first peach wine

First off...I'm brand new to HBT...I'm looking forward to get'n to know y'all!

I have, in the secondary, my first peach wine. i went with the Vintners Harvest base. i followed the 3 gal recipe (pretty much).

3.5 gals (added 1/2 gal for racking loses)
96oz can V/H peach base
10lbs sugar
2 tsp acid blend
3 tsp nutrients
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 pk 71B

didn't use campden tabs...personal preference !
I started batch with 8lbs sugar to start.
3/10. OG 1.090
3/12. SG. 1.069. added remaining sugar
1.095
3/14. SG 1.052 removed bag o fruit
3/19. racked into 3 gal carboy and 1/2 gal jug ( tilted bucket )

As of today its SLOWLY chug'n along. no recent reading. just let'n it do its thang!!!

This is my first batch above 1 gal. i noticed my primary fermentation didn't go balls out. like my 1 gal batches did. is this because if quantity?

rj_picou said:

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As of today its SLOWLY chug'n along. no recent reading. just let'n it do its thang!!!

This is my first batch above 1 gal. i noticed my primary fermentation didn't go balls out. like my 1 gal batches did. is this because if quantity?

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How about the temperature? That can make a big difference to yeast activity.

PatrickSweetman said:

How about the temperature? That can make a big difference to yeast activity.

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Great point...it is cooler...i averaged 70°-72° last summer...its around 67°-68° now...didn't even consider the temp difference...BIG difference!!!
DUH!!!!

Thanks

Its been 18 days...still at 1.045...should i rack it and pitch another pk of yeast

Has it been steady at 1.045 for a while? Or did you just check it and it is at 1.045? Sounds like you racked a little soon to begin with. You may add another tsp of yeast nutrient and whip it up a bit and let it ride. If after that and in another 4-5 days if it is still at 1.045 then I would not rack but make a nice starter of more 71b. Just acclimate the starter to the wine by incrementally adding more and more of the wine to the starter for a few hours.

10 lbs of sugar in 3.5 gallons plus fruit seems like a lot of sugar. Are you sure the o.g. reading was correct? I have used 10 pounds of sugar in 5 gallon recipes and the of is well over 1.100.

Jarret said:

10 lbs of sugar in 3.5 gallons plus fruit seems like a lot of sugar. Are you sure the o.g. reading was correct? I have used 10 pounds of sugar in 5 gallon recipes and the of is well over 1.100.

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I'll be honest...i think i added sugar to soon...it wasn't broke down enough plus I've recently discovered my formula for ratio of sugar was way off...i know it should have had a higher OG...all the sugar wasn't dissolved...as of yesterday it was at 1.045...ill give it a couple more days then take another reading...im still getting bubbles in the airlock...about 1 every min...i think i may have induced a sugar coma

Stalled....added nutrients, 2 days later, nothing. made a starter by re-hydrating a pk of 71B then added it to 1/2 qt jar of must...let sit for 12 hrs then pitched. Its doing well...1 bubble every 4 or 5 secs. If my last reading of 1.045 was accurate, then at this pace, it'll run out of sugar within the next week ...SHOULD

I've been making peach wine for years and s.g. typically ends at around 1.010-1.015 which, for my taste, bolsters the fruitiness as compared with a dry finish. If your reading stops higher than that, no worries because you'll have a dessert wine to be proud of.

Stopped at .015...stabilized it today when i racked it. Its quite WARM! Though i prefer .010 i'll drink it! If my sypher'n is right, it is 15% abv +/-