How long is too long? (white fermentation)

[spaniel]

I crushed my whites on Labor Day. I bought a cheap fridge off Craiglist to try to control the fermentation at 55-60F. The thing is touchy, I will be getting a temp controller for next year. After some back-and-forth, I had to leave town for a week and the thing ended up settling at 50F. As of today, fermentation is slowed but still ongoing.

We want white wine fermentations to be slow...but is there such a thing as too slow? At this point I just want it to finish up so I have time to cold stabilize before it gets too cold outside to leave the wine in my unheated/uninsulated shop.

 

[salcoco]

The fermentation will continue slowly as long as the yeast has food. If you want to speed it up raise the temp to 65 degree that will not hurt the wine and will finish fermentation soon. You may not need to cold stabilize the wine , make acid measurements or taste test first, white wine should have some acidity. if cold stabilized to long will give you a flabby wine.

 

[spaniel]

The fermentation will continue slowly as long as the yeast has food. If you want to speed it up raise the temp to 65 degree that will not hurt the wine and will finish fermentation soon. You may not need to cold stabilize the wine , make acid measurements or taste test first, white wine should have some acidity. if cold stabilized to long will give you a flabby wine.

I understand raising the temp will complete fermentation faster. My question was more to the point of diminishing returns, or perhaps harm, by slowing it down and continuing so long.

 

[salcoco]

there should not be any harm in a slow fermentation, if the yeast are stressed you would get off odors.

 

[manvsvine]

Low and slow is fine , under airlock I've had white go for 5 weeks

If it gets stuck , raising the temp a little will usually get it going again.

 

[spaniel]

Thanks for the thoughts. The SGs of the jugs are very near completion, so I took it up to 70F last night to get it finished up so I can do a quick cold shock just to settle and rack, then I'll test the acid and decide where to go from there.