Whats the final step

If im making strawberry wine, and its fermented dry, whats the next steps, what do you add to make it not cloudy and then what do you add to stabalize and sweeten it. Im learning as i go. And my apfelwein is starting too ferment. Yea

 

Time is the best way to get it to clear. Let it sit until all the yeast drop out of suspension and then rack it in to a sanitized carboy. As to stabilizing I prefer to pasteurize because I don't like chemicals but if you don't mind chemicals potassium sorbet is what you will need to add to stabilize. DO NOT ADD IT UNTIL THE WINE CLEARS AND YOU HAVE RACKED THE WINE OFF THE LEES. Potassium sorbet does not kill yeast only inhibits it from reproducing so you want a minimal yeast population when you use it. also you said nothing about back sweetening. if you are not back sweetening then you do not need to add a stabilizer or pasteurize.

 

i am backsweetining, im fermenting till dry then sweetining, so you wait till clear, can you add something to clear it

 

other than degassing, time is the key to getting it to clear, read my signature. wine making is all about time. If it doesn't clear after some time you can always add gelatin to clear it.

 

how do you degass, what do you add to kill the yeast?

 

Basically the only way to kill the yeast (at least for the home brewer) is to pasteurize. As far as degassing you can use a vacuum pump, a degassing whip, or give it time. I just let the co2 work it self out over time so I am not the best one to ask.

 

I use a vaccuvin wine saver shoved in the top of an air lock to degass, it takes a week or two before it stops losing pressure. But is still faster than just waiting.

 

sorbet: slushy fruit/ice dessert
sorbate: salt of sorbic acid used as a preservative

 

You can add potassium sorbate and campden to stabilize. Wait a week then backsweeten with sugar water. Wait another few weeks to see if it re-ferments before bottling.

Or you can buy a pre-made additive called Wine Conditioner that has everything in it. It does everything for you (except the wait!).

 

yea but if i stabilize it and bottle it without letting it clear, then it will be a cloudy wine, im sure it will taste ok but not as good as if i let it clear, just was wondering how to speed it up

 

You can always use sparkloid on it which should help a bit or you could just wait and let gravity do its thing