Need advice, stopped fermentation too early

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ron,ar

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Back in July I made a 1 gallon batch of cran/grape wine using a recipe someone gave me.
Now, I don't make much wine, and usually use either kits or raw juice from the lhbs.
I know this recipe will rankle some but it was something to do in a volume I could handle fairly easy.
here is recipe:
2 quart bottle welches grape juice from concentrate
1 quart bottle cranapple juice form concentrate
sugar dissolved in juice and water to 1.095
1 pk yeast
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp peptic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
added all except yeast, covered for 12 hrs
added yeast, fitted air lock
I racked this after 30 days and then every 60 days.
It quit bubbling right before Christmas.
I decided it had quit fermentation but couldn't find my hydrometer. I added a crushed campden tablet and 1/2 teaspoon of potassium sorbate. About an hour later I found my hydrometer :( I checked the gravity and it is only at 1.030.
Do I have any options here besides waiting 10 days and bottling anyway? Thanks,
Ron
 
Well, if it still had active yeast they will continue to ferment the sugar. Big misnomer about being able to stop a ferment with campden plus sorbate. I would leave it for another month, check SG at that time and if it has not moved then rack and bottle it. You could always balance that sweetness with pure grain, plus it will bump up the alcohol.

Out of curiosity, what yeast was used?
 
It was RED STAR MONTRACHET YEAST, actually that the only yeast I have ever used for red wine. I really don't know why, when I make beer I may have several options and look hard at each one, but with wine I always just use the red star.
As far as it being a big misnomer about stopping fermentation, I was following Jack Kellers procedure as outlined here. His site was what started me into wine making several years ago,he seems knowledgable enough.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/finishin.asp
 
ron said:
It was RED STAR MONTRACHET YEAST, actually that the only yeast I have ever used for red wine. I really don't know why, when I make beer I may have several options and look hard at each one, but with wine I always just use the red star.
As far as it being a big misnomer about stopping fermentation, I was following Jack Kellers procedure as outlined here. His site was what started me into wine making several years ago,he seems knowledgable enough.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/finishin.asp

Looks like you yielded 3 quarts of wine and added 2 tsp of acid blend. Between the crabapple, the acid blend, and the alcohol generated during fermentation, the yeast stalled out.

If you make it again, add only 1/2 tsp of acid blend and add more after fermentation by taste.

If you add some yeast nutrient, make a healthy yeast starter, you might be able to get this going again. The sorbate might prevent it though, there are ways to counter it, maybe Sara can chime in.
 
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