Wine stuck at 1

[dpalme]

SWMBO wanted to try a wine kit, so I bought her one. First step getting wine into Carboy was easy. Second step was also easy reading was 1.010. However she's stuck at 1.00 now and the instructions call for the wine to be st .996 before adding the finning agents.

She did move the carboy before she took the reading so I'm not sure if that's the cause or not.

Suggestions?

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi dpalme - I assume that you are using your hydrometer and not a refractometer. The latter needs to be recalibrated in the presence of alcohol. But check your hydrometer using distilled water. It should read 1.000.
If it does then it is likely the 1.010 is correct. OK but what is the temperature of the wine? Hydrometers are calibrated at specific temps Cannot say what yours is but it is likely to be 60F. Not sure, but I suspect that a higher temp will reduce the gravity and not increase it.

The only other thing I can think of to explain an erroneous reading is that the CO2 in the wine is ensuring that the hydrometer floats higher. Can you see if you can agitate the sample to remove all CO2? How does it read then?
Of course the problem may be a stalled fermentation. What was the starting gravity and what yeast did you use? And what is the pH? A pH below 3 can stall the process.

 

[jgmillr1]

Also, depending on which strain of yeast you are using and the residual level of nutrients in the wine, it may take longer for the last couple percent of sugar to ferment away to dryness.

 

[dpalme]

I'll check the gravity again today and see where it's at