Lemon Wine Help

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Trapper1196

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Ok, so I started a batch of Lemon wine on 1-27-13(20 days ago).

2 liters fresh lemon juice
8 pounds sugar
4 1/2 gallons filtered water
1 packet dry white wine yeast( I used Lalvin 71B-1122)
2 1/2 teaspoon potassuim sorbate
4-8 ounces sugar syrup for back sweetening

The recipe called for 1-2 weeks to ferment at 65 degrees, and then rack and allow to settle. problem is its gone almost three weeks now at 63-64 degrees and is still fermenting, just not very fast SG is roughly 1.030 right now. I never got a proper OG reading(first time brewing) when I started. So I dont know if I have a slow fermentation or what. Should I pitch more yeast? I need help lol!!
 
Ok, so I started a batch of Lemon wine on 1-27-13(20 days ago).

2 liters fresh lemon juice
8 pounds sugar
4 1/2 gallons filtered water
1 packet dry white wine yeast( I used Lalvin 71B-1122)
2 1/2 teaspoon potassuim sorbate
4-8 ounces sugar syrup for back sweetening

The recipe called for 1-2 weeks to ferment at 65 degrees, and then rack and allow to settle. problem is its gone almost three weeks now at 63-64 degrees and is still fermenting, just not very fast SG is roughly 1.030 right now. I never got a proper OG reading(first time brewing) when I started. So I dont know if I have a slow fermentation or what. Should I pitch more yeast? I need help lol!!

A ruff estamet of starting sg would be 1.080. Thats fine. I.030 now meens that at least it is working! No more yeast is needed. 1122 yeast needs to be fed nutriants, and is a slower fermenter then many yeast. I did not see any nutrians listed in your recipie. Add either nutrients or energizer, at this point maybe half of the recamended dose. The yeast is half done already, so it only gets half the nutrients.
Is it in an open bucket with a towl over it or under airlock?


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Yes, in the future try to use nutrient and energizer in wines like this. Also, I've read that it is not always advisable to add nutrient after the half way dry point. something about if the yeast cant use it all before the dry point, the nutrient will stay in your wine and leave a bad flavour.

maybe next time try this recipe - www.skeeterpee.com
 
I did end up adding some nutrients, about a teaspoon and a half(directions called for 1 teaspoon per gallon, Im doing a 5 gallon batch). Original recipe called for rehydration nutrient.Since I didnt know what that was I skipped it, guess I should of done more research first. I put the carboy in a warmer room, air lock seems to have picked up a lil. The stick on thermometer is reading in the 68 and 70 degree range now.
 
I originally wanted to start with hard cider, but when I seen the lemon wine recipe in my Everything Hard Cider Book I decided to try it. I did look at the Skeeter pee recipe, I decided to use the one in my book since it seemed simpler and it was my first try at brewing. Guess I was wrong after reading a lot that says lemon wines can be dificult.
 
so I checked again and it was at 1.020. I also tasted it and Im kinda likeing where its at right now. Could I cold crash and re rack it and add potassium k to stop the fermentation/stabilize it??
 
so I checked again and it was at 1.020. I also tasted it and Im kinda likeing where its at right now. Could I cold crash and re rack it and add potassium k to stop the fermentation/stabilize it??

Did you use fresh lemon juice? concentrate?

I've got three grocery bags of lemons in my garage going soft because we can't use all my tree produced. This seems like a great idea to try. Hate to see them go to waste.
 
I made a batch using half fresh squeezed lemons and half concentrate. turned out just like all concentrate does.
 
Yes, I used fresh lemon juice. Think Im going try another batch since Im buying six bags of organic lemons to zest for lemon chello. Gotta do something with all those lemons after I zest them lol
 
Stopping a ferment will not work. Just let it finish, clear, then stabalize and backsweeten. Much safer this way!! If you are planning on drinking it all and not bottlening any you could coldcrash and keep it cold untill you drink it.


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