# If its bubbling is it fermenting?



## karrlot (Sep 12, 2012)

If my wine is still bubbling in the carboy does that mean it is still fermenting? I know that if you go three days with the same reading it means it is done, but if it is still bubbling do I even need to take a reading or do I know it is still fermenting?


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## ninjamonkey (Sep 12, 2012)

Bubbles are byproduct of yeast. If its bubbling its still fermenting. Just depends on what you want it to taste like and how much alcohol you want.


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## TonyP (Sep 13, 2012)

You didn't say what you're making and I assume you've finished primary, racked and are in secondary. If you're making a dry wine (white or red) let the yeast continue to have their fun. Even after the bubbles have ended, don't be in a hurry. Patience is more important than speed.

Tony P.


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## Deezil (Sep 13, 2012)

The bubbles will continue after femenation is done... Yeast eats the sugar & makes alcohol and co2.. The bubbles are the co2 - but even after the yeast are done making alcohol, the wine will still be saturated with co2.. Until you degas it.. It'll still even bubble after that, but nothing like in the beginning..


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## DoctorCAD (Sep 13, 2012)

Read my sig.


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## karrlot (Sep 13, 2012)

Thanks Everyone!

I had seen the comment about the airlock activity, so I knew not to rely on that. So my question stemmed from a small number of bubbles in the actual wine. 

It looks like I still might see bubbles in the wine after fermentation is done.

I am making chokecherry wine. It went from the primary to the secondary. I have racked it once in the secondary. My plan was to experiment with sweetness by fermenting it to dry, then sweetening 1/3 of it really sweet, 1/3 of it kinda sweet, and leave 1/3 of it dry. However I still don't know what " really sweet" or " kinda sweet" mean.


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## saramc (Sep 14, 2012)

really sweet and kinda sweet are open to interpretation. Many follow the standard that residual sugar is an indicator and expressed as:
_Dry wines are typically in the 0.2–0.3 percent range._
_Off-dry wines in the 1.0–5.0 percent range._
_Sweet wines in the 5.0–15 percent range._
_Dessert wine in the 5.0-15 percent range with an alcohol content of 15% or higher and less than 24%._

_As far as determining whether or not your wine has finished fermentation by measuring the S.G. for 3 consecutive days, you really have to look at when you pitched your yeast, etc. I have had wine take 6 months to ferment dry._


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