StillSmart

Ph or brew heat may be the reason for a slow ferment.
some things are worth waiting for.
I suggested once to my grand mother that she should make a hole each end and suck.

Robert.

Hi, i have tried to do this Kale wash, looks like i may of failed ;
Started around 10thMarch. Followed recipie exactly. Tub in my kitchen, daytime temps around 20, nightime a bit cooler so i put a jacket round it. Its still going very slowly, bubble once a minute. I didn't check starting gravity (i'm used to making wine and have no probs doing that), a fornight ago a sprinkled in a bit more Allinsons yeast, and crumpled a small amount of frozen Kale in to try help it along, and a week prior to that i dropped my heater element in. Its still bubbling slowly and gravity now is 1020 or a little lower, still tastes sweet. Do i let it sit more or just dispose of it and start again ?
Thanks,
Mike.

If you don't need the FV or the space that it occupies, then I would leave it.
Start another, of any flavour, to keep yourself going.

Robert.

I was in a similar spot not so long ago and was advised to sprinkle a teaspoon of bicarb in and give it a thrashing with a baloon whisk, worked wonders.

That can work too.

Robert.

Maker wrote:I was in a similar spot not so long ago and was advised to sprinkle a teaspoon of bicarb in and give it a thrashing with a baloon whisk, worked wonders.

Big fan of thrashing things with a balloon whisk.

I usually aerate my washes with aquarium stones before adding yeast.
I don't like thrashing.

Credit to the person that can place this;

" On the Isle of Man there are no louts,
They're all in the dungeons, dishing it out.
Old men, tough but tender.
With a bunch of twigs and a young offender."

Robert.

Shoot me, I googled it.
I read quite a few of his poems just now, quite fun, twisted but fun.
And he looks like Ronnie Wood.

No, it is John Cooper-Clarke.
1978, "Ou est la maison de fromage" album.
You are the weakest link.

Robert.

Thought i'd update on this. I want to try fathom out where i went wrong. Here's where we are now: I went away for the bank hols weekend ,before i went it was looking like this, and still fermenting (bubbles coming though airlock)..........



I've racked it off tonight, and its looking like this:




I'm asking can i just make sure this is degassed properly and run it through , or do i need to make it clear first ?

Now to try fathom out where i went wrong as its taken 8 weeks or more for this wash. Instructions say (roughly) 24 degrees for a fortnight ferment, 20 degrees for a three week ferment. I knew i might not quite make 20 degrees without my heater and insulation on the FV, so i expected a bit longer. I was concious of the instruction to not let the temp fall so i pitched low, 20 degrees. With hindsight i should of pitched higher and used an insulation jacket i think. Around the time i started this we also had the "beast from the east" so that didn't help. Over this same time period i've had no problem making lots of wine, difference (to me anyway) is the wine takes an extra few days without heater, as opposed to quite a few extra weeks with my wash. Ok based on experience of one wash. I've only ever done SS turbo washes before.

On the plus side its a very cheap wash to make, and from tasting it its not unpleasant at all, its like a non descript dry wine. I've got my lentils for my next wash, i'm not put off using the Kale recipie i just want to try something different.

My next wash i will pitch at a higher temp i think, and also use a bit less sugar. I don't mind losing a bit of volume if it makes it quicker. 3 weeks would be fine for me, but 8 weeks is just too long and i don't have space to sore that many FV's to keep me going like that. Any feedback appreciated, cheers.

I think you have answered your own question. Temperature is important. Really important.
Get it right. Keep it right. I get the feeling you did this outside somewhere. That does make life harder, because of the greater daily variation. Try indoors or insulated.

You are bang on.. It should be a nondescript wine.

Every day is a school day always learning.

Wow this thread has gone big! Lol. seems to be lots of different ferment time issues. Must be yeast differences in countries. Mine still ferment out in around a week when above 20 odd degrees and around 13 days under them temps.we had a few weeks of minus temps every night last winter and still fermented out. I've always liked long slow ferments, ran one today that had sat 6 weeks after ferment, was nice and clear and made a great product.

Hi Guys, just a quick question I have my first Kale fermenting and It’s been happily just bubbling away for the last 7 days but just starting to slow down. It’s 5kg sugar in 25ltrs, started at 1.075sg and is now on 1.010sg and at 26deg. It’s only my 2nd ever wash having done a TPW the other week and was very happy with the end result of that but you read and have to try new things. What I was wondering was should I be giving it a stir/mix every now and then or just let it be like I have been.
Cheers
Goog

Just leave it be matey....it'll finish in its own time..this kale wash is a winner put together (as far as I know) by one of your countrymen Googe.

I've always have a success with it..never failed me yet..