First time wine from juice bucket

Jrm1443 · Mar 9, 2015

So I looked today and there are actually tiny bubbles rising to the air lock. The bubbles are very small almost like champagne bubbles but they are coming up pretty steadily. Maybe that's why the yeast is known as champagne yeast? At this rate it may be a while until all the sugar is fermented, but it is working. Yea!!

Jrm1443 · Mar 28, 2015

So that was 18 days ago and the little bubbles continue to rise to the neck of the carboy. Do I just let it continue until it stops by itself? I'm not in any hurry I just didn't want to miss a step. Maybe I should check the gravity or stir the bubbles out and stabilize?

mgonbrewlab · Mar 28, 2015

Check the gravity if you want, but it is probably still fermenting and trying to stabalize will just stress your yeast.

I had a big batch of peach wine that took FOREVER to ferment dry compared to the other wines I had going.

Grape wine may be different, but the only thing I use to degas my wine is Campden tablets as Yooper suggested + time.

Jrm1443 · Mar 29, 2015

I figured as much. It just is a very slow ferment with tiny bubbles rising up to the next of the carboy. So when that finally stops it should be done? Then do I stabalize? Thanks.

jensmith · Mar 30, 2015

Hands off untill all the bubbles are gone and there is a layer of sedament on the bottom. It could be a month or more. So.... Hurry up and wait some more!!

Sent from my iPod touch using Home Brew

Jrm1443 · Mar 30, 2015

OK, that's pretty easy to do. I will wait for the bubbles to stop (or 2 months) and then ask for help on what to do next. At least now its doing something instead of just sitting there with no change in gravity or any bubbles. Thanks for the advice!

Jrm1443 · Apr 4, 2015

Still some bubbles coming up and I noticed that the warmer I keep the room the more bubbles I get. I checked the Gravity and it's now down to .998. Heading in the right direction.

mgonbrewlab · Apr 5, 2015

Just curious... Did you use any yeast nutrient?

Jrm1443 · Apr 7, 2015

No, no yeast nutrients. When I started fermentation it was October and it's possible that my basement got too cold for it to complete. Since I started the new round of yeast, it seems more active when the room is warm and less active when it is cool.

Jrm1443 · Apr 11, 2015

So today I checked and the Gravity was .990 and no bubbles. I added chitosan and keiselsol and degassed. It actually tastes pretty good. I'm going to let it sit a couple weeks and then bottle.