Yeast Trouble

[jak1010]

In general, has anyone had trouble with stalled fermentation when making rice wine?

I've seen batches take longer to produce liquid (sometimes up to 14-18 days) and I've seen the yeast added when the rice is too hot, etc. Has anyone had problems with the yeast itself?

I personally used packs of ARL that had an expiration date of 2010 and had no troubles. I also have yeast balls with no clear expiration date on them and I'm wondering what the shelf life is.

Anybody else?

 

[Leadgolem]

Well, no. I've had issues when pitching while the rice was to hot, but other then that no. I would put that down to two things.

1. Dry yeast has an almost obscene shelf life. You lose viability, but not completely. Not for a really long time. I remember using dried bread yeast that was 9 years old, and it still worked. Since this process takes weeks, you have plenty of time for a small amount of yeast to grow into the wine.

2. The nature of this process would seem to encourage wild yeast getting into the batch. So, even if you have low viability with the dried yeast, you will probably have something that will ferment your wine in it anyway.

Those are my thoughts on the matter anyway.

 

[jak1010]

Thanks LG...what is the average time for seeing liquid/wine produced?

Is it 5 days, 10 days, 15 days?

If you make a batch and don't see any sign of fermenting, how long do you wait until you scrap a batch?

 

[Leadgolem]

Thanks LG...what is the average time for seeing liquid/wine produced?

Is it 5 days, 10 days, 15 days?

If you make a batch and don't see any sign of fermenting, how long do you wait until you scrap a batch?

It varies somewhat. I'd say most of mine show liquid, but not separation, in 3 days. I've had some batches that came out well take 5 though. I have had the occasional batch take 9. Those batches where pitched when the rice was to hot, and never did produce an acceptable quality wine.

I basically don't scrap batches. Unless I really need the container, I don't see why I shouldn't let them go the full 3 weeks. Then I'll try and harvest them. If they are sludgy, I'll chuck them at that point.

 

[sonofgrok]

The ones that I have that seem to take longer to produce liquid I attribute more to absorption than bad yeast.

 

[jak1010]

Thanks for the replies. I'm trying to help out someone who purchased ARL and Yeast Balls from me on eBay. They purchased from me on 9/3 and they're having trouble getting things going.

After a closer look, the batch of ARL I have all show an expiation date of 9/2013 but, I've been using the same batch and have had no problems. It's also from the same batch I sent to you LG and you seem to not have any problems.

I haven't had any other complaints so, I think it may have to do with high temps during shipping.

On a side note, I've got 3 different bags if dried yeast balls and can't find any sign of an expiration date. I wonder what the shelf life is.

 

[Leadgolem]

Thanks for the replies. I'm trying to help out someone who purchased ARL and Yeast Balls from me on eBay. They purchased from me on 9/3 and they're having trouble getting things going.

After a closer look, the batch of ARL I have all show an expiation date of 9/2013 but, I've been using the same batch and have had no problems. It's also from the same batch I sent to you LG and you seem to not have any problems.

I haven't had any other complaints so, I think it may have to do with high temps during shipping.

On a side note, I've got 3 different bags if dried yeast balls and can't find any sign of an expiration date. I wonder what the shelf life is.

Odd that. I seem to remember another stalled batch. That was with long grain white rice, not jasmine though. After a few experiments, I basically determined that long grain white rice can't be made into rice wine. To many long chain starches, you get some liquid but it's like gravy.

Could you provide any more information? How much water was the rice cooked with? What kind of rice? How long was it cooled for before being inoculated? Any idea of what the actual process used to inoculate the batch was? Anything else that might be relevant?

 

[jak1010]

Yea, good point about the long grain rice.

As for more information, I asked for it but haven't heard back. If I do, I'll be sure to post it.

I like helping people. And, while I have experience brewing, I go here for most cases when i need support. I learn and depend a lot from other members here.

 

[jak1010]

Thanks for all of the replies. I've tried several times to reach the person who purchased from me on eBay and haven't heard back. My assumption is that all is well and they're making and drinking homemade rice wine just like the many others.

 

[Bidwell]

I started using your balls and made my 1st 5 cup steamed sweet rice batch, 10-30-13 and only have some liquid, no separation, still going. I found "yeast discs" and have made 19 batches since. I have liquid in 3 days and lots in 5, and harvest at about 10 days or so. Consumed 9 batches, 6 were sweet from yeast discs and 3 were sour from yeast balls and needed sugar. Still have 10 jars fermenting and a small batch cooling with almost half sweet rice and yams.

The purple sweet potato batch has turned all light purple.