RJ Spagnols Hope I didn't blow it :-(

shoebiedoo · Oct 19, 2011

Got my notes all screwed up (with the EP australian Chardonnay) and only had it in secondary fermentation for 5 or 6 days. The sg was at .994 which is what drove me to start finishing it. I'm assuming I'm ok but what would be the result if it wasn't quite done fermenting yet?

Steve

robie · Oct 19, 2011

shoebiedoo said:
Got my notes all screwed up (with the EP australian Chardonnay) and only had it in secondary fermentation for 5 or 6 days. The sg was at .994 which is what drove me to start finishing it. I'm assuming I'm ok but what would be the result if it wasn't quite done fermenting yet?

Steve

You will most likely be OK. If it was at .994, it was about as finished as it can get. At that SG, there could be only a very small amount of sugar left, if any. Just remember next time that time is not as much the issue as that the SG has not changed for three days in a row.

Remember that the stabilizing dosage of Kmeta and sorbate don't kill the yeast, just stun them and stop them from multiplying.

Just don't bottle it right away. By the time it clears well (one month at least with clarifiers), if there are any yeast left, they will dispose of any minute amount of sugar present.

Rocky · Oct 19, 2011

What was your starting SG? If you got it down to 0.994, there could be a trace amount of sugar left but probably not enough to cause a problem, i.e. re-fermentation and explosions. When you say "finishing" I assume you mean de-gassing, K-meta, K-sorbate and finings, right? Keep an airlock on it and watch it, but IMHO you are all right.

winemaker_3352 · Oct 19, 2011

I agree - like Robie and Rocky said - there might be some left - but not enough to cause a real threat. Just keep it topped up and under an airlock for a while. Whatever yeast and sugar is left - it will dispose of it.

Stable SG for 3 days - fermentation is complete - and don't bottle any time soon.