need fruit wine help ASAP....done fermenting, but still cloudy

so, I have a batch of strawberry wine thatis done fermenting (the vodka in the airlock hasnt bubbled all day, i think thats done right?).

Its still a bit cloudy, and theres still strawberry seeds in it. should I strain it through a cheesecloth? I plan on aging 6months in the bottle before opening. will it clear in time? HELP! lol. I have it out and covered right now, need to do something quick.

thanks as always! you guys rock!

The best thing to do is to wait until it's clear, then rack it into a new carboy and let it settle a bit. If you try to strain it, you'll aerate it and ruin the wine.

If you bottle it now, a couple of things might happen. The corks might pop off, or the bottles might explode, and all of the "cloudiness" in the wine will end up falling out in the bottle.

If you use a hydrometer, it can help you to know if it's done fermenting. The airlock isn't really an indicator, but most wine will be done fermenting by the time it's totally clear.

Waiting is hard, but it's crucial for wine.

how will the hydrometer readings tell me when fermentation is done.

maybe you should try your hand a beer for a while. when you make beer the turn around time from start to finish is very quick. whereas wine moves at a snails pace. And as far as hydrometers go when you get the same reading on it everyday for 5-7 days its done fermenting

mikesalvo said:

how will the hydrometer readings tell me when fermentation is done.

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Depending on the starting readings (or a guess, if you didn't take any) and the final readings, you can know when it's done. For example, if you take a reading now and it's 1.020, it's not done. But if the reading is .990, it's done. Without a hydrometer, you can sort of guess when it's done. When it's been clear for a month, and not dropping any more sediment, you can say it's probably done.

If it's not clear, and it's still dropping sediment, it's definitely not done.

pulpfiction32 said:

maybe you should try your hand a beer for a while. when you make beer the turn around time from start to finish is very quick. whereas wine moves at a snails pace. And as far as hydrometers go when you get the same reading on it everyday for 5-7 days its done fermenting

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nah, im cool on the wine for now. i started a couple batches a few weeks ago, and wasnt expecting anything drinkable for 6-8 months. Its all good. I know wine is slow. I just wanna do it right

thanks for your input gys. Im just paranoid about messing up my batches. Fruit wine is pricey to make considering the yield....

Have you tried adding gelatin or sparkaloid? They are finings that will help to clear your wine by helping sedient to drop out. Also, did you add pectic enzyme? Strawberry is very hign in pectin I believe, and without an enzyme to break it down you could be making a "hard preserve".

crash cooling always works well for me .. except for my Perry (which was because the fruit wasnt ripe enough when I made it i think). Although I do my wines in 1 gallon jugs so I can do something different to each for variety

+2 on McSwiggin's Pectic Enzyme theory. Strawberries have pectin, which contributes to a haze.