MellowToad
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- Feb 15, 2008
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Hi folks,
I primary brew all-grain beers but decided to give a sugar wine (hooch?) a try at the request of a few friends. Per the instructions of my local brew shop, I purchased 5 pounds of white cane sugar, a pack of Lavlin EC-1118 Champagne Yeast, extra yeast nutrient and a gallon of spring water.
I took the stuff home and poured about 3/4 of the water in my brew pot and poured 4 pounds of sugar in and boiled for about 20 minutes. The sugar was completely dissolved. I rehydrated 3/4 of the yeast as I cooled the 'must' using my immersion cooler down to about 75 degrees. After cooling I mixed my yeast and nutrient in. I then poured back into the water jug. I had drilled a small hole for my airlock in the lid and capped it. The measurement on my hydrometer read a potential alcohol of 17%, 1% less than the 18% the yeast is capable of.
About 24 hours into it I had good fermentation going on, it kept going for three days then slowed. Then stopped. Checked my hydrometer and it now reads 14%, only a four percent decrease. That was four days ago. I still get the same reading.
Any ideas why it stopped? Can I restart it? I've kept it at a steady 74 throughout the process in a dark cabinet. Any help would be appreciated.
I primary brew all-grain beers but decided to give a sugar wine (hooch?) a try at the request of a few friends. Per the instructions of my local brew shop, I purchased 5 pounds of white cane sugar, a pack of Lavlin EC-1118 Champagne Yeast, extra yeast nutrient and a gallon of spring water.
I took the stuff home and poured about 3/4 of the water in my brew pot and poured 4 pounds of sugar in and boiled for about 20 minutes. The sugar was completely dissolved. I rehydrated 3/4 of the yeast as I cooled the 'must' using my immersion cooler down to about 75 degrees. After cooling I mixed my yeast and nutrient in. I then poured back into the water jug. I had drilled a small hole for my airlock in the lid and capped it. The measurement on my hydrometer read a potential alcohol of 17%, 1% less than the 18% the yeast is capable of.
About 24 hours into it I had good fermentation going on, it kept going for three days then slowed. Then stopped. Checked my hydrometer and it now reads 14%, only a four percent decrease. That was four days ago. I still get the same reading.
Any ideas why it stopped? Can I restart it? I've kept it at a steady 74 throughout the process in a dark cabinet. Any help would be appreciated.