Hydrometer reading -HELP

[Sammyk]

On the kit, Chocolate Raspberry Port it says in 5 to 7 days the reading should be 1.128 to 1.133.

It has only been 2 days and the reading is 1.133. We started it the 13th and today it is the 15th.

My primary is in the kitchen, south side of the house. I don't know the temperature but it is always warm in there when the sun shines, as it has the past 2 days.

It would be hard to rack it to secondary today but I could tomorrow.

I can not see fermentation but I can definitely hear it!

At the rate it is going, I am afraid to wait until tomorrow.

What happens if I wait?

 

[AlFulchino]

if any serious fermenation is going on...you WILL see it as well...all bubbled up....you DO need to know the temperature...does your hydromter have a thermometer in it....sorry i have to ask that....get a kitchen thermometer and see what you have....get it up on a counter top or stable table ( hey that rhymes)

what is the temp in hour house?
i dont want to be insulting so dont take it that way....did you add the yeast?

if your kit(?) arrived and was pretty cold, the juice will take some time to warm up...and the yeast can take a couple of days to get in the groove......provide more details and someone will round out the answer for you

 

[Sammyk]

It is on the kitchen table about 5' from the window. I could see the yeast actively fermenting a couple of hours after it was pitched.

No doubt it is working. I am just surprised it worked as fast as it did.

 

[AlFulchino]

the readings that you posted indicate that it is not working....that the by the numbers answer....please double check you current reading

what was your initial reading?

 

[Sammyk]

Temperature of the must is 74 and shinning a flash light into the must if is bubbling. Hard to see because the must is dark colored.

Starting SG was 1.030

 

[AlFulchino]

temp is good, but your readings appear to be wrong...an SG of 1.03 is a near end reading for most wines...it will go 1.02, 1.01 and on to dry 1.00 and .996 for example

a reading of 1.133 is more like a starting reading prior to sugar turning into alcohol

something is wrong w the numbers you are presenting here because unless you have been adding sugar since the start of the this your reading would not be going backwards

 

[Sammyk]

Ok he did the reading initially and he may have read it wrong. And now he has me confused. And it looks like he read it wrong again because when I looked at it it between 1.102 and 1.104

 

[Sammyk]

We finally figured it out. Part of the problem is this is our first kit and the directions are confusingly written for newbies. Plus he read the hydrometer wrong initially

Primary starting SG is to be between 1.128 and 1.133 And now it is easy to figure out we were at 1.130 and not 1.030.

It makes more sense now.

Problem is old eyes have a hard time reading those tiny lines on the hydrometer.

 

[grapeman]

The number sounds about right, but may be read a bit high. This is a chocolate raspberry PORT and as such is in the range of a dessert wine at the beginning. As long as it is still working along, you are on the right road. Keep it warm as you can as these are easy to get stuck. I can taste it from here.

 

[Sammyk]

Thank you, yes it is definitely still working because the tiny bubbles can be seen with a flash light and you can hear the fermentation. Easier for us to hear then see. LOL!

 

[Wade E]

Sounds about right. Keep the temp in the mid to hight 70's! Stir it often and start adding the corn sugar around an sg of 1.080 slowly adding some like every 2 days or so.

 

[Sammyk]

Wade, I am confused now because the next step is chapialtization at 1.015.

No where on the instructions does it say to stir OR do they assume one knows to stir it?

I was surprised the oak chips were more like large dust particles and not actual chips.

 

[Sammyk]

I think I should mention this is a WE kit and not a from scratch recipe....

 

[Wade E]

I know exactly what this is and its a problem child but its a damn good tasting kit. This kit is notoriuos for stuck fermentations at higher then stated sg's leavinbg it sweeter then it should be. Trust me and others on thois as we have made it before. I just bottled my 2rd batch of this. Adding the corn sugar slowly imstead of dumping it in when the yeast has almost given up seems to shock the yeast and make it just give up.

 

[Sammyk]

You do mean the dextrose (is that corn syrup)? When should we start adding it? And how much each time?

I just found the WE heading and if you want to move this there, that is fine....

 

[Wade E]

Thhere is a dry package of corn sugar in there and that is what you use to Chaptalize the wine with. They want you to add it at that sg specified in the instructions but we have all had problems doing this and discovered that if ypu start adding it a little at a time earlier on and keep the kit warmer and stir it that you can usually get it to or a little below where it says.

 

[Sammyk]

How early on? What SG would I start at? say maybe a 1/4 cup every day?

 

[Wade E]

Around 1.080 and about 1/4 or there abouts of the corn sugar.