After fermenting in a 72 degree room down to around 1.015, I racked to a carboy and put the carboy in my keezer at 70 degrees. After a few days I got a bit overzealous based on advice from "an expert" and turned down my inkbird to 65, then to 62, then to 60, despite the instructions recommending fermentation temp 65-72. A week later, expecting gravity to be well below 1.000, I was surprised to see that it was at 1.003.
Discovering the likely temp mistake, I moved the carboy back inside and left it for another 5 days, expecting the yeast to warm back into activity. No luck. Still at 1.003. Although only 5 points off the target FG of 0.998, there is definitely sweetness that I would like to reduce if at all possible.
Is it worth getting a yeast starter going at this point (I am an avid beermaker so quite familiar with yeast starters), maybe with champagne yeast that supposedly is pretty active? Anything else that might help? I am reluctant to stir up the yeast/lees at this point but am open to suggestions. Or should I accept the 1.003 and a slightly sweet chardonnay? I plan to keg it with argon after clearing, but I could possible turn part of it into sparkling wine with CO2. I have a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc kit arriving this week that I was planning to eventually carbonate but I could keep it still and use the chardonnay for the sparkling wine experiment. Apparently carbonation makes the wine taste significantly drier than in still form. Thanks in advance for any advice. Rich
Discovering the likely temp mistake, I moved the carboy back inside and left it for another 5 days, expecting the yeast to warm back into activity. No luck. Still at 1.003. Although only 5 points off the target FG of 0.998, there is definitely sweetness that I would like to reduce if at all possible.
Is it worth getting a yeast starter going at this point (I am an avid beermaker so quite familiar with yeast starters), maybe with champagne yeast that supposedly is pretty active? Anything else that might help? I am reluctant to stir up the yeast/lees at this point but am open to suggestions. Or should I accept the 1.003 and a slightly sweet chardonnay? I plan to keg it with argon after clearing, but I could possible turn part of it into sparkling wine with CO2. I have a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc kit arriving this week that I was planning to eventually carbonate but I could keep it still and use the chardonnay for the sparkling wine experiment. Apparently carbonation makes the wine taste significantly drier than in still form. Thanks in advance for any advice. Rich