Muscadine seems dead

[Ernest T Bass]

I racked my 4 gallone of muscadine wine last nite. Everything went pretty good, I thought. I did get a lot of the krud, more that I wanted to. I checked it this morning and it's just sitting there, the levels in the air lock are still together, no pressure build up. The SpGr this morning is 1.010. It worked good up until the time I racked it, I was getting a bubble about every 30 seconds. I came up a half gallon short, so I added a half gallon of water to bring it up to within 2 inches of air lock. It taste awlful and looks ever worse, but I can taste the alcohol. Confession: I siphoned it out of the 4 gallon carboy into 4 one gallon jugs, but when I returned it to the 4 gallon carboy I used a funnel and slowly and carefully eased it back into 4 gallon carboy. The temperature in the shop where I have the wine was not heated last nite and it probably got down to about 50* last nite. I haven't read anything about what I am using, but it seems to have worked up until now, the muscadines are 5 quarts of perserves, but everything has gone good till now. What do you reckon???

Semper Fi

 

[Sirs]

if it got down to 50 the yeast just took a nap till it gets warm again(seems they don't care to play in the cool night air). Thats what I'd say is going on once it warms up it should go right back like it was but don't just take my opinion let more knowledgable ones give more ideas.

 

[JohnT]

My best guess is that you may have cooled down the wine when you racked into the 4 gallon jugs. Take the wine's temperature and try to bring the wine up to about 65 to 70 degrees.

Qusetion: What type of water did you use? Was it from the tap? Is it "city water" loaded with chlorine? If so then that may have caused your wine to stall.

Side note: I recommend against topping off with water. It thins out an already thin grape juice (muscat) and will lower the acid level in the wine. This can make it prone to browning and oxidation. Try topping off with a store bought bottle of muscadine wine instead.

 

[Ernest T Bass]

muscadine wine dead

I used well water, straight out of the ground. Could I used Welch's 100% Grape juice on the next racking, after all it doesn't have any taste anyway.
I turned the heater on in the shop to warm it up, hope that wakes it up.

Thanks for all the help

Semper Fi

 

[Sacalait]

Try adding a tsp. of yeast energizer.

 

[JohnT]

Use this line of thinking...

What you add is what you get.

I would say that the grape juice is better than water, but the grape juice has been treated with chemicals that may stall your fermentation.