Is a stuck fermentation safe to drink?

[Offthedome]

Hi all! First or second post! My fermentation got stuck, and I tried to unstick it. It went from SG 1.050 to 1.030 after over a month. It started at whatever I needed to get to 12% alcohol, with nutrients. I was really excited to drink it! It's a guava juice brew (no preservatives). The thing is, while it was unsticking, it actually sucked in some of the vodka that was in the airlock, which then resulted in just enough vodka from the airlock to evaporate for it to be exposed to air. I used one of those three-piece airlocks.

 

[Seamonkey84]

As long as it’s not moldy your safe to drink. If it turned to vinegar, it’s still safe to use. It’s just not safe to bottle a stuck ferment until several months have passed, it’s fully cleared, and possibly sulfite and sorbate added. You don’t want.

 

[RPh_Guy]

You don’t want.

...explosions.

 

[eebowler]

Assume it is still fine and keep watching, smelling and tasting. Use you as the guinea pig when ready to start drinking and sharing. Usually, when fermentation is done, the wine starts clearing so, until then, assume it is just slow.

 

[ShadesManna]

... I used one of those three-piece airlocks.

I stopped using that kind of airlock, for similar reasons. Constantly having to check on its liquid level, leakage, and other problems made me gather them all up, and toss them into the garbage. Now, I will only use the one-piece, S-curve ones (they look like the plumbing under a sink). Never had a problem with those.

 

[Offthedome]

I still have those S-curve ones, but for me they have had a habit of letting air in between the rubber stopper and the seam between the two halves. I might go back to them. In the mean time, I tasted the guava wine, uncleared, and it tastes good. I'll be drinking it now.

 

[ShadesManna]

I still have those S-curve ones, but for me they have had a habit of letting air in between the rubber stopper and the seam between the two halves.

To help prevent this, I use a small file to smooth out that ridge. Not deep enough to go all the way through the plastic, but enough so that the surface is more even on he outside. Where I get them from, they're $1 each, so if I accidentally mess one up, it's not that big of a deal. It's much more disappointing having to pour a batch of wine literally down the drain. Oof. Fortunately, this has only happened once so far.

 

[Seamonkey84]

...explosions.

Right, don’t know why that got trailed off lol