Tiny bubbles coming up in carboy of DB

[geek]

I have a fruit wine that I started on March 30, initial SG ~1.078 and finished at 0.992.

Pineapple, Mango, Strawberry and Blueberry. Added 3 chopped bananas

On April 9 I added a can of Welches white grapes concentrate. Racked, stabilized, de-gassed and added super-kleer. Transferred to glass carboy.

On April 29 I racked, added 1 ½ lbs of white sugar and added 1 can of concentrated red grape juice from Walmart then racked back into glass carboy. SG=1.006.

Sitting in carboy since April 29 and it has been throwing tiny bubbles up. Not a lot but just one here and there.
I will check PH tonight and need to empty carboy for a wine kit batch waiting in primary.

I wonder if ok to bottle.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Varis,
If you didn't add sorbate after it was done fermenting ( sorbate will help stop any new fermentation), and you then added sugar to back sweeten, it sounds like your wine is fermenting again.
At this point, I would check the SG over the course of the next few days to see if it changes, this will tell you if I it is fermenting again; if this is the case, you're going to have to wait until it is done fermenting again.
If you did add sorbate, the tropical storm that is coming in can effect the pressure in the carboy (atmospheric pressure I believe, correct me if I'm wrong folks) can cause the wine to bubble a little, sometimes even causing the wine to bubble up into the airlock.

 

[jamesngalveston]

pumpkinman, if a tropical storm can change the pressure in the carboy of wine, what would a hurricane do...damnit
now you got me thinking.

 

[Arne]

pumpkinman, if a tropical storm can change the pressure in the carboy of wine, what would a hurricane do...damnit
now you got me thinking.

Another chance for the old wine volcano. Large pressure changes can do some weird things to your wines. Arne.

 

[Julie]

pumpkinman, if a tropical storm can change the pressure in the carboy of wine, what would a hurricane do...damnit
now you got me thinking.

I have a cork pop out of a bottle or two after some major thunderstorms, not often but once in a while. I now go downstairs and check my wines after a storm.

 

[geek]

I know we have a tropical storm coming up the eas corridor but the bubbles have been coming for some time now.

 

[Pumpkinman]

I would think that it is fermenting again.
You should check the sg daily to confirm this.

 

[geek]

Tom,

SG is still the same ~1.006, hasn't changed.

For the first time I checked the PH and it is down to ~2.81.

This sounds too low..!!!
I read that Calcium Carbonate is used to raise the PH.

So, what is a good PH for this fruit wine and how much Calcium Carbonate would I need for the 5gal carboy?

I also need to know where I can find Calcium Carbonate locally.....sigh...

I also read "Don't use calcium carbonate on finished wine. Potassium carbonate/bicarbonate is a better choice"

 

[Pumpkinman]

Have you calibrated the ph meter? You should calibrate it every time you take it out to use it.

 

[geek]

just calibrated it once again, tested PH and showed ~2.84

NOTE: when calibrating this ph56, once in the 4.1 solution it shows a WRNG message but then it will show the "4.01" and "USE".

 

[GreginND]

How does it taste? I would not mess with it if it tastes good. You don't want it to end up tasting like chalk. IF you have a lot of CO2 still in solution your acid readings may not be too accurate. CO2 is in equilibrium with carbonic acid in solution.

 

[geek]

tasted a little acid and I think I want to give it a bit of stirring as I think those bubbles are co2 still trapped, maybe didnt get everything out when I degassed/racked with the all in one pump.

So you think poh 2.8 is not too low?

 

[GreginND]

Well, 2.8 is low but it could be balanced with sweetness, that's why I asked how it tastes.

In all these posts it is still not clear if you have properly stabilized this wine. You indicated that you have sweetened it but did you add potassium sorbate? If not, it is fermenting again.

 

[geek]

Greg, my first post I stated that I stabilized.
I added a 1/4 tsp of kmeta and also sorbate.

My latest 2 notes I wrote for this wine:

**April 9 5pm 0.992 Added can of Welches white grapes concentrate. Racked, stabilized, de-gassed and added super-kleer. Transferred to glass carboy.

**April 29 5pm racked, added 1 ½ lbs of white sugar and added 1 can of concentrated red grape juice from Walmart then racked back into glass carboy. SG=1.006

Thanks for your feedback.

..

 

[Loner]

My guess is its still gassy. I see one mention of where you degassed and am curious what your technique was. Even using a vacuum pump its a good idea to do it a couple of times. Even then I would pull a vacuum on it with a brake bleeder or something similar to insure it will hold constant at 20"

 

[geek]

I also think so, I will rack again, degas and probably add a little bit of sweet; maybe a concentrated juice.

 

[dangerdave]

Nice probelm-solving, Varis. I'm a to-taste wine maker. SG and temp are the olny readings I take. If it tastes good to you, leave it. If it's a bit tart, swetten it up a little (as you said).

 

[geek]

dave, I have another thread around this batch, lots of foam after degassing again but ph too low ~2.8x and tastes a bit tart..!!

Running to go and get a concentrated pineapple can, hope this will help..!!

 

[dangerdave]

Be warned, pineapple is very acidic. That may be your problem, not the solution.

 

[geek]

added a can of concentrated apple juice and a can of white niagara grapes/peach. Also put a little bit of sugar.

SG= ~1.016, racked back to carboy