Stuck at 1.0 on Cab Grapes

[vscottcolorado]

This is not a kit but I hope someone here can give me some advise. My first try at fresh grapes, Lodi CA Cabernet Sauvignon, 80lbs. Everything was going well until I was ready to press. Starting SG was 1.103.Brix 25.5. It got down to 1.0 and everything stopped. Same reading for 4 days. I went ahead and pressed, ending up with about 5.3 gal. of juice. Now a week in seconday still stuck at 1.0. I had the guy I bought the grapes from use a Refractometer and it was reading 5.25. He told me it still had some sugar left.
Am I ok to continue or is there something else I can do to get this down to .994-.996? I have talked to a few others that bought grapes from this same lot and they all got .994-.996.
Thanks

 

[Wade E]

Did you sulfite and inoculate with your own yeast? You could try making a yeast starter with some yeast like Lalvin EC 1118 abd slowly introduce some of your wine until the starter is 3 -4 times bigger to acclimate to the highabv.

 

[vscottcolorado]

I added 1/4 teaspoon of k-meta on the 19th. Mixed yeast, Red Star Pasteur Red Yeast with about 1/4 cup of 85 degree water let set 15 minutes and added to must.
Not looking to up the abv. Just think that it should ferment lower. Maybe I am wong. From my caculation I am at roughly 13.3 % abv. Which is fine. Should I go ahead and start stabilizing? Any thoughts

 

[vscottcolorado]

by the way I did not start yeast until the 20th.

 

[Jeff H]

Morning. A few points:you can't use a refractometer to measure soluble solids (sugar)after fermentation since any alcohol in the must will interfere with an accurate measure of the refractive index. The only way to do that is to use a spreadsheet that compensates for the ethanol. The grape guy doesn't know what he is talking about.
Did you compensate your hydrometer reading for temperature? It could be you are in the same range as the others and you are just seeing a measurement deviation.


You are at 13.99% ABVcurrrently and it could be your yeasties just had enough. Temperature also plays a role. Was the same yeast used as the others? This could account for the different end point. You are only talkingapproximately 0.8% alcohol by volume at 0.994 from where you are now.


It sounds like your fine and where you should be.1.000 is not stuck. If your not going to put the wine through MLF make sure you protect it with SO2 at this time. Any intervention at this point will probably do more harm than good.


Jeff


P.S. - 25.5 and 1.103 are different measures. 25.5 Brix would give you a potential ABV of 14.69% and and specific gravity of 1.103yields 13.99%.

 

[vscottcolorado]

Jeff thanks.
I like the guy. Buy most all my kits from him execpt for 2 that I got from George. If I have concerns I always come here for answers. I belive the same yeast was used by all. My room I ferment in is kept at a constant 73-74 and my temp readings have all been within limits. I did use a 30 gallon fermentation vessel. Don't know if it was toolarge for the quanity of grapes might have something to do with if.
I assume that when you talk about SO2 your talking K-Meta addition? I have also been reading about MLF. Would you recomend doing this?
Thanks
Scott

 

[Jeff H]

Hi Scott. Yep SO2 and K-Meta are the same without going into a discussion on sulfite chemistry.


Many red wines are put through MLF. This is a stylist choice you need to make and possibly could happen spontaneously(that's how it's been done in places like France for years). MLF has a tendency to soften a wine. FYI - If you add K-meta to the wine it willin all likelihoodprevent MLF from happening on it's own.


I can't really advise you on what you should do at this time but protecting your wine from spoilage organisms is very important and something not to be taken lightly. SO2 is used as both an anti-oxidant and anti-microbial agent.


Jeff

 

[vscottcolorado]

Being my first attempt at grapes, I think I will pass on the MLF at this time. thanks for the info.

 

[Jeff H]

Scott, Your welcome, I'm glad I could help out. Jeff

 

[Wade E]

I come up with almost 14% abv which is getting close to the 16% which it is rated for. What was the temp towards the end of fermentation? At this point you have 3 choices, 1 is to try a starter with a much stronger yeast strain like EC 1118, another is to sulfite and leave it, and the last is to do MLF on it like Jeff said but if you have added sulfites that will probably not occur now.