no alcohol at all

[Danny spain]

Hello everyone. My first time trying to make wine. I made a batch of red, and have no alcohol at all using a vinometer to measure. I also mad a batch of white which measures 9% using the vinometer. The red is a pale color more akin to a rose, so i'm guessing i may have let it ferment too long. What can i do, if anything, with the 40 liters of "red" i have. Thanks

 

[toadie]

Welcome to the forum! If you taste the "wine" does it taste winey? Can you taste some "heat" from a young alcohol? I've never used a vinometer before but I suspect you have done something wrong. If it tastes like juice you have not had any fermentation. You might need to add yeast again. Its hard to give good advice but I would suggest buying a hydrometer for making wine in the future. You measure the sugar level before and after fermentation, not only will you know the alcohol level but also when fermentation is finished. Good luck.

 

[Danny spain]

Thanks, yes it's the first attempt at making wine. I actually have a hydrometer. I didn't use it at the start, but it shows now reads zero, so if i'm right there's no sugar left. It kind tastes like a mixture of cranberry and lemon juice. A bit tart but nothing thats tastes unpleasant. I suspect the alcohol evaporated away. At least the white seems ok

 

[toadie]

If your hydrometer reads 1.000 or lower your will know fermentation is basically done. I don't think the alcohol can evaporate away.

 

[Coffee49]

If it has an active ring of air bubbles at the top surface, rack to another vessel, add 1/8 tsp. S02, let set 3 months, my guess is it will finish working and lees will be present at that time. After 3 months, siphon 1/2 Ltr. into empty wine bottle, top off vessel with red wine then have at it. 2 glasses should indicate presence of alcohol.

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi Danny spain, and welcome. I agree that the likelihood of the alcohol evaporating off is close to zero. But you don't say how you made your wine and what equipment you used so it is difficult to be more certain than to offer probabilities. But if you used a bucket as your primary fermenter and you racked (siphoned the wine into a carboy that you sealed with a bung and airlock OR you used a carboy with a bung and airlock as your primary fermenter then there is no possibility that the alcohol could evaporate off.
When did you start? When did you add (pitch) the yeast? What yeast did you select? Do you know the starting gravity (how much sugar was in solution?) Was this from a kit or did you crush the grapes of buy buckets of juice?