First batch, too high acidity

[Kw-wino]

So I made my first batch of wine from very old great producing grape vines at my parents house. All has gone smoothly and I have followed online steps with some support from my local winemaking store. Here is what I ended with:

8 gallons of fully fermented wine that tastes sweet. Following the wine store's directions I added table sugar to help fermentation. Now the wine has aged over 3 months in carboys.
PH 4.0
SG 1.01
Acid 0.09

The wine looks good, has cleared, and has a decent scent. I don't want to bottle with the overly sweet taste. Is there any way to fix this batch?

 

[Boatboy24]

What was your starting SG and your starting pH?

 

[ibglowin]

How did you test for TA and pH? Those numbers (high pH and high acid) are contradictory to one another.

 

[GreginND]

Yes, something is wrong with the acid numbers. Do you know what kind of grapes they are?

What was your starting gravity? It looks like it didn't finish fermenting and you have quite a bit of sugar left.

 

[Kw-wino]

Unkown type of grape. Grown in the Pacific NW and was so ripe that the skins were splitting. Starting quantity was 87 lbs after crushing-destemming. Starting SG was 1.050. After adding yeast with no signs of fermentation, 10 lbs of sugar was added on day 3. On day 9(6 days after adding the sugar) SG was 0.997. Concerned about the alcohol content, 10 more lbs of sugar and 1 package of yeast added. Day 15(6 days afer adding the second batch of sugar) SG was 1.02.

The wine stopped bubbling and has been racked 3 times. Right now there is about 7.5 gallons of light red wine that looks clear. I am using a calibrated PH meter and an acidity test kit to come up with the first numbers. Is there anything that I can do to lower the PH and acid and neutralize the sweet taste?

 

[fivebk]

The last batch of sugar probably shouldn't have been added. What yeast did you use? It sounds to me like the alcohol level is high enough that it has stopped fermentation. A higher alcohol tolerant yeast may get it to start fermenting again thou you may end up with a high alcohol wine that may take some time to become drinkable.

BOB

 

[sour_grapes]

Fivebk's diagnosis is correct. Using the sugar calculator in Fermcalc (http://web2.airmail.net/sgross/fermcalc/fermcalc_applet.html), I calculated that if you started with 6 gallons of must at 1.050 and add 20 lbs of sugar, you wind up with 7.5 gallons at SG = 1.161. (Note that we don't know your exact initial volume, but can well approximate it by knowing your ending volume + sugar additions.) A must of SG = 1.161 has a potential alcohol content (if fermented to dry) of about 21% ABV, clearly too much for any yeast strain. Your current SG of 1.020 indicates you currently have an ABV of 18.5%.

At this point, the only things I am aware of to do is to (a) blend, or (b) fortify and make a port-style drink.

 

[Kw-wino]

I used Lalvin RC 212. The SG is now 1.01 at 58•F

Thanks for your help!

 

[Boatboy24]

I used Lalvin RC 212. The SG is now 1.01 at 58•F

Thanks for your help!

You need to warm it up 10+ degrees. With what appears to be a high alcohol and those low temps, the yeast will struggle.

 

[fivebk]

You might also try EC 1118 yeast, make a starter and add it it just might ferment to dry, but you will definitely have to warm it up.

BOB

 

[JohnT]

I used Lalvin RC 212. The SG is now 1.01 at 58•F

Thanks for your help!

I doubt that RC212 will take your fermentation to completion. Agree with @fivebk that you should add a dose of EC-1118 yeast (which is heartier and able to thrive in higher ABV levels.

I have my doubts that EC-1118 will ferment as high as 18.5%, but it should carry your fermentation much further than RC212.