About those bubbles...(stuck fermentation?)

[maddprofessor]

Do no bubbles mean no fermentation?

I am a newbe brewer and right now have the ever popular balloon for an airlock and no hydrometer (yet). I am making a blackberry wine for which I used a recipe from Jack Keller's site. I used this recipe:

BLACKBERRY WINE (4) [Light Bodied Sweet]

* 3 lb blackberries
* 2-3/4 lb. granulated sugar
* 7 pts water
* wine yeast and nutrient (I used Montrachet Red as recommended by LHBS)

For the first month it had a nice stream of bubbles but then it slowed down and I racked it (ok, not technically in that recipe but was in other recipes). Then all bubbles stopped. A week later still no bubbles rising up. I tasted it and it's still sweeter than I want and I didn't taste much alcohol at all. I pitched more re-hydrated yeast and nothing, then made a starter with part of my partially fermented juice and pitched it and still no bubbles. I have some Welch's wine that had the same problem but after adding the starter it perked right back up. I've read enough on here to know that people say airlock bubbles aren't a reliable way to know how the fermentation is going but if I see no bubbles rising is any fermentation happening? Do I need to pitch a different yeast?

 

[Bentpirate]

No repitching needed, relax, it it more time. While you are waiting, pick up a hydrometer. It will enable you to remove all doubt. Check out Revvy's thread links for 'stuck fermentation' there is tons of information there.... no air lock movement does not mean fermentation is complete.

 

[maddprofessor]

ok, thanks. I'll try to get a hydrometer soon but for now I'll let it camp out and apparently do it's thing quietly.

 

[Bentpirate]

ok, thanks. I'll try to get a hydrometer soon but for now I'll let it camp out and apparently do it's thing quietly.

As a guide; I let my wine primary for a week, secondary for at least 4 weeks, and most of the time rack for a 3rd for another month or 2.