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I made wine from the Primeur winery series and after two days still have no sign of bubbling from the fermenter. I did all as per the instructions except following (that I think is the reason for no bubbling):

  • Boiled the oak chip then added to primary fermenter while it was still warm;

  • Put LALVIN-EC-1118 into warm water (40-45 degree C) then added to the fermenter instead of adding directly to the fermenter.

  • Specific gravity was read as 1124.

Please help me settle this problem. I have contacted the seller, but the shop is closed today and tomorrow. What do I have to do?

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  • Please provide batch size as well. The resellers I found sell a 5g and the product sheet says it’s used for champagnes but is sold as a cider and wine yeast to be rehydrated at 40C. Check the sheet and compare murphyandson.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Yeast-EC1118.pdf. Also a two-day lag wouldn’t concern me as a beer brewer too much. The lag time in the growth phase may vary.
    – Martin
    Commented Mar 3, 2019 at 15:20
  • The batch size is 23 liters and i bought it from 187 Sheppard Wine Works store and the yeast package in side the box was LALVIN ec-1118
    – Andrey
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 22:00
  • For 23L and a 5g yeast pack I’d say the growth phase is going to take a little longer. One way I often check for activity is to check for pressure displacing water in the airlock.
    – Martin
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 22:31
  • activate another packet of yeast and pour it in, hopefully it'll start fermenting again.
    – ElectronSurf
    Commented Mar 6, 2019 at 18:31

2 Answers 2

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Bubbling in the airlock is a sign of fermentation, but just because you don't see bubbles, doesn't mean it's not fermenting. Fermentation could be slow, or it could be so quick that it's done bubbling while you were not looking. A leaky seal may let co2 escape from a bucket without bubbling.

The only way to really know is to take daily gravity readings. If that number goes down, fermentation is (still) going.

If your batch is not fermenting, there may be a problem with the yeast. You may have pitched too hot (45C sounds a bit on the hot side to me, but check the manufacturer's recommendations) or the yeast could have been very old, or it could have been damaged in transport. In these cases, you'll need to get new yeast.

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  • Thank for your advice!
    – Andrey
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 21:41
  • I’d agree about 45C sounds hot for rehydration but when checking product sheet it claims 40C is the recommended temperature.
    – Martin
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 22:25
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Don't bother rehydrating, just pitch the yeast directly onto the wort or must, the yeast handle this fine. If you rehyrdated them above 40C then there is a good chance you heat stressed the yeast.

Disregard all information you have heard on having to rehydrate yeast. I attended a seminar from Safale early last year where they presented the results of a serise of experiments on rehydration vs direct pitching. The difference was nothing of statistical significance. So, make the sugary water and add yeast.

I have been direct pitching with dried yeast for close to 20 years now and never had an issue.

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