Hello from Virginia

[Mnementh]

Hi there,

My name is Daniel, and I live with my wonderful wife and dog in Culpeper, Virginia. A co-worker makes homemade fruit wine, and has given me a couple of bottles. They were excellent, and I was looking for a hobby. It was either this or get back into model rocketry. Since I tend to go overboard with rockets (they get expensive very quickly, plus the neighbors look at you like you're going to blow something up,) I decided to try wine brewing.

My first batch is raspberry, and my second is blackberry. The blackberry is going great, and the raspberry not so much. I'm not entirely certain what I did wrong with it, but fermentation seems to have stopped, and it's giving off a not so great smell. Thinking of ditching it as a learning experience and going with another blend. The blackberry, however, is already putting it to shame. It's looking great!

I'm not using a kit, as my friend gave me a lot of the equipment to start with, and I have current plans for raspberry and blackberry (already started), cherry, pinapple, and (since I'm a Star Trek freak and just want to see if it can be done,) a Romulan Ale made out of fermented blue koolaid. (This is the result of a midnight conversation with my co-worker.)

I look forward to being a part of the winemaking club.

Danny
P.S.- Many people wonder at my online name, it's the name of a dragon in Anne McCaffery's Dragonriders of Pern series.

 

[Sacalait]

Welcome!
Don't throw the raspberry out just yet. What was the statring SG and what is it now? How long has it been in the primary and what makes you think it's bad? Fermentating wine does not give off a pleasant smell in my opinion.

 

[Mnementh]

Starting SG was 1.1, it's at .9 now and been holding there for a few days. It's been in in primary since August 31st. (Not long, I know.) It seems to have stopped bubbling, though, which is what is making me think fermentation has stopped.

The smell was coming off of the blackberry as well, but even though it's only been in primary since September 7th, it has already changed to a far more pleasant odor in that case. That never happened with the raspberry.

 

[cpfan]

Well apparently dragons don't know how to read a hydrometer.

As a rule hydrometer readings are giving as 3 decimal points. IE my initial reading was 1.086, and my final reading was .992 (actual readings from a kit).

I realize that you probably can't provide a more accurate initial reading, but 1.100 is slightly high. Despite that a wine yeat should be able to ferment it down to .996 or less.

As Muscadine said, don't throw it out. It's much too early to think about that.

Pern's dragons get from here to there in a flash. Unfortunately wine doesn't. If you want to make good wine that Harper Robinton will enjoy, you need much more patience.

Steve

 

[Mnementh]

Initial reading was 1.100. I put a bit too much sugar in, but whatever. Current reading is holding at 1.090.

I realize that wine is not created instantaneously. As I stated before, my concern is due to the fact that it is not bubbling anymore. Everything I've yet read leads me to believe that bubbling is indication of fermentation. No bubbles, no fermentation. Since the hydrometer has dropped so little, I am concerned about it.

 

[Luc]

Any idea about acidity ?

Low acid (or to high) might inhibit fermentation.
Also did you add any nutrients ?
If using pure fruit juice there is no need for nutrients
but when dilluting with water there might be a nutrient defficiency.

Also temperature might play a role if the bottles are
standing in different rooms.

Loads of questions but if you can provide some answers they
might give some clues about the stuck fermentation.

Welcome by the way.

Luc

 

[Mnementh]

When I mixed it, I added a tablespoon of acid blend, which is what my friend recommended for the size of my recipe. (Making a gallon and a half.) I used frozen fruit, and added yeast nutrient. Temperature isn't an issue, I think, as both are in the same room. Down in the basement, that is, which is temp controlled as is the rest of the house.

Contrasting this is the blackberry, which is bubbling so much it's foaming. I never got that much of a reaction from the raspberry. Do you think it might have been a not so great packet of yeast?

 

[Luc]

Yeast can indeed go bad so that might be the issue.

Look at my web-log entry on how to make a yeast starter and go from there.

You could also use some juice from the blackberry and use this
to start the raspberry, but then the taste of the wine may alter a bit.

Luc

 

[Mnementh]

Well, I decided to add more yeast, to see if that would jumpstart the fermentation. I added the other half of the packet I used for the blackberry, and it's bubbling again, so hopefully it's ok.