welches grape juice wine problem

I just racked my third attempt of grape juice wine into a clean carboy. Pretty good lees in the carboy and it has been in there over a month ( primary) This is the third time in a row that fermentation seems to have stopped right at 1.030 with these wines. It tastes GREAT but with an OG of 1.080-1.090 that is not much of an ABV %. I am using red star champagne yeast, and the temps are good...as a matter of fact this is setting right next to a couple of other wines that are dry as a bone.

Are you using a Yeast nutrient? That couldn't hurt if your not. Cheap and easy way (in a bind or not) to make a yeast nutrient is to take a cup of water and a handful or 2 of raisins, bring the water to a boil for a while (10-15 mins) and pour the liquid (should be half a cup or so) into the juice (prior to the yeast) and leave it be to ferment. Hope that helps.

Maybe add some EC-1118 wine yeast? It's notorious for helping to start stuck fermentations....

It's too late now, but next time don't rack until you're at 1.010. That will help your attenuation.

You can try some yeast nutrient as mentioned, and also pitching the EC-1118 as also mentioned. That should help. Give the fermenter a jostle, too, to encourage it.

Yooper_Brew said:

It's too late now, but next time don't rack until you're at 1.010. That will help your attenuation.

You can try some yeast nutrient as mentioned, and also pitching the EC-1118 as also mentioned. That should help. Give the fermenter a jostle, too, to encourage it.

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been in primary over a month. To be honest I wanted the slurry for some sketer pee and assumed it would be WAY lower that that due to the time frame and airlock activity ( none) Funny thing is I used the slurry for the skeeter pee and it took right off immediately it seems. I am hoping that the stirring up from racking it might get it going again. I will add some nutrient tomorrow.... no place close for the other yeast.

I was recently told by a very knowledgable person that you should not add nutrient late in the fermentation. At that stage, the yeast can't do much with it, and what they can do with it creates negativity.

Did you degass this often during the first few days of fermentation?

AZ_IPA said:

Maybe add some EC-1118 wine yeast? It's notorious for helping to start stuck fermentations....

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I think Red Star P. Cuvee and EC-1118 is the same strain.

Is Red Star "Champagne Yeast" as mentioned in OP the same thing as P. Cuvee?

Cuvee means sparkling wine, so I assume they are the same.

Guys I have added nutrient.. warmed it up...shaken it up.. still at 1.030. HOWEVER it is starting to taste REALLY good so I may stabilize and bottle it as is. I could pitch more yeast but as I said, the slurry from this was used in a skeeter pee and it took right off . However I havent cheked the gravity on it yet... hmmmm wonder where it is at?

Fletch78 said:

I was recently told by a very knowledgable person that you should not add nutrient late in the fermentation. At that stage, the yeast can't do much with it, and what they can do with it creates negativity.

Did you degass this often during the first few days of fermentation?

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into the fermentation, you don't add yeast nutrient; you add yeast energizer

thanks lumpher.. I see in your sig you make hard lemonade.. if you want to try something REALLY good, add two fifths of smirnoffs blueberry vodka to 6 gallons of hard lemonade at bottling.. it is AWESOME!!!

checked the gravity on the skeeter pee. it is at 1.000 ......same yeast slurry...wonder why. Oh yeah setting in th exact same spot the grape juice wine was setting.

I think I figured out the issue.. i MUST have messed up the OG reading and this stuff is just so high in ABV it has killed the yeast. I have tried everything but repitching and NOTHING. I drank a glass of this tonight and it is sweet as can be but one glass was PLENTY to give me a nice mellow wine buzz.