Too sweet wine - Page 2

**Yooper** · 01-20-2009, 11:12 PM

Also, here is my favorite winemaking site: winemaking: The Basic Steps

That's a link to the basic steps page, but if you do down on the page, it has links to more detail instructions on each step.

I'm not sure what advice to give you now, until I figure out what the current ABV is and how much sugar you already have in there. That's why I needed to have you recheck the SG readings- those don't make any sense. Maybe they are backwards, but I don't know.

will_cbe · 01-21-2009, 11:56 AM

I know I'm asking for trouble, but...
How much water did you add Saturday 1/17? How much sugar did you add to that water? Is that SG reading from before or after you added the sugar water?

Tusch · 01-21-2009, 04:48 PM

Why are you asking for trouble?

**nebben** · 01-26-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhino

Started this batch on 09/27/08.

Recipe:

30 lbs. muscadines
15 quarts of water
10 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
5 yeast nutrient tablets, crushed
5 Campden Tablets, rushed
1 pkg. champagne yeast

The very first SG: 1.021
Last SG (taken on 1/17/09) 1.110

....

At which point was the sugar added? I believe you have added your sugar at the wrong time, or got your measurements backwards on your gravity readings. Either way, that yeast should be able to handle that much sugar given some time.

bobski911 · 11-12-2009, 03:28 AM

Hey guys, I have a similar problem, can anyone please help

I had started three batches of fresh California grape juice wine. I was unable to check the S.G. when I started, as I had not in the past when I made it and it turned out fine. However, this time I decided to add Campden tablets when transferring to carboy and I guess I did so too early.
The other thing I did different this time was I fermented the juice in the primary with a lid and air lock on. Fermentation started, did its thing and slowed down after 8 days. I then transferred it into a carboy with 5 campden tablets.
I had just racked my wine today and gave it a taste and its too sweet. I went out and got an Hydrometer and its at 1.004. Don't know if that will help now.

Do you think there is anything I can do? Can I put it back in the primary and add some yeast. Would I need to add nutrient or anything else. Do I need to add something to lower the SO2?

Any help will be great.

**nebben** · 11-18-2009, 03:02 PM

You can try a packet of L1118 to finish off that .004 ... I'm not sure how well it would work since there is a bit of sulfur still in the wine and alcohol too. It's pretty strong yeast though, and I believe it would have as good of a chance of lowering that sugar as anything.

rsmith179 · 11-18-2009, 10:30 PM

Do you have a hydrometer? If so, just take readings for the next 3-4 days. If there's no change in the gravity reading, go ahead and repitch. Pasteur yeast works well and should help dry it out. Just be nice to your yeast and make a starter first. You can just take a bit of your wine out of the carboy and pitch the yeast in there to get it started before putting all the yeast in your batch. This will just ensure that the yeast have a jump-start to help fermenting this to dry.