# Stopping fermentation



## BaccusIsWine (Mar 31, 2011)

I added too much sugar and want to stop fermentation befor the Alcohol gets too high(used premier Cuvee yeast hehe) how much K Meta per gallon should I use.I know K Sorbate is 1/2 teaspoon per gallon just wondering about the k meta. I really dont want to ferment to dryness otherwise i will end up with rocket fuel lol.


----------



## djrockinsteve (Mar 31, 2011)

It's not as easy as it sounds. Potassium Metabisulfite won't kill (in normal dosages) the commercial yeasts we use. It only slows them down somewhat but will kill other foreign bacteria.

Potassium Sorbate prevents yeasts from being able to breed but in the presence of sorbate yeasts will continue to feed upon the remaining sugar.

Cold stabilizing won't work as yeast will go into dormancy until the temperatures warm up then they will begin again their feeding frenzy.

You could filter out the yeasts if you have a good filter and pump.

What was your starting specific gravity and what wine are you making? Honestly the best way would be to start another wine with a lower gravity then blend the two to your desired liking. Use the pearson square to assist you in determining that.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10358


----------



## Julie (Mar 31, 2011)

I agree with Steve, you only option is to make a lower ABV wine and blend. Trying to stop it is very chancey.


----------



## winemaker_3352 (Mar 31, 2011)

What was your starting SG and what yeast did you use?

Most yeasts have an ABV tolerance.

So the yeast you have tolerates say 12% - and you Starting SG was 1.103 - you will probably end up with some residual sugar.

You can stabilize and when clear sterile filter.


----------



## Wade E (Mar 31, 2011)

The only way to stop it is to cold crash this batch a little earlier then where you want it and while its cold filter and stabilize the wine. Preferably use a .45 micron filter. Not using a filter can work but it is riskier as it could start fermenting again at a later date so make sure you keep this in the carboy for awhile to test it under warm conditions to see if it wants to start back up.


----------



## BaccusIsWine (Apr 1, 2011)

Well I Asked the guy at my Local home brew today and he said that I should wait till the SG is about 1020. Starting was 1130. He also said 1 campdan per gallon + the sorbate would be sufficent. I think he knows what he's talking about since he makes **** tons of wine.


----------



## KeithTheSnake (Apr 1, 2011)

I don't know, but I've learned a lot from the folks who've replied before me by lurking these very forums. They make a **** ton of wine, too, I'd bet.

Why don't you want to ferment to dry, sorbate and camden, then backsweeten?


----------



## BaccusIsWine (Apr 1, 2011)

KeithTheSnake said:


> I don't know, but I've learned a lot from the folks who've replied before me by lurking these very forums. They make a **** ton of wine, too, I'd bet.
> 
> Why don't you want to ferment to dry, sorbate and camden, then backsweeten?



If you read my above post the wine will end up wayy to strong like 17% to dryness


----------



## mmadmikes1 (Apr 1, 2011)

Sorry, but the guy at the brew store is wrong if he told you all you needed to do was add campden and sorbate. I would add more juice because you will either end up with rocket fuel or real sweet wine. I don't think either is what your looking for. I have cold crashed , filtered, sorbated and K-Meted and still had fermentation happen and made bottle bombs. good luck, we learn more from mistakes then smooth sailing


----------



## Wade E (Apr 1, 2011)

Baccus doing that can and eventually *will * stress the yeast out causing it to develope off flavors! If you want to listen to him and ignore many many more years of experience here then so be it. Think of it thi way, if I gave you poison, just enough to give you a slow death, how would your last days be!!!! Its a recipe for disaster. The best way would be to let this finish and then add this to another batch with a much lower abv. This batch can start fermenting again and probably in the bottle. sulfite nor sorbate doesnt kill yeast, *It stuns it until S02 levels come back down and like I said above, that generally happens in the bottle!* Good luck with getting info from that guy!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, dont mean to be rude but your getting bogus info and youll be sorry later when you have corks popping or even worse bottles exploding in your cellar.


----------



## grapeman (Apr 1, 2011)

You came here to ask for answers to your question. I have a question for you. 

How large of a batch of what is this?

If it was a gallon, do what you wish with it - no big loss eithr way. You could keep it refrigerated and drink as you want. That would keep things from fermenting. If it is a 6 gallon batch of something you can get more of, then it can be fixed. Just answer this simple question and I might be able to make a better answer for you.


----------



## ffemt128 (Apr 1, 2011)

I think Grapeman asked a very key question. IMHO, I would trust the replies of most of the members here more than that of the guy at the local brew store. I'm sure some of the guys at our local store are very knowledgeable, however, the combined experiences of the members here will far out weigh the wine making experiences of the local guy.


----------



## mmadmikes1 (Apr 1, 2011)

Then there is my bosses favorite reply to me"Mike do what you want, I know you will anyway when I leave"


----------



## BaccusIsWine (Apr 1, 2011)

Ok i'll just let it ferment out then. Its 5 gallons


----------



## grapeman (Apr 1, 2011)

5 gallons of what? Can you get more? If so make a small batch of it at a very low alcohol level. If welches or something, make a gallon or two at about 6% abv (maybe 1.050 or about if you can). That will give you a low alcohol wine to mix in with the 17% one, bringing it down to about 14-15. That is safer than trying to stop the current one and have it start up again.


