water and added.5 lbs of honey to kinda brown it and added 1tsp of apple pie seasoning. After I cooled it down to 89 degrees I added the rest of the water. It came out to 1.142 OG. Is that way to High???

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Yes. We are not your parents. 😜

@anthonylauderdale1250 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews lol ok. You don’t have to get me anything for Christmas 😢. Should I split it in two batches?

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

I would dilute it for sure. Down to 1.100 ish should be ok.

@anthonylauderdale1250 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews ok thank you. I added to another 4 cup jar and added a little water and went back and forth from jar to jar trying to get them mixed evenly. One came out at 1.062 and other at 1.072.

@Loadingagamer22 2 ай бұрын

My traditional mead is still producing gas after six months still burping daily and still hear a nice pop idk how to get it to stop....having the opposite problem you have 😅 not gonna dump it just wondering if you ever had it happen or you thoughts on how to fix something like this...I wan thinking of adding some acids like lemon or something to see if that helps

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Have you checked the gravity?

@billbucktube 2 ай бұрын

I test my yeast every time I use it. Make sure it wasn’t overheated and killed.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

We used this same packet in another brew and it started quickly.

@jennabronson4704 2 ай бұрын

It's also possible that you get a batch of bad yeast and, many days later, the wild yeast kicks in.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Possible for sure.

@schven0112 2 ай бұрын

So I have a "Stall" Og was 1.146,, yes I know high . 2 months later Gravity is 1.044 Used KV-V1116. Just a regular Mead Tea for Tannen, Rasins, honey and water. 3 gallon Carboy. My question is how to get it going. I have more of same Yeast, and I now have Fermaid-O. I don't want to Rack it, Or do I?

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Don't rack, dilute it. Your yeast cannot go to the nearly 20% potential abv of all those sugars. I would dilute by 25%, meaning if you have a gallon, add a quart of water. Don't rack though. It could start up just from diluting.

@VenganceStudio 2 ай бұрын

I'll comment here 1st then check through channel to see if I can find answers, (help the algorithm) ..... I've just started a 25ltr batch of mead, I want to then split this down into separate carboys/demi johns, so I can do an original, a spiced a cherry an orange one and a one using tanning all from the same base stock of mead, question is ... when will it be best to split the 25ltr, at the end of the process or after a few weeks where the yeast will still be active ?

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

If you want to ferment the additions, you're better off making individual batches. If you're just flavoring after fermentation, your idea is totally fine.

@VenganceStudio 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews appreciate the quick response 👏

@Ghost_in_the_machineworks 2 ай бұрын

I have NEVER dumped a brew....

@KonsuiKoyojutsu 2 ай бұрын

I like to move mine into a warmer area before I try adding anything... sometimes my wife will bump the thermostat down and yeasties dun likes it..

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Yup. Ours was already at 74-76f.

@wendull811 2 ай бұрын

I woke up this morning to find a 750ml bottle of my habanero pinapple mead. I bottled a month and a half ago blew the cork out and spread mead all over my kitchen. Any tips on the best way to clean up the mess? Products one might use?

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

Hot soapy water should do it. Sorry you had this happen.

@wendull811 2 ай бұрын

@CitySteadingBrews It's OK. I guess I didn't let it sit long enough after backsweetening. I have a bunch of the same brew in swing top bottles. Any suggestions on how to safely burp them?

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

I would pasteurize them.

@wendull811 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews Do I do that with the tops open or closed? 145°F for 30 minutes correct?

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

@wendull811 they should be internal temp of 140f for 22 mins. If it's not a carbonated brew , I would leave caps off.

@minomorr7399 2 ай бұрын

The way it’s taking awhile to start up almost makes me think the packet of yeast you added in the beginning possibly wasn’t any good. Total speculation on my part but it almost seems like it’s taking so long to begin fermentation because it needs to start a culture from the small amount of yeast that was in the honey.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

We used the other half of that same packet on a brew that same day and it started quuckly.

@minomorr7399 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews Oh ok! Weird!

@FIAGRA-rp8xb 2 ай бұрын

🤔🤨

@TipsyFlipper 2 ай бұрын

This is happening to me right now, I put 4 lbs of honey into the big mouth bubbler and was worried it was too much honey for just over a galon. Just gonna let it bubble... ... bubble

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

I would say it could be too much honey, depending on how much water you added. I'd take a reading on that. Shoot for 1.100 ish to be on the safe side.

@TipsyFlipper 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews thank you for the reply, I started at 1.114 OG. the water is just over 1 gallon. This is my first time using premier classique yeast Red Star. I might throw the Lalvin Beast in there and see what happen. Thanks again guys. Love your vids

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

@@TipsyFlipper I'd let it go for 3-4 days before adding more yeast.

@TipsyFlipper 2 ай бұрын

@@CitySteadingBrews will do. Thanks again folks

@scotmcpherson 2 ай бұрын

unnutritious meads are notorious for being slow and stalling....Want to give it nutrient without killing the flavor? Use pollen...Pollen is protein which is nitrogen. It works.

@CitySteadingBrews 2 ай бұрын

We added fermaid O as said in the video 😉

@Dark_Reaper_86 Ай бұрын

Okay I've got to say, for anyone who dumped it after a few days of nothing, WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU?! That is a WASTE of product, time and money! I've never made a homebrew before (yet), and even I know that's a stupid idea. Don't waste so much! Yeah sure you can get more money to buy more product, but you CAN'T get the time back!

@CitySteadingBrews Ай бұрын

I get that but people tend to be suspicious of spoilage and... I can appreciate that too.