# Wine has stopped bubbling after 2 days?



## jameswales (Jun 24, 2011)

My first post!

Bought my first wine making kit this week. Cabernet Sauvingnon from WineXpert.

I started it 2 days ago, and since then everything has been bubbling nicely in the primary fermenter. I checked today and it has now stopped, and everything is still...

Is this normal?


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## cpfan (Jun 24, 2011)

jameswales said:


> My first post!
> 
> Bought my first wine making kit this week. Cabernet Sauvingnon from WineXpert.
> 
> ...


Congrats and welcome to a GREAT hobby.

Not important for this q, but in future plase be more specific about the kit. WE makes MANY Cab Sauv kits...low end,middle-of-the-road, high end. Some Qs are better answered knowing which kit you are making.

In this case, visual signs of fermentation are basically USELESS. Take a specific gravity reading with a hydrometer. That is the best way to know what is happening. Perhaps the ferment has stopped. Two possible reasons...temperature too cool or ferment finished. The latter is unlikely after 2 days.

So do you have any sg readngs? What is the temperature of the must/wine?

Steve


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## jameswales (Jun 24, 2011)

I will take SG readings and temperature later. 

Currently it is stored in my home study, which is warm and gets lots of nice sunlight in through the windows, causing a greenhouse effect.

The wine was from the Vinters Reserve line of WE products.


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## joea132 (Jun 24, 2011)

Sunlight isn't exactly the best thing for wine, especially while aging.


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## jameswales (Jun 24, 2011)

Would my basement be better?

It's always about the same temperature as the house.


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## Winepig (Jun 24, 2011)

I just wrap a dark bath towel around my big carboy and fasten the ends with clothes pins. It keeps the sunlight out and I can still leave it on the counter next to the sink in the utility room.

Our basement stays cooler than the house and I've had bad luck in the past trying to ferment down there........ good for long term storage though. 

Tim


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## jet (Jun 24, 2011)

jameswales said:


> Would my basement be better?
> 
> It's always about the same temperature as the house.



Are you fermenting in a white plastic bucket? If so, the sunshine cannot hurt. Once you transfer to a carboy, you will want to shield the wine from the sun. I typically use old t-shirts held on with clothes pins.


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## robie (Jun 24, 2011)

As suggested, take an SG reading to see where the wine is.

Let us know exactly what you have done so far and anything extra you may have put in the wine. Is the room temperature pretty typical?

It is not likely finished fermenting. Can't imagine why a WE kit would stop after only 2 days. Open it up and give it a really good stir, so everything on the bottom gets stirred back into the wine. After 24 hours, take another SG reading. It should take off again.


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## Wade E (Jun 24, 2011)

Basements are excellent places to make wine but more important are temos during, after and after being bottled. When started and while fermenting temos should be around mid 70's to keep any stuck fermentations from happening especially for someone new to the hobby. Once the wine is done fermenting you should still keep the temps up until you have degassed the wine as trying to degas a wine at cooler temps will not do a good job. Once bottled the best temo is around 55* but stabke temos are much more important so keep that in mind as big temp swings will make your wine oxidize and you dont want that.


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## wvbrewer (Jun 25, 2011)

I would use the time line from your kit as a general guide and keep a eye on the gravity. Just because it is not bubbling does not mean it is'nt fermenting. Check the gravity when the directions tell you, as long as you are in the right temperature range it should be ok. I have had this happen to us on occasion.

Dave


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## Dugger (Jun 25, 2011)

Hi jameswales - welcome to a great forum. Always nice to see another Bluenoser on here. 
As others have mentioned you are probably okay. Typically, when a kit wine ferments, it starts off with a small foam head and after a day or two that disappears and you will see and hear small bubbles on the wine surface. This may last a couple of days and then the wine appears to be still ( you may still hear some fizzing if you listen carefully) but it is still fermenting, just more slowly. Taking SG readings is the only sure way of knowing. I usually leave my hydrometer in the wine and can check it with a quick glance to see how it is doing.
I would encourage you to check it daily, take a SG and record it somewhere, smell it, taste it, get very intimate with it so you will know what to expect in future. A small notebook or scribbler is great for keeping track of your findings. After a few kits you become more confident and start to enjoy the process rather than worry about it. 
You're going to love this hobby!!


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## Runningwolf (Jun 25, 2011)

Welcome aboard.


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## Wade E (Jun 25, 2011)

Just let it sit the alotted amount of time and seal the lid with airlock if you havent already just incase it did finish way early which happens and isnt a problem at a. Yeast comes from Momma nature and she doesnt follow any time frames at all and does what she wants when she wants! Temps will play a major role in time frames also as warmer temps will drastically speed things up and lower temps will slow things down and can also cause stuck fermentations so if your sg is still high and your temps are low get them back up and stir it all up again to get that yeast suspeneded to do its thing.


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