Wine SG readings

[Mgreg33]

A few weeks ago I started on my first wine I decided on strawberries since they was in season. I have been reading a good bit on wine making since then and I’m starting to worry if there are any effects on my SG being high at transfer to secondary fermenter. I started out with SG of 1.095 and transferred at 1.050. The instruction said to after 7 days or at SG 10.40 and it had been 7 days. Will this cause any problems, I know I have seen many different SG reading to transfer at and they was all very low compared to what my readings was at. Is there a standard SG reading to go by?


Thanks for any input

 

[Yooper]

A few weeks ago I started on my first wine I decided on strawberries since they was in season. I have been reading a good bit on wine making since then and I’m starting to worry if there are any effects on my SG being high at transfer to secondary fermenter. I started out with SG of 1.095 and transferred at 1.050. The instruction said to after 7 days or at SG 10.40 and it had been 7 days. Will this cause any problems, I know I have seen many different SG reading to transfer at and they was all very low compared to what my readings was at. Is there a standard SG reading to go by?


Thanks for any input

Generally, a good time to transfer is when the wine is 1.010-1.020 or less. That way, fermentation is still going on to produce co2 to protect the wine from oxidation but it's far enough along to not stall and not produce so much in the way of lees.

As long as fermentation is continuing after the transfer, you don't have to worry. You may have to rack again sooner, because you'll have a ton of lees on the bottom though.

 

[Mgreg33]

Thanks Yooper, That’s good to know I’m still trying to learn. It says to rack after 2 weeks I just haven’t been home since I transferred to secondary. I have been getting my wife to check for bubbles every other day. I will be transferring it on Friday after I get home.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Yooper, That’s good to know I’m still trying to learn. It says to rack after 2 weeks I just haven’t been home since I transferred to secondary. I have been getting my wife to check for bubbles every other day. I will be transferring it on Friday after I get home.

Don't transfer it again! Not until it's actually nearly done. Each time your transfer, you may stall it. You've already transferred it once, about a week too early, so I'd just suggest leaving the poor wine alone at this point! It'll do much better if you allow it to finish instead of mucking with it!

 

[Mgreg33]

Will do thank you for the advice!!

 

[mmadmikes1]

Strawberry always has a ton on bottom any way so don't panic if it seems like you have way to much. It will seem like it because you transferred early.

 

[smyrnaquince]

Generally, a good time to transfer is when the wine is 1.010-1.020 or less. That way, fermentation is still going on to produce co2 to protect the wine from oxidation but it's far enough along to not stall and not produce so much in the way of lees.

As long as fermentation is continuing after the transfer, you don't have to worry. You may have to rack again sooner, because you'll have a ton of lees on the bottom though.

I've been wondering about this. At the 1.010-1.020 point, I know I want to move the wine from the open primary fermenter into a closed secondary fermenter. Do I want to move it lees and all (which is what I thought "transfer" meant) or do I want to rack it off the lees? If racking, will there be enough yeast still suspended in the wine for the fermentation to finish?

 

[mmadmikes1]

Rack it off the lees. Dont worry about getting some with the racking because you will be doing it again and dont need to lose any more volume than needed. Yes for most part there will be enough yeast suspended to do the job of finishing.