Newbie cooked up and need a help please

[Moe Jay]

I'm just newbie at wine making. And I really cooked up . And I really need help to finalize the decision.

Here is the lengthy version situation , I started my first 2 5gals red grapes juice batches on 29th June.

Batch 1: Redstar premier classique at 1170, 3 ts of tannin + 3 ts of nutrient.

Batch 2: Lalvin c1118 at 1160, 3 ts of tannin + 3 ts of nutrient.

Basically , I missed reading the hydrometer. I actually was shooting 1070. But because I didn't notice that I had exceeded the 1.100.

So I added more and more sugar to reach the 70 in the hydrometer ( no idea that I was over the 1.100 )
I left it for a week then I noticed the mistake on 7th of July.

So what I did, is I decided to delute the juice and split them to become 3 5gals ( one is mixed of the original two, 3rd and 3rd of the juice) and adding more red grape juice to delute them.

By dulting the juice I reached approx of 1.070 Specific Gravity for each.

Originally, the red star yeast did not show activity at the beginning. Therefore, after I added the juice to duliute the must I also added yeast energizer and tannin as well for all the 3 batches.

after I deluted and added the energizer and nutrients; the 3 batches are showing slow bubbling in the airlock. But foam-wise, only the Lalvin's batch has foam.

Now, here what is I'm having trouble with: on 13th of July I checked the Specific gravity and the results as follow:
Red Star (which never foamed neither showed a sign of fermentation at the beginning) is still at 1.070.

The lalvin's batch, on the contrary, (that is bubbling and foaming)yet, has no changes in the hydrometer either, It still on 1.075 and the mixed is still on 1.055!!

And they are all sooooooo tart and taste bitter .:m

Can you help on what I shall do or may be suggest an action to refine the batches please.

Should I add yeast to restart fermentation? Although they are bubbling steadily, a bubble every 30 seconds.

Is it stall?

Should I just leave them this way?

 

[Moe Jay]

To clarify: situation 1 29th June ( 2 5 gals) , specific gravity was at 1.170.

Situation 2 7th July ( after deluting and now are 3 5 gals) :
Red star became 1.070ish
Lalvin became 1.080ish
Mix became 1.060.

Test on 13th July: just dropped half point of the SG.

Today 18th of July: they still on the same readings.


Really no idea what to do as this is my first time evaaaar!

 

[Seamonkey84]

Re pitch more yeast, most likely the high gravity shocked or killed off your first batch.

 

[Bubbles2]

Is your Juice "Just Juice" Or does it have preservatives. I am new to wine, but do recall something along those lines, I am sure someone will chime in on it.

 

[Moe Jay]

Just juice. Apart from the tannin, nutrient and energizer have added nothing but the yeast

 

[Moe Jay]

Hi all of course.

Sea monkey, so you recommend restarting fermentation?

 

[Moe Jay]

Re pitch more yeast, most likely the high gravity shocked or killed off your first batch.

Wow! That is so possible!

But the thing is that I can see bubbles in both lalvin's and red star's, and foam in the lalvin's carboys! Also airlock is having steady bubbles.
Meaning Carbon is being produced!

 

[Seamonkey84]

You most likely have some surviving yeast, but if your not seeing your gravity dropping significantly in the next day or two your best off repitching. The small colony of yeast may be too stressed to reproduce. The faster you get a healthy fermentation underway, the less chance of infection or fusel flavors.

 

[Moe Jay]

I'm so weary of adding more yeast just because don't want the finished product tastes yeasty!
However, now it's been so long (around 3 weeks) and hope it is not spoiled thu!

^ the above was yesterday's comment which I couldn't post because I reached the 5 posts limit

You most likely have some surviving yeast, but if your not seeing your gravity dropping significantly in the next day or two your best off repitching. The small colony of yeast may be too stressed to reproduce. The faster you get a healthy fermentation underway, the less chance of infection or fusel flavors.

I today quickly pitched yeast for each carboy and added them. I will wait and see the results on the hydrometer.
Hope I get a decent finished product for my first batch ever.

I will keep this post updated for the benefit of the readers and who is being in similar situation for learning purposes.


Cheers everyone for your chip ins.

Please if you have any comment write it in the comments below so we all learn from your experiences.

 

[Moe Jay]

By the way, I have been reading about fusel alcholo since you have mentioned it.
I'm just starting to be worried about the batch. So if you have any recommendations to start examining and fixing the batch and to know if the must is already impacted please let me know.


Great appreciations to you

I

 

[Seamonkey84]

I have to mention, I only got into wine/mead making back in April; but being the geek I am, I’ve read everything I can about it. I am currently 7 batches in, not counting the “for sh*ts and giggles” mead I made 6yrs ago.
The yeast will settle out when the brew is done and cleared, and the fusel and off flavors usually age out, just need patience. If you can, Keep your fermentation on the cool side, as heat can also stress the yeasts your using, and cause off aromas and flavors. It’s best to aim for the middle of the yeasts reported temp range, which can be strain specific.
Key thing is, if you don’t like the taste right after it’s stabilized and cleared, give it some time to age, try some every other month or so. Up to you if you want to age in bottles or bulk in carboys.

 

[Moe Jay]

Hi SeaMonkey

Sorry I had trouble replying back yesterday. Thank you for your inputs and great appreciation to you all.

I added a yeast sachet for every 5 gal carboy when you told me ( the day before). I added Lalvin for the ones I used lavlin to, and Redstar for the one I used Redstar to.

The thing is that, now it's been the 3rd day since I added the yeast to the 1 month old stuck batches, the bubble still running at the same pace ( 1 per second). Specific Gravity still no significant drop.

I have already added yesat energizer, tannin and nutrient to the batches when they were 2 weeks old ( and I might added more than enough as I was guessing by the normal dining spoon.... Heeee haaa!!).


I need to mention here that I only hydrated the yeast with water and then I poured it into the carboy.

Any suggestions please?


Moe

 

[bracconiere]

1.170 would be 23% alcohol...no yeast can survive, if you added more grape juice, it will be really sweet.....

 

[Blacksmith1]

What type of water did you hydrate with? spring, distilled, tap?

 

[Moe Jay]

Just tap water.

Thanks for reminding me, the tap water of where I'm based is desalinatized water sourced from the sea.

Would this be an issue?

 

[Blacksmith1]

Only if they add chlorine or chloramine. ( or other chemicals to kill off microscopic critters) These can kill yeast.

 

[Moe Jay]

The yeast showed activity when was dehydrated and being pitched but when added it to the carboy, there was no major impact to the juice in the hydrometer!

This just making my day worse!

 

[bracconiere]

maybe useful...i don't like homebrewers being depressed...

https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/17376/what-is-the-highest-og-which-is-still-fermentable

 

[Moe Jay]

Grasious to all,


Thanks for the link brother. The thread says it will never ever Reach "dry" point since started with 1.170. But I caught up with it and deluted it to 1.070 (though after primary Fer was already done).


At the beginning I was using a normal hydrometer to take the readings. Now, changed to a refractometer which just started to use it for the same batch(is there any difference in the readings?).