Fermentation died or did the process complete?

[smurfe]

CP described exactly how a hydrometer works. Also I wanted to add if any others read this and tried a few things the OP did. First off, the taking the wine and heating it to remove the alcohol is not going to work. The hydrometer basically measures the level of sugar in the liquid. If the wine has fermented the sugar was converted to alcohol and is gone. If you remove the alcohol there is nothing left to measure. Once the sugar is gone, it is gone.

$5.00 is a standard price for a hydrometer so that isn't an issue. Fermentation can complete in that time frame easily. Most of the questions we get like this are from inaccurate reading of the hydrometer. Thats why we are here though to help those that do no know how things work understand the proper process.

Many people make a wine only because they have a bunch of ingredient that they don't know what to do with. They are not hobbyist. They don't have the equipment we have for the hobby but still find us here and ask their questions. They use an old recipe that stuff like hydrometers, sorbate, etc aren't used. It will work but those asking questions please understand that for specific answers to specific questions things like hydrometer readings are crucial to give you a definite answer.

 

[snickg]

Its new. Bought it less than a week ago... And the instructions specifically says it measures wine alcohol content.

 

[cpfan]

Its new. Bought it less than a week ago... And the instructions specifically says it measures wine alcohol content.

Then you better read the instructions about how to do that (or contact the store where purchased). Wouldn't be the first product with misleading advertising.

It may say to subtract the final sg from the initial sg and apply a factor, or subtract the final PA from the initial PA.

There is a device called an alcoholmeter that looks a lot like a hydrometer. I haven't used one very much, but it seemed OK. There was a note on the box indicating that it would not work well in wine, as it was intended for the results of a still (not their words, but rather my interpretation).

Steve

 

[snickg]

thanks CPFan... Ok, so I can still get about 5% more alcohol, but I tried restarting the fermentation in a separate 1/2 gallon on must and it didn't start... I even added some sugar to a different 1/2 gallon and it didn't start either. I added some of the yeast I was working with to a small glass of sugar water and it fizzed pretty quickly, so the yeast is in good condition.
Is there any other way to restart this fermentation?

 

[Malkore]

Actually the problem with the hydro was something else... I did not have the meter when I had the original must, so I had to take some of the 9 day old must and heat it slightly to evaporate the ethanol... it worked. After cooling down, the hydrometer said it had 0 ABV. However, when I dipped the meter into the must with alcohol, it gave me the same reading... so I'm supposing my meters bad.

no.

you NEED a reading with the hydrometer BEFORE you ever added the yeast.

You do this to find the amount of sugar in the must, adn thus the 'potential alcohol' (which is the ONLY alcohol scale on a hydrometer).

So you get a starting gravity reading, adn then later on a final gravity reading, and then a little math tells you the alcohol content.

You cannot evaporate the ethanol to get a starting gravity...the sugar is still gone and thus the gravity will still be low.

before you get too deep into the hobby, take a few steps back and learn how to do some of these basic procedures, and you'll have a lot more luck (and confidence) in future recipes.

 

[snickg]

Ok, I'll take that into consideration on my next batch... but for now, how can I restart the fermentation process?

 

[cpfan]

snickg:

We are all suspecting that you started with too much sugar and the yeast is dying from alcohol poisoning. EC-1118 is pretty good at fermenting a lot of sugar and continuing to work in poor circumstances.

Reviewing the thread quickly, I do not see any temperatures. So what is the temp, both ambient and the wine? The best temp for a full ferment (even with EC-1118) is about 74F.

Steve

 

[snickg]

The ambient temperature is at exactly 74 F, so I'm pretty sure temperature is not the issue. So there's sugar in the must... why isn't the yeast restarting the fermentation when I added it on the 1/2 gallon sample?

 

[arcticsid]

Stick a needle in my eye. SNI, try a good starter. I want to help, not argue.

 

[snickg]

ok, thanks for the help.

 

[cpfan]

The ambient temperature is at exactly 74 F, so I'm pretty sure temperature is not the issue. So there's sugar in the must... why isn't the yeast restarting the fermentation when I added it on the 1/2 gallon sample?

Because there is already too much alcohol in the wine. The yeast is dying from alcohol toxicity.

Steve