Help!!! Stabilized too Early

[carant]

Hi guys. I started a 6 gallon batch of grapefruit wine on December 18th 2013.... SG was 1.12 at the start...9 days later I took a reading and the SG was 1.01 ... I've done a few grapefruit before and usually the SG is around .997 when dry. The thing is I made a foolish mistake in stabilizing when the wine hasn't even begun to clear.. And might I say while still in primary ferm.



I know that I'll now have to wait for the wine to start clearing... But I wanted to know a few things: because I always backsweeten my grapefruit.



(1) When the wine clears (naturally or with help from me in the form of fining agents) will I have to stabilize again (add k meta and sorbate again) before backsweetening? ... Darn I hate to think how this would affect the taste?



(2) If I do have to stabilize again (sigh) before backsweetening what's a safe time frame in weeks etc to do so (assuming the wine clears in 2 mths).



(3) Do you guys have any tips or tricks to solve this mess?... My grapefruit wine is such a lovely thing.



(4) On a related note.... I always make another fruit wine (apple) as well with frozen concentrate....thing is with this particular wine starting SG is always 1.12, and end SG for some reason is always 1.03 (which I have no problem with)... Now I've never stabilized this wine when I make it but I bulk age it and the SG remains at 1.03 even when it is bottled for months... I don't know if this is pure coincidence that the wine always remains at this SG and the possibility remains that someday indeed the fermentation could restart?.... However I wanted to know- if I stabilize the wine after it has completed fermentation at SG 1.03 for a few weeks will this eliminate the threat of a restarted fermentation.



Really looking forward to some expertise here.

 

[Pumpkinman]

OK, I'll try to answer a few of the questions.

First and foremost, you stated that your Starting gravity was 1.120, that is fairly high, without knowing more info such as your recipe: how much sugar did you add to get it that high, which yeast you used and the basic steps that you took in making this wine, it is hard to diagnose it.

I'll take a guess that you added sugar to bump the SG to 1.120, I would think that your yeast stopped fermenting due to the high ABV.
Meta will not stop a fermentation, it can stun or slow it at best unless you add so much that you render the wine undrinkable, If you plan on back sweetening you need to stabilize with sorbate as well, like meta, sorbate will not stop existing fermentation, it will prevent any new fermenting.

There is no rule that says you must wait to stabilize the wine until it clears, on the contrary, you should stabilize the wine with meta as soon as fermentation is complete, at that point there isn't the excess CO2 to protect the wine anymore. As soon as my wine is finished fermenting, I stabilize with meta, if I plan on back sweetening, I wait until I've racked a few times over the next few months and only add the sorbate before I am read to sweeten.

With a FG of 1.010, your grape fruit wine is going to be strong, approx 14.59% ABV, this will be a hot wine that probably will overpower the grapefruit flavor.

You mention that your grapefruit wine won't clear, did you add any pectic enzyme? I don't think that I'dd add sorbate again, although it won't harm the wine, I'd rack it off of any lees to a clean carboy and possible cold stabilize it for two weeks, this will help to drop any sediment that is still in suspension, after that, if necessary, you may need to add a fining agent.

As far as the apple wine, without the recipe and process used, we cannot answer exactly, but again, the SG of 1.120 is high, certain yeast cannot tolerate it, also, the fermenting temps play a role in fermentation.
I'd have to say that if the wine isn't sparkling when you open it,and you haven't had any bottle bombs, the yeast is fairly dead, but again, adding meta should be done regardless to stabilize the wine, adding sorbate will only stop any new chances of fermentation, if you sweeten the apple wine, then yes, stabilize with sorbate as well.

Can you post the recipe and process for both?
Thanks.

 

[carant]

Thanks for the reply Pumpkinman. Its appreciated.

(1) The yeast used is always lalvin ec-118. I don't ever deviate.

(2) Grapefruit recipe: jack kellers (my deviation is 14 more grapefruits for a six gallon batch

(3) The apple recipe is 12 cans of 12oz old orchard 100% frozen concentrate, 12 pounds sugar, tannin and acid at half amounts to recipe.
as for the apple I never backsweeten.. Fermentation always stops at 1.03 FG and stays there.

As for the grapefruit it is a bit hot but mellows well after a few months and when I backsweeten. I also did add pectic enzyme. When I mentioned about it not clearing... My previous grapefruit wines always cleared well... Its just with my mess-up this time I'm not sure what to expect.

To be clear:

(1) When its time to backsweeten the grapefruit in a few months... I should(nt) add any new k meta and sorbate?

(2) Seeing that I tried to stabilize so early (primary fermentation not even over) I should rack off the lees now?

(3) For my perceived luck in getting the apple to be a 1.03 FG without purposely trying (yet loving it at that sweetness) I should still stabilize right?