Mosti Mondiale Need Help With Lambrusco

[nursejohn]

I need help with my Lambrusco! I am doing a batch of Lambrusco (the Domain Tradition). Today is day 6 for this batch. I checked the SG today and it reads 0.992. The instructions say to rack when the SG is 1.040-1. 050. To my question: is something wrong or can I rack now to a carboy and be OK? I hope that I haven't messed up my wine. Any help or advice will be appreciated.

 

[vcasey]

Everything is fine it just fermented fast - happens a lot. Just move on to the next step.
VC

 

[Bert]

I would rack now to get it to glass and an airlock.....top it up and check SG. again in a day or two...if hasn't changed move on to step three.....You must have had some good healthly yeast and some warm temps. to get a fast fermentation...

 

[Wade E]

When making wine you have to check it more often to see where the sg is cause every fermentation will take longer or be shorter due to mant conditions. All will be well though so relax.

 

[nursejohn]

Thanks for the replies. I racked to a carboy last night. Put the oak chips in as per the instructions, wine sure did smell great! Instructions say to stir daily to enhance the oak flavor. Is that necessary and won't that keep the sediment stirred up? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm learning something new everyday about this winemaking.

 

[vcasey]

Instructions say to stir daily to enhance the oak flavor. .

Once I put the wine in the carboy I don't bother - but I'm lazy and unless I've started fermenting in the carboy it usually will sit for a while.
VC

 

[hannabarn]

The reason the instructions say to stir is that stirring exposes more surface of the oak.

 

[nursejohn]

I am going to bottle my Lambrusco today or tomorrow hopefully. Just a thought here; if I decide to back sweeten my wine with a simple syrup(2 parts sugar to 1 part water), will the K+ sorbate that is in the kit be enough so that it does not try to referment in the bottles?

 

[PeterZ]

Should be enough. If you do back sweeten I recommend waiting a week or so before bottling. Additions can sometimes cause a haze to form.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

It should be.

 

[unaFORDable]

I need help with my Lambrusco! I am doing a batch of Lambrusco (the Domain Tradition). Today is day 6 for this batch. I checked the SG today and it reads 0.992. The instructions say to rack when the SG is 1.040-1. 050. To my question: is something wrong or can I rack now to a carboy and be OK? I hope that I haven't messed up my wine. Any help or advice will be appreciated.

I've started a Lambrusco and it's doing the same thing your's did. So far it's had the most active fermentation of any wine I've made, I sure was glad that my primary is a 9 gal size or it would have exploded out over the sides. I'm about at the end of the "oak" phase, sg rose to 0.994 in no time at all, I too was checking it and expecting to see the 1.040- 1.050. Oh well, glad to see I'm not the only one and your prior experiences helped me to calm down too. Have you bottled yours or are you going to bulk age?
TinaLouise

 

[nursejohn]

I agree about the very active fermentation. I chose not to back sweeten my wine at the end. I bottled mine and ended up with an extra 1/2 bottle left over. Drank it the next day. It was a little "green", but I think it will taste great in a few months, at least I hope so. Good luck with yours.

 

[unaFORDable]

I agree about the very active fermentation. I chose not to back sweeten my wine at the end. I bottled mine and ended up with an extra 1/2 bottle left over. Drank it the next day. It was a little "green", but I think it will taste great in a few months, at least I hope so. Good luck with yours.

Well I racked off of the oak yesterday. I like to taste my wine as it progresses and usually at this point. So I tasted this one

, oh my. Lets just say that it can't get much worse

I think my tougue even turned upside down.When I get to the right stage, I'm planning on back-sweeting, oh most diffinately!!! Andmine will have to be bulk aged a while.
Do post on here when your's gets enough age on the bottle to try it again!! Would appreciate knowing how it eventually turns out.
TinaLouise