Using commercial juice (syrah) for 1st time. Original sugar level was too low per desired Brix scale on hydrometer so added sugar to desired level. Also had to add tartaric acid to adjust ph & TA. Primary went like hell for a few days and just kind of slowed down after 1st week. Stopped completely after 10 days. Aerated and got a little more action for next few days. After two weeks SG was at 1.2 but was advised by mentor to put in carboys anyway and let fermentation continue there. This was in mid-November. In mid-December I racked and SG was at 1.02 in one carboy and 1.1 in another. I had to use some finished syrah to top off but still have about 3" head space in carboys. Just checked again this AM and SG is 1.0 in one carboy and 1.05 in the other. However, there is still very active bubbling within the carboy (small bubbles) and the wine is still a little cloudy. When I stir the wine it bubbles actively. It tastes fine but one can definitely taste the carbonation. The temperature in my cellar is 60 deg. Should secondary fermentation be taking this long? Do I need to just continue to be patient?
Secondary still releasing CO2!
- Thread starter anton188
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winemaker_3352
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Welcome aboard!!
I am a little confused - what were your starting SG's? 1.200 sounds pretty high to me after 10 days - are you sure you are reading your hydrometer correctly (might be 1.020)?
60 degrees is a little cool - the yeast probably were struggling a bit - did you add any yeast nutrient or energizer?
With cooler temps - fermentation will be slower - which takes longer then.
Might want to bump up the temp to finish the fermentation. Did you rack off the slurry? If so you may want to add a yeast starter to get this going again to finish off.
I am a little confused - what were your starting SG's? 1.200 sounds pretty high to me after 10 days - are you sure you are reading your hydrometer correctly (might be 1.020)?
60 degrees is a little cool - the yeast probably were struggling a bit - did you add any yeast nutrient or energizer?
With cooler temps - fermentation will be slower - which takes longer then.
Might want to bump up the temp to finish the fermentation. Did you rack off the slurry? If so you may want to add a yeast starter to get this going again to finish off.
Duster
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What kind of yeast? and 1.2 after 2 weeks? Wow what was your starting SG? I try to shoot for 1.080 to 1.090 for my must which normally results in 11% to 12% ABV.
Did you mean 1.002, if so it's almost dry, and degassing may help your reading, it is possible that the CO2 bubbles can cling to your hydrometer and cause a false reading.
One other possibility is if your starting SG was high (and if you truly meant 1.2 after 2 weeks of fermenting, then it was) your yeast has died off from alcohol toxicity.
Did you mean 1.002, if so it's almost dry, and degassing may help your reading, it is possible that the CO2 bubbles can cling to your hydrometer and cause a false reading.
One other possibility is if your starting SG was high (and if you truly meant 1.2 after 2 weeks of fermenting, then it was) your yeast has died off from alcohol toxicity.
Relply 1
Thanks guys. You were 100% correct. All values should have another zero in them (sheesh). So 1.2 was 1.02, etc., etc. My yeast was Pasteur Red and was bought fresh with the juice. Starting temps were in the high 60's during the primary back in October but temps in New England bring an unfinished basement down to 55-60 deg normally. I did degas, once a day for a week during the first week in the carboys (week of 11/8) and then again when I racked it on 12/20. There has been no slurry since then either. When I noticed the bubbles this AM during testing I did give each carboy a good paddle stirring which made the bubbles froth almost to overflowing. I believe the yeast is still active and hesitate to add nutrient at this point. I'll try warming the carboys a little and let you know what happens. I have always brought my pressed musts down to a max of 1.0 (and usually below) before the first racking so this has me squirrely. Thanks again.
9-27-11
Wine cleared up in carboys around July. Turned out to be just a very slow fermentation. I just bottled my first 6 gallon carboy and it's veeeeery good! Seems like there must have been a high sugar content in the juice as the finished wine is reading between 13 & 14 percent on the Vin-O-Meter. Salute!
Thanks guys. You were 100% correct. All values should have another zero in them (sheesh). So 1.2 was 1.02, etc., etc. My yeast was Pasteur Red and was bought fresh with the juice. Starting temps were in the high 60's during the primary back in October but temps in New England bring an unfinished basement down to 55-60 deg normally. I did degas, once a day for a week during the first week in the carboys (week of 11/8) and then again when I racked it on 12/20. There has been no slurry since then either. When I noticed the bubbles this AM during testing I did give each carboy a good paddle stirring which made the bubbles froth almost to overflowing. I believe the yeast is still active and hesitate to add nutrient at this point. I'll try warming the carboys a little and let you know what happens. I have always brought my pressed musts down to a max of 1.0 (and usually below) before the first racking so this has me squirrely. Thanks again.
9-27-11
Wine cleared up in carboys around July. Turned out to be just a very slow fermentation. I just bottled my first 6 gallon carboy and it's veeeeery good! Seems like there must have been a high sugar content in the juice as the finished wine is reading between 13 & 14 percent on the Vin-O-Meter. Salute!
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