So I have a 5 gallon batch of white muscadine must in primary. I pitched Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast 2 days ago after hydrating it and then pouring into must. The must temp is approx 72-74 degrees F and still producing frothy bubbles when I gently punch down the cap several times a day. Yesterday I took a S.G reading and it dropped from the initial 1.090 down to 1.056. I took another reading again today and it was the same YET still producing frothy bubbles when I punch down slowly and gently. After reading, it sounds like once the S.G. levels out and remains the same for 2-3 consecutive days then the primary has completed. However, and this brings me to my question, as I said the bubbling is still quite vigorous at punch down. This is only the 3rd day after pitching yeast so would find it hard to believe that primary has already slowed down. If I am getting the same reading tomorrow yet still have the bubbles do I press and rack to secondary or keep it in the primary until they stop? I don't want to leave the skins in there too long as they will go bad nor do I want to rack and have it explode out of the carboy. Can anyone give some advice? Thank all
Primary fermentation slowing down?
- Thread starter mr2step
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I have never made a muscadine, but
Did you add any yeast nutrient or yeast starter when you started fermenting?
With that particular yeast, you should be going strong at this point. There should be lots of fizzing going on between punch downs and the SG should be steadily dropping.
I am wondering why the fermentation temperature is so low, since fermentation creates its own heat. What is the temperature of the actual room in which the fermenter is setting?
Did you add any yeast nutrient or yeast starter when you started fermenting?
With that particular yeast, you should be going strong at this point. There should be lots of fizzing going on between punch downs and the SG should be steadily dropping.
I am wondering why the fermentation temperature is so low, since fermentation creates its own heat. What is the temperature of the actual room in which the fermenter is setting?
Noontime
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As with Robie I have never made muscadine, but I can't imagine it ferments very differently than other wines. It looks like you're moving towards a stuck ferementation. At 1.056 theres still plenty of sugar for yeast to be munching on vigorously. I'd up that temperature, add a bit of yeast energizer, and make sure to get a little oxygen in there.
Bubbles are hard to guage by ... it may not actually be producing more gas, just the liquid is saturated and CO2 is being released from the liquid.
Bubbles are hard to guage by ... it may not actually be producing more gas, just the liquid is saturated and CO2 is being released from the liquid.
Yep, if it is fermenting, it should be a lot warmer than it is, unless the room temperature is at or below about 62F.
A good stir is always a big help; whip some air down into it, it is still early in the cycle. With that yeast, I doubt nutrients would be a big issue unless there is something special different about Muscadine.
andy123
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I bet if you stay the course for 5 days of primary Your Sg will drop. If not re pitch with EC-1118. That yeast is so tough I think you could ferment cardboard. White wines dont usually stay with the skins after crush but muscadine is a different animal so you can do as you please. I made a Black Noble muscadine on the skins for 5 days then re sugarred and made a second run with the same skins. There are some folks with a lot of muscadine experience on the forum. Seems like Waldo is one of them.Good luck.,.,,.,,,.,,.,,,.,,.,,.,,.,,.,,.,.By the way mr2step have you ever heard of Pappa's Honkytonk Nightclub,in Ocala. I was a mechanical bull operator there a half a lifetime ago.
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Well the low temp was due to the fact I was afraid the must was going to go china syndrome on me and burn up and kill the yeast as I had read that mid 60-70's F was a normal range of temps and I was afraid it was going to climb into the 80's so I put the bucket into a large ice cooler and placed cool water around it. Well, it worked
ThenI realized I might be doing what I was trying to avoid which is slow/stop a fermentation so I drained it and now temp is back up to upper 70's at about 76 degrees F.
The good news is that S.G reading this morning was down to 1.040 so it is still going and with all things good will be ready for secondary racking this weekend at this rate. I am taking the advice of just waiting and not rushing to make decisions as others have done before and said.
ThenI realized I might be doing what I was trying to avoid which is slow/stop a fermentation so I drained it and now temp is back up to upper 70's at about 76 degrees F. The good news is that S.G reading this morning was down to 1.040 so it is still going and with all things good will be ready for secondary racking this weekend at this rate. I am taking the advice of just waiting and not rushing to make decisions as others have done before and said.
I figured you had to be doing something to purposely keep the temperature down.
Don't worry about the temperature going up. Let it go to where it wants to go on its own, especially with your particular yeast.
There are yeast out there that prefer cooler temps, but yours is not one of them.
Don't worry about the temperature going up. Let it go to where it wants to go on its own, especially with your particular yeast.
There are yeast out there that prefer cooler temps, but yours is not one of them.
Andy123- Nope never heard of that place then again nightclubs open and close so frequently in Ocala I cannot keep up with them, nor do I go to them to be honest. I do have a sneaking suspicion though of what it might be called now though Now, if only Ocala/Gainesville could get a winemaking shop I would be a happy camper!
Now, if only Ocala/Gainesville could get a winemaking shop I would be a happy camper!Thanks Robie. My goal was to TRY and get a drier wine so I heard this was a good strain as it tolerates high alcohol well. We'll see. Good news though is that fermentation seems to be going well and am looking forward to racking soon which will open even MORE questions to me even AFTER reading and searching for my answers. I actually picked grapes last year and froze them to make a batch and chickened out as I was afraid of mucking something up but this year just said to heck with it and did it! My bathroom looks like a scene out of the tv show "Breaking Bad" and my wife isn't too happy
Robie- That's great to hear. Thank you. Out of curiosity when do you normally press the skins off the top of the must if it's still in primary fermenation stage and not quite down to the 1.020-1.010 stage yet? I suspect I will be there in next few days at this rate but was curious on slower fermentations in general. I know the skins can go bad, even with regular punch downs.
Again, I am not a Muscadine wine maker and can only speak in generalities. Slow fermentation doesn't really make much difference unless it turns into several weeks. Just keep the skins pushed down regularly (2 to 3 times per day). Your fermentation is not that slow, so just press it when it reaches the target SG. I am assuming 1.010 to 1.020 is your target.
Have you seen this site:
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/muscadine.asp
Jack Keller can give some pretty good advice.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/muscadine.asp
Jack Keller can give some pretty good advice.
