Can you over ferment wine?

[Charlesthewino]

I am fermenting my first batch of pear wine. It has been 9 weeks today and there are still a considerable amount of bubbles. Is this a problem? The grape wine I made was done in 6 weeks. My pears are sweeter than my grapes so I assume there is a lot more natural sugar to convert. Just nervous as I don't want vinegar. I have a hydrometer on order but at this point have nothing to gage from. Any suggestions?


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[grapeman]

So you have no idea what the sugar content was when you began? It is unlikely that it is still fermenting, but rather off-gassing C02 out of suspension. Be sure to keep an airlock on it and as soon as the hydrometer gets here, check the specific gravity. As long as the airlock is on, no worries about vinegar.

 

[HillPeople]

When you do get your hydrometer, if the SG is at 1.000 or below, it's done fermenting.

 

[Charlesthewino]

I have stirred the mix well and that seemed to slow the bubbling for a short time. Should I consider putting it in the fridge to kill off any active yeast? Is 6-8 weeks pretty normal fermentation time for fruit wines? I always thought long term wine storage was done via bottling and cellars. I've seen several comments here where it appears some long term storage & racking is taking place from the carboy. I'm still trying to take it all in.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[LoveTheWine]

No don't put it in the fridge. Siphon it into another carboy, keep it full, 1" from the bottom of the airlock and then be patient.

My wines sit 9 to 12 months before bottling. Adding some sulfite powder or crushed or a up campton tablet per 5 gallons while transferring will help protect against oxidization and bacteria as well.

 

[Turock]

You can't "kill" yeast by refrigerating it. We make lots of pear wine and the ferment is done in 5 days. Long fermentations bring their own problems. Get it in a carboy under airlock and test the SG when you get the hydrometer.

 

[JohnT]

Taste the wine. Does it still taste sweet? If so, then you are not done fermenting. Try warming it up some (say to 75 degrees). This should give the yeast a bit of a kick in the pants.

 

[Charlesthewino]

Taste the wine. Does it still taste sweet? If so, then you are not done fermenting. Try warming it up some (say to 75 degrees). This should give the yeast a bit of a kick in the pants.

I tried it last night and it tastes of strong alcohol. More sour than I expected considering it was pear juice. I expected this to be a sweet wine. So I guess that means its done fermenting, but it's not very good.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[peaches9324]

Charles you can always back sweeten with wine conditioner or simple syrup mix after you stable and clear. But it is cheaper to make the simple syrup but be sure to wait 24 hrs after you stable it before adding it to taste.

 

[JohnT]

I agree, you can back sweeten, but first you need to stabilize using sorbate. Sorbate will render the living yeast sterile. If you skip this step, the living yeast in your wine will simply ferment the added sugar into alcohol.

 

[LittleBearGameFarm]

My two cents (which is about all I have)... I would bulk store it in a carboy for a few months or much more before you add too much sugar back to it. I've never made a pear wine so I may be off base but some of my wines seemed to take a while for the sweetness to come forward. The maple is finally starting to have a hint that it may be coming around as well as my pineapple wine. Originally, very alcoholic bite to them but after 6-9 months, they are making the turn. I think at 12 months I'll decide if they need to be sweetened up a bit. I could tell with the Dragon's Blood that the fruit and sweetness came forward more and more with each month.

 

[peaches9324]

yes aged my first pear wine over a year and it was the best! But still had to back sweeten a bit

 

[garymc]

The harshness will subside with age. I have stabilized and backsweetened wine to taste and then had it end up too sweet.

Is the wine clear? Is there any sediment forming?

 

[Charlesthewino]

Finally got my hydrometer. My pear wine is 1.010. I'm happy it's finished fermenting. I'm also glad many comments indicate it will get sweeter with time, but I'm certain it will require additional back sweetening. I prefer sweet wines. Thanks for the support.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[LoveTheWine]

your wine is most likely still fermenting. Most wines will ferment to below 1.00 sg (0.995) unless the fermentation stalls out.
That doesn't mean you can't rack into a carboy and let it finish fermenting there to get it off the sediment.
After a few months you can rack, stabilize and sweeten to taste.

 

[HillPeople]

I think at 1.010 it will be sweet enough- given some time to mature.
As in the above, you should rack it and sit on it for a good long while.
A month or so after racking, if it hasn't cleared, you can think about using some fining agents.

 

[fabrictodyefor]

I started a pear/pineapple/white grape on Christmas, 2013, tasted it sometime in Feb, and it was very harsh! So I just racked it to a clean car boy and will think about it again in 6 months or so! Thank goodness for Dragon's Blood wines that I can drink after only a month or so. It has helped me to leave the other wines sitting in carboys where they belong!

 

[Charlesthewino]

I think I may have determined the issue. I recently ordered a PH tester. Even after back sweetening a small batch there was still a sour taste. I believe the acid level is off. It tastes acidic. I read somewhere that ph is typically adjusted at the beginning of the process. Can I still correct the acid after fermentation?

On another note...I've racked the wine and it appears to be clearing. It seems the experienced folks just continue to rack to clear. Is this the case or do I need to add something and if so what & when?


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making