----------



## BaccusIsWine (Apr 1, 2011)

Its 5 galllons of what was supposed to be cider from monica's recipe in the recipie section. The thing I dont understand is I have this kit here I havent started yet Selection Speciale icewine. It says to Stabilize at 1060 or less and then add the Fpack. It came with Premier cuvee yeast. Wont I get bottle bombs if i do what the kit says? Basicly the kit is telling me to do what you guys are not. Very confused here


----------



## Julie (Apr 1, 2011)

BaccusIsWine said:


> Its 5 galllons of what was supposed to be cider from monica's recipe in the recipie section. The thing I dont understand is I have this kit here I havent started yet Selection Speciale icewine. It says to Stabilize at 1060 or less and then add the Fpack. It came with Premier cuvee yeast. Wont I get bottle bombs if i do what the kit says? Basicly the kit is telling me to do what you guys are not. Very confused here



I know it is confusing, the difference here is the kit is an icewine. Your starting sg is probably at least 1.150 and your yeast will die off around 1.060 because it can not tolerate. I have an ice wine going right now and it has been sitting at 1.070 for about 3 months now.


----------



## Angie (Apr 1, 2011)

I haven't made an icewine kit before but I think the key is that the starting sg is so high, compared to a regular kit, that when you stabalize at 1060 the yeast has been stressed enough (by the high alcohol) that the addition of sorbate probably hinders the fermentation of the remaining sugar. I would imagine that the yeast included in the kit is not one that will ferment a starting sg of 1117 or higher to a dry wine.

Clarification needed from someone who has made these kits

-----I guess Julie hit the post button before I did


----------



## BaccusIsWine (Apr 1, 2011)

Angie said:


> I haven't made an icewine kit before but I think the key is that the starting sg is so high, compared to a regular kit, that when you stabalize at 1060 the yeast has been stressed enough (by the high alcohol) that the addition of sorbate probably hinders the fermentation of the remaining sugar. I would imagine that the yeast included in the kit is not one that will ferment a starting sg of 1117 or higher to a dry wine.
> 
> Clarification needed from someone who has made these kits
> 
> -----I guess Julie hit the post button before I did



The Yeast in the kit is 2 packets of Premier Cuvee which can withstand up to 18% they say. Maybe I got the wrong yeast with it?


----------



## ffemt128 (Apr 1, 2011)

As was stated, the Icewine will be a very high starting sg. It is intended to be a higher alcohol% sweet, very sweet, wine. Your yeast for that will die off when it reaches the maximum alcohol level it can stand. The apple wine. I would make a smaller batch( 2 1/2 gallon) and shoot for about half to 3/4 the the alcohol level of this batch. Blend the 2 together and back sweeten to your taste.


----------



## grapeman (Apr 1, 2011)

Yes, the apple cider is about 7% alcohol on it's own. If you make one gallon @ 7 % and you blend with 5 gallons at 16.75, you will get about 14%. Make two gallons and you will have about 12%.


----------



## mmadmikes1 (Apr 1, 2011)

If it is only a 1 gallon batch, save it for topping off head space


----------



## Angie (Apr 1, 2011)

BaccusIsWine said:


> The Yeast in the kit is 2 packets of Premier Cuvee which can withstand up to 18% they say. Maybe I got the wrong yeast with it?



I would just go with the instructions that are included in the kit. WE would have provided to correct yeast to make it.

For ease of mind you might want to contact them directly
http://www.winexpert.com/contact-us


----------



## Wade E (Apr 1, 2011)

The yeast for that wine kit is correct and 90% of the time when it states 18% it almost never makes it there! This kit will finish off around 13.5% abv despite the 18% abv tolerance they state for this yeast. They use both soluble and non-soluble sugars to achieve this but even if it were all soluble you would still only most likely get about 16-16.5% out of it. Like I stated in my last thread and Grapeman also stated, make another batch if you an much weaker and blend the 2 to your desired abv.


----------



## AlFulchino (Apr 1, 2011)

from Wade: "The only way to stop it is to cold crash this batch a little earlier then where you want it and while its cold filter and stabilize the wine. Preferably use a .45 micron filter. Not using a filter can work but it is riskier as it could start fermenting again at a later date so make sure you keep this in the carboy for awhile to test it under warm conditions to see if it wants to start back up. "

Wade is right...this is really the way to go for a matter like this. In one of our dessert "style" wines our strategy is to not add any sugars at all, but to utilize the natural sugars already present .....at the same time we are seeking to achieve an 8% abv...so as Wade said, a multi pronged approach is needed. If you take your time it is a very repeatable strategy.

by the way....just a side note in case someone was not aware, a winery cannot submit a 6% abv (or less) number on their wine label to the TTB and still fit the bill to be called a wine...your label will be rejected...found that out last yr


----------



## Wade E (Apr 1, 2011)

I dont think soluble is the word I was looking for actually in my above post. Yeast can only really eat simple sugars, some kits take this to their advantage as do us beer brewers. We slip in lactose sugars to end up with a beer with sweeter end results. You wouldnt really like a beer that was fermented dry. Just so you know mosty beers die off with residual sugars someehere in the 1.005- 1.012 range. Lactose is a sugar that most yeast ca not convert into alc. Its what makes Evaporated milk on the sweeter side.


----------



## Goose (Jun 17, 2015)

If he chilled the wine to slow or halt fermentation then are there fining agents that might pull out some of the yeast?


----------

