1st Wine Experiment - FG too high

[Aristotelian]

I did a 1G blueberry wine experiment with 3 lb blueberries, about 600g sugar, and Montrachet wine yeast. I had read that I should not keep it on the blueberries for too long, so I racked to secondary after about 4 days, then topped up with additional water and about 300g sugar. Fermentation started again.

Having some confidence from my beer brewing experience, I got kind of cocky and did not bother taking any gravity samples.

After well over a month in secondary, I just bottled today, adding 1/16 tsp k-meta. Tasting the leftover amount that didn't make it into a bottle, it tasted sweeter than I expected (although not bad). Decided to take a gravity a sample, and sure enough it is 1.012.

Since I added the k-meta, am I correct in assuming there is not risk of bottle bombs?

In the future, any ideas what I could have done wrong?

 

[Yooper]

K-meta is an antioxidant, and won't inhibit the yeast. Without gravity readings, it's hard to say if your ABV is so high it overpowered the yeast, or if it stuck at 1.012. If it's at 16%+, it may be that it's just done. If it's not, it might be stuck and could easily restart and blow up the bottles.

Since you used a total of 3 pounds blueberries, and 900 grams of sugar, and montrachet yeast, my best guess is that you are at 12% or so, and not at montrachet's ABV limit. But.........montrachet can peter out at 13-14%, so you could be there. It's hard to guess.

I'd put the bottles someplace safe, and cool, just in case.

 

[Aristotelian]

Thank you, Yooper. Yes, the bottles are in a bucket. I would be surprised if it is still active. It was at least a month in secondary and I think closer to two. No visible airlock activity in at least a couple of weeks. When I tasted the sample there was no carbonation. I have a small sample left over in a mason jar that I can also check for carbonation in a week or two.

It's possible I used more sugar than that. That is probably what happened. My attitude at the time was that it was purely experimental so I did not take any gravity readings or good notes. Of course, now that it is in bottles I am invested in it and hope it turns out!

Good to know about the k-meta.

 

[devilsbeltbrewing]

Typically with any meta you want to know how much ppm your adding. some of the meta will get absorbed into the wine and some will be left as free so2. 1/16th will prob be enough for now but over time your free so2 will dissipate. so as long as they are not aging for more then a few months, the yeast will still be inhibited. Also i agree with yooper that it could very well be done. since you dont know the starting gravity its hard to know the FG results. Through my expirences blueberry wines are always better with a little residual sweetness. I would always recomened taking starting gravity for any wines. If you have too many brix then you will never get a nice and dry wine or get your gravity down where you want it. you can always water down your must to adjust your gravity. there are calculators online you can use but you have too add a min of 4g of tartaric acid per liter of water added. but easiest thing for you to apply next time would simply just add the 600g of sugar in small doses and mix in must and keep taking gravity readings untill you are where you want to be. Hope everything works out!!!!!

 

[Aristotelian]

Thanks, devilsbelt. Just to update, I kept a sample in a mason jar after bottling. It has been 3+ days, just opened it and there was no sign of carbonation, so I think it is just done. However, it does not seem especially high alcohol. Is there any reason for wine finishing high other than alcohol level? Is it possible that I racked to secondary too early?

Aside from the sweetness, the sample tastes good, no off flavors. Definitely drinkable as a dessert wine, and I also think it could be good blended with a sour beer.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks, devilsbelt. Just to update, I kept a sample in a mason jar after bottling. It has been 3+ days, just opened it and there was no sign of carbonation, so I think it is just done. However, it does not seem especially high alcohol. Is there any reason for wine finishing high other than alcohol level? Is it possible that I racked to secondary too early?

Aside from the sweetness, the sample tastes good, no off flavors. Definitely drinkable as a dessert wine, and I also think it could be good blended with a sour beer.

No, you didn't rack too early as it's really impossible to do that. The yeast doing the job are in suspension, and they are not on the bottom of the vessel. In fact, often the act of racking will degas the wine and invigorate the yeast (since c02 is poisonous to yeast).

Without a vinometer, or an accurate OG reading, it's hard to say what the ABV is of this wine. But with the amount of fermentables you added (blueberries and sugar), it's probably at least 12%. It's good that it doesn't' taste "hot"- but sweet wines hide alcohol very well especially in young wines.

 

[Aristotelian]

So it turns out these were in fact bottle bombs. Fortunately I aged them inside a kitty litter bucket to be safe. I decided to add one to a cider I am currently making and lo and behold one of them had pushed the cork out. Opened another to add to the cider and it was a gusher. I now have them sealed with airlocks as they are offgassing the rest of the carbonation. Is it possible that Montrachet could take over a month to ferment out at room temp?

Is it worth recorking or should I just drink them now? They have been aging a couple of months now. The good news is, they won't be overly sweet any more!