two part wine question

[gabryl1312]

I am making a apple wine and I did not use metabisulfite on first rack because I used pasteurized juice . should I even use it and if so should I just add it because its been sitting two weeks in the 1st rack since I rack it off the sediment ???

2nd part my apple wine in its first rack shows no activity and two weeks ago on the racking the hydrometer showed the fermentation was not completely done? Is or will the wine be fine ??? Any info will help , thank you

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I am making a apple wine and I did not use metabisulfite on first rack because I used pasteurized juice . should I even use it and if so should I just add it because its been sitting two weeks in the 1st rack since I rack it off the sediment ???

2nd part my apple wine in its first rack shows no activity and two weeks ago on the racking the hydrometer showed the fermentation was not completely done? Is or will the wine be fine ??? Any info will help , thank you

What was your hydrometer readings before and after ?

 

[gabryl1312]

1.060 at the start and 1.010 at first rack . Im three weeks in total. Thanks , you'er the only one that replayed.



vacuumpumpman

 

[richmke]

At 1.010 on the first rack, it is still fermenting, so NO K-Meta. What you did was correct.

What were your SG readings over the past few days? How does it taste?

 

[Arne]

If it is still fermenting, you do not want to add the k-meta. It will most likely stun the yeast and slow the ferment way down or stop it. When the wine ferments dry add the k-meta when you rack it. It is added then to help preserve the wine and keep it from oxidizing. Arne.

 

[gabryl1312]

At 1.010 on the first rack, it is still fermenting, so NO K-Meta. What you did was correct.

What were your SG readings over the past few days? How does it taste?

I have not checked SG since the first rack because there has been no activity and was afraid to put more air into the carboy. Is it a stuck fermentation because when i tasted on the rack it was still very sweet ? Or is it still fermenting but no co2 coming out of the air lock and I can see that there is no leak at the lock. no small bubbles and very little Lees on the bottom. What is your opinion on checking it? If i check it and the SG has not changed , what should I do? If it has fermented out I would add metabisulfite and let it age right. Im a noob that jumped in and thought it was easier then he thought but thank you and I appreciate your response

 

[gabryl1312]

If it is still fermenting, you do not want to add the k-meta. It will most likely stun the yeast and slow the ferment way down or stop it. When the wine ferments dry add the k-meta when you rack it. It is added then to help preserve the wine and keep it from oxidizing. Arne.

Is it a stuck fermentation because when i tasted on the rack it was still very sweet ? Or is it still fermenting but no co2 coming out of the air lock and I can see that there is no leak at the lock. no small bubbles and very little Lees on the bottom. What is your opinion on checking it? If i check it and the SG has not changed

 

[richmke]

Check the SG and let us know what it is.

Release of CO2 is not a good indication of fermentation.

 

[gabryl1312]

Check the SG and let us know what it is.

Release of CO2 is not a good indication of fermentation.

Okay the SG is still 1.010 and has not changed since the first rack.

 

[gabryl1312]

It tastes very sour but great apple flavor.

 

[richmke]

It has stopped fermenting. If you like it the way it is, you can stabilize it and call it a day. If it is too sweet, or not enough alcohol, you can try to restart fermentation.

 

[BernardSmith]

How cold is the room? You may want to increase the temperature of the room a few degrees (or add a heating blanket around the fermenter). Alternatively, you might try adding a small amount of nutrient. Another thing you might try is to create a new yeast starter (same strain of yeast) and slowly add a small quantity of the stuck cider to the starter. If after a couple of hours the starter is still active keep on doubling ITS volume from the stuck fermentation every two or three hours.
The other thing is that the yeast you used may have flocculated towards the bottom of the primary and when you racked the cider you basically racked the juice from the yeast. Not sure how you could test to see if that is the problem unless you have a microscope and you can check a glass slide of the cider to see how many yeast cells you see.

 

[Arne]

You can try to stabilize it, but apple wine can be rather deceptive that way. It is the only one I have had referment in the bottle, and I think it was just because I didn't let it finish out in the secondary. Mine did the same as yours, but I think I tried to stabilize it while it was still cloudy. Anyway, it was clear when I bottled it and one day I opened the cellar door and there were corks laying on the floor. The couple of bottles that were left made a fine sparkling wine. I think I would follow Bernards suggestions, warm it some, maybe a little energizer, and a starter to try to get it going again. It will probably ferment out slowly if you just leave, tho. One more thing, check your hydrometer. Just put it in water and see that reads right at 1.000. You should use distilled water at the temp. the hydrometer says to use, but tap water will tell you if it is close. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[gabryl1312]

*the SG is still 1.010 and has not changed since the first rack.

 

[gabryl1312]

Okay I want to thank you all and I realy appreciate it. I hope to keep it going . The room temperature can fluctuate but its usually within 10 degrees from 60 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit . BernardSmith are you saying I could have racked it too well? but thanks for the great advice do you think if I do this I would cause more harm than good? or do you think I should just leave it alone and see what happens?

 

[gabryl1312]

richmke and Arne I don't want to stabilize because hope you too make it into sparkling cider