Primary Fermentation is it going sluggish

[Applewineguy]

My starting sugars were at 1.090 started Thursday. Tonight on Saturday my SG= 1.042 and in the last day or so it has gone from tons and tons of bubbles on the top to hardly none at all and has really quieted down is this normal and is my fermentation at risk of being stuck? Must temperature is at 24 degrees Celsius. I have been stirring daily and am making an apple wine. Added appropriate yeast nutrient and such on day of pitching yeast also re-hydrated yeast properly prior to pitching. any input would be appreciated.

 

[Pumpkinman]

The fermentation will slow down as it nears 1.000 or less, it has gone from 1.090 to 1.042 in 2 days, it is fermenting fine. Remember, patience is the most important tool!

 

[Applewineguy]

oh ya i know that i just wanted to make sure lol. I have no problem waiting. so when is the best time to degas and best way as i took a taste and its like drinking pop lol. What is the best way? Ive seen the paddle and then there is a a device that like is a vacuum and sucks the CO2 out...when i reach 1.010 should I just transfer through a screened funnel into carboy or should I rack it off the lees?

 

[fivebk]

I would transfer most of the lees with it, then let it finish to dry before racking again. there are a lot of different ways to de-gas. Some just let the wine bulk age and time will naturally de-gas it. Others use just a spoon or a spinning device on a drill. I have a vacuum pump and de-gas with it and it works very very good. I let my apple wine age at least a year before I bottle it. It will drop sediment for a long time and needs the aging time to get really good.

BOB

 

[Applewineguy]

So does the flavor enhance with age like will the Apple flavor get stronger in the bulk aging for a year? i saw a device for degassing its just a bottle preserver an removes the air from a wine bottle i was gonna hook it up to a bung and give er....what do u think? When do u add ur clearing agent? i plan on using the hot mix of sparkalloid

 

[oldwhiskers]

My apple wine has not been able to make a year yet, so I can't say on that. :< At six months the apple flavor is there but light, I have heard that as it ages the fruit flavor will come forward. If you are going to sweeten your wine you may want to back sweeten it with frozen concentrate after stabilizing the wine, this will really boost the flavor. I have just recently started back sweetening with frozen concentrate and I have been very happy with the results so far.

 

[Applewineguy]

Would it not take a fair amount of concentrate to do that? By frozen concentrate do u mean the ones that u buy at grocery store add 3 cans of water to it and it makes a jug of apple juice ?

 

[ColdClimateWines]

I think all of the stirring has knocked out the yeast ;-). On a serious note and you might not believe me, but wait until after the new moon and see what happens. I have noticed, especially with my apple wines and hard ciders a slow down at full moons. They also seem to stop in the winter and suddenly start again in March. Curious!

 

[oldwhiskers]

By frozen concentrate do u mean the ones that u buy at grocery store add 3 cans of water to it and it makes a jug of apple juice ?

Yes, depending on how dry it ferments and how sweet you like your wine will determine. Also be mindful of your TA since adding concentrate will also increase the acid. My last batch was a cranberry that stopped fermenting at 1.000, after stabilizing I back sweetened with two 11.5 oz containers of Welches frozen concentate and it boosted the SG up to 1.010 which is where I have been sweetening mine to. It really boosted the flavor and after aging, was pretty good wine. I have been doing the same with the apple wine. My batch sizes are 6-gallon batches.

 

[Applewineguy]

So i tested again tonight and its sitting at 1.024 is it a good time to transfer to carboy and leave a 2 inch space between wine and bung? In the primary it only has a very fine layer of bubbles. Also yes it was a full moon when it slowed down which was very odd that now u mention it haha. I'm spiritual so it very well could be a contributor energy is all around us.....

 

[ColdClimateWines]

Wait till after the full moon. Have patience. With apple wine you need to be very careful, even more so than grape wine and other fruit wines, with air exposure. Malic acid reacts very easy with oxygen to break down to h2o and produce a flabby drink. Less racking, less stirring, less headspace, less of everything is more with cider and apple wine. I would , if you are fermenting dry, let the S.G. Drop more. Let it sit on the lees for a bit. Rack once after most ferment is done and rack without splashing and top up to 1/2 inch. No worrys just positive qi to the angles share.

 

[Applewineguy]

Pumpkinman: With this Dragons Blood wine how long do u age it for and how long before its able to bottle and drink providing clarity is there and such......

 

[fivebk]

I usually don't add my fining agent untill the wine has been in the carboy for at least a month and has been de-gassed for that amount of time. I think bulk aging apple wine is very important. The flavor will most definately get better the longer it sits. I bulk age for a min of 1 year. that being said if you have added any water at all you will probably need an F-pack. When I make apple wine it is with fresh pressed juice and no water. If you transfer to carboy right now, leave more headspace ( like 4 in ) there is still active fermentation going on and plenty of Co2 being released to protect the wine.

BOB

 

[Applewineguy]

Fivebk. Idk about this as I have read alot into it and talked to some local fruit wine makers who have been doing it for 20+ years this adding water seems fine and will give considerable flavor for apple. of course aging bringing out more flavor. As to go and use 113 apples for 2 gals of juice for 6 u.s. gals that just is a preposterous amount of apples juiced and cored and is highly unethical and have no heard of this being done in any circumstance...... IMO

 

[Stressbaby]

Applewineguy,

Just curious, why do you think using straight juice is unethical? Lots of people do that and my reading suggests that experienced winemakers favor straight juice for some wines (pear, maybe apple?).

 

[ColdClimateWines]

I have to weigh in on apple wine/ cider and water. First in most other fruits water is a good thing. Blueberry - up to 2 gallons per pound. Acid is high/ water can help. Rhubarb, blackberry and many others do well with added water. Also sugar needs to be added when you add water.

With apples water can be dangerous. English cider apples sometimes benefit from water. Most American apples are dessert apples and do not benefit from water and probably suffer from it. Cider ( considered to be less than 7 abv) in the US has no sugar added, typically. A small amount of wash out water is ok. Apple wine ( + 7% abv) is chapitilized. the chemistry issue is the Malic acid which is not the predominant acid in other fruits. Malic acid tends to break down easy with air and water to produce.... Water. I could get into the chemistry cycle but your eyes would glaze.

We never add water to apple wine - never. We use 100% juice. We back sweeten with juice. We press our own juice. Our cider if we have bitter sharps or well sweated apples we will use some water to rinse our system. I would say we allow less than 1/10 of a percent of water, because we think water is evil to malic acid. But then again we are an artisanal winery and cider mill so maybe we are a little picky. I would recommend that you do what you think is best.

 

[Applewineguy]

I live in an apt and do not have access to a proper apple or fruit press so to speak and its just not ethical to sit in my apt and crush and core 400+ apples like its just not ethical in my books its just not. Yes more favorable wines can be made for sure but in my means its not favorable so I extend out to different ways such as diluting which I have read can produce some award winning wines but its an art right just like they say so one person may get different results that another. I respect your opinion by all means but this is mine and we are all entitled to our own I do appreciate your insight though