SBWs
Sixth year into this... and still learning!
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2010
- Messages
- 466
- Reaction score
- 38
Can a wine ferment without any airlock activity?
I started a 1 gallon trial Apple wine with the idea of it having a low ABV of around 7% fermenting to dry using priming sugar to carbonate and bottling in beer bottles for a summer fun drink.
Recipe was:
4 1/2 quarts of steamed apple juice
1 cup light malt extract
3 tsp acid blend (pH 3.5)
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
10 Medium toast Hungarian oak cubes
A little sugar to get the S.G. to 1.052
Montrachet Yeast
Pitched the yeast on the 5th of Feb and it took off like mad.
On the 7th it was at 1.010 and I racked over to 1 gallon jug and installed airlock (temp was 72 degrees).
On the 9th it was still at 1.010, so I degassed to see if gas was pushing hyrdometer up, after degassing still 1.010.
I added 1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient and 1/4 tsp Yeast Energizer and moved to a warmer room.
Now tonight (the 10th) I see lees shooting to the top and falling back to the bottom, but no bubbles in the airlock. There is steady pressure with all the fluid pushed to one side of the airlock but like I said no bubbles.
Also it had started to clear but is now clouding back up.
Right now I plan on doing nothing for a few days, is this a good plan?
I started a 1 gallon trial Apple wine with the idea of it having a low ABV of around 7% fermenting to dry using priming sugar to carbonate and bottling in beer bottles for a summer fun drink.
Recipe was:
4 1/2 quarts of steamed apple juice
1 cup light malt extract
3 tsp acid blend (pH 3.5)
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
10 Medium toast Hungarian oak cubes
A little sugar to get the S.G. to 1.052
Montrachet Yeast
Pitched the yeast on the 5th of Feb and it took off like mad.
On the 7th it was at 1.010 and I racked over to 1 gallon jug and installed airlock (temp was 72 degrees).
On the 9th it was still at 1.010, so I degassed to see if gas was pushing hyrdometer up, after degassing still 1.010.
I added 1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient and 1/4 tsp Yeast Energizer and moved to a warmer room.
Now tonight (the 10th) I see lees shooting to the top and falling back to the bottom, but no bubbles in the airlock. There is steady pressure with all the fluid pushed to one side of the airlock but like I said no bubbles.
Also it had started to clear but is now clouding back up.
Right now I plan on doing nothing for a few days, is this a good plan?