Airloc quit bubbling

[turkeyhunr]

This is my first batch of wine that I've made so all this is new to me. My airloc was bubbling about every second for the first 7 days but now it has quit and I still have about 4 days to go before I rack it. Is this common?

 

[GreginND]

Fermentation rates vary a lot depending on many factors including yeasts, nutrients, temperature, etc. So I would say it is not unusual.

You need to follow the progress by measuring the SG, not the airlock bubbles. If you have't done that, you should check it right away. If it is done fermenting the SG should be below 1.000.

Can you tell us a little more details about your process? Is this 7 days after starting fermentation or 7 days after transferring to secondary? Is it in glass or a bucket? Based on your post it sounds like you started from the beginning in a carboy under an airlock. If that's the case you can leave it alone even for more than a few days since there is a blanket of CO2 protecting the wine. At some point you want to rack it into a clean carboy and make sure it is topped up to minimize the head space. If it is still in a fermentation bucket you want to rack it right away.

 

[turkeyhunr]

It's been 7 days after I started the fermentation and I started it in a bucket. I haven't done a SG reading since I first started so I will do that promptly. Going by the paperwork that came with my wine kit, my SG readings weren't what they said they should be because I added more sugar when I first mixed it together. It said to wait 14 days before I racked it into my secondary but I thought I'd ask someone now since my airloc has quit bubbling.

 

[GreginND]

I would definitely rack it right away if the SG is below 1.000. If it is higher you have a little more time.

 

[jswordy]

Your hydrometer is your friend. I am assuming this is in primary now. Don't go by how active the bubbling is or the yeast appears, and especially not in cold weather. Many or most of us do not use a lid and airlock on primary, we just cover it loosely with a towel or put the top on loosely and let the hydrometer tell us what is happening.

A good hydrometer reading taken at the start, and then readings taken and recorded from there, can tell you many things including the sugar and alcohol by volume in your finished product and the rate of fermentation.

As Greg says, if you are very close to, at or below 1.00, it's time for secondary.

 

[turkeyhunr]

Ok, I checked the SG and it was .992 so we racked it to our 6.5 gal glass carboy and got the bung and airloc in it. We have added all the packs of contents and sweeteners and now we wait til it clears and I guess this will take a couple of weeks? Starting SG was 1.094.