Wine to sweet

[jjamdj55]

i make wine from juice Alicante,red Zinfendel,white seedless and i mix them
I put yeast in coffee cup run hot water and stir till broken down then put foil on neck with holes till fermentation is complete after complete rack and top with siphon in 4 months after 3 racking wine is sweet fermentation is apprx 7 days i wrap with comforter or keep light on. Why so sweet


Thanks joe

 

[Paps]

Why so sweet

Poor attenuation. Use a stronger yeast strain.
How hot was the water you poured over your yeast?
If it was boiling water then you killed the yeast.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

I agree with Paps, depending on the water temp, you may have killed your yeast, the water used to hydrate most all wine yeast should not exceed 110° - 115°.
I'm a little confused, you wrote that after topping and siphon for 4 months and 3 rackings, fermentation is approx 7 days? Can you explain that a bit more?
Thanks

 

[jjamdj55]

Thanks for reply
I use tap water hot only for yeast
Primary fermentation i top carboy with aluminum foil with holes in it
Usally 7 to 10 days i stir a few times aday after its almost stopped i rack wine which is suppose to be secondary fermentation that is usally stopped fermenting or very very slow then after month rack again then let sit for month then rack again usually in 4 moths i try it and very sweet
I usually use that champagne yeast for fed and white wine i use 1 pack every 5 gal my car boy is 12 gal i use 3 and i do 1 pakage at a time

 

[Paps]

Use Lavlin EC-1118 yeast.
Let it sit longer in primary before racking it.
What if any temperature control are you using?
If the temperature swings wildly it will put yeast in `hibernation mode`
and they wont do anything but sleep.
Get a hydrometer and use it.
Get an airlock and use it.
Don't "stir" your wine but `shake` it to adjitate the yeast, you risk infection using a stir stick without an airlock on.

 

[jjamdj55]

Sorry i called airlock a siphon
When i first make wine during primary fermentation use airlock bacause i tried it one time and it blew it off , my wine cellar in October is in the high to mid 60s i usally wrap carboy with blanket to try and keep warm or leave light on in wine cellar, ok thanks i will start shaking only , not sure what you mean by temperature controls
Thank you for your help i will get that yeast

 

[TeeJo]

Put the dry yeast directly into the carboy.

Add the juices. Shake to oxygenate.

Hot tap water is too hot. Bread makers 'proof' their yeast in warm water to prove the yeast is not dead. If you use packaged dry yeasts meant for wine, that should not be required.

Temperature control? Some folks use modified refrigerators or other means, to keep temperatures steady. Too hot, your plonk tastes like gasoline or worse. Too cold, the yeast goes dormant. Right temperature for the yeast you are using,and it works properly.

What kind of yeast are you using. Some yeasts die off at really low alcohol content. Others are sugar eating machines that don't seem to stop until ALL the sugar is gone. Choosing the yeast that will make what kind of a wine (dry or sweet) is half the battle of getting a good result.

TeeJo

 

[pumpkinman2012]

If you want to have a healthy fermentation, you really need to hydrate the yeast with water that is between 110° - 115°, any hotter and it will kill the yeast. let the yeast "wake up" and reproduce for 15 mins, after this make sure to add some grape must, this will not only supply the yeast with the necessary nutrients to keep them reproducing, but it will temper them as well.
Check out the Scott Labs fermentation handbook for best practices, yeasts that pair well with the juice and/ or grapes that you may be using.