a problem or being impatience??

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Wine4Me

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
184
Reaction score
2
I have a batch of Welch's wine fermenting.. and I am wondering if I have a problem or if I am just being impatience??

12/17 started wine

12/18 added yeast SG 1130 [seemed high = but I didn't check the SG before I added sugar - know better now]

12/26 SG 1070

12/31 SG 1060

1/2 SG 1050

1/6 SG 1049 [put into carboy]

Hope I added all info needed???

1/9 SG 1040

today I checked it again & it's still 1040

We keep the basement heated to about 70F.



Recipe I used

10 cans (11.5 oz) Welch's 100% frozen grape concentrate
10 lbs granulated sugar Potassium metabisulfite
10 tsp acid blend
5 tsp pectic enzyme
5 tsp yeast nutrient
water to make 5 gallon
Montrachet wine yeast

also used Bentonite at beginning

I hope I added all the info needed???
 
What is the temp of your wine as it could be quite different. It looks as if you racked it quite early and if you left a lot of sediment behind then I would say that you probably left a lot of viable yeats there also and that could b the problem. Racking that early in the game and racking off that sediment is not a great idea. If you do chose to rack that early, bring over all sediment with it. You may have to make a good yeast starter with Premier Cuve or EC1118 and slowly introduce your wine into it and then add it to your wine as that will slowly acclimate this yeast to the abv on hand.
 
OK if I understood what I was reading [on web search] yeast starter = means I just add another packet of yeast to the must??
 
No, yeast starter is not in the must. You take some of the must out, about a cup, then you add the yeast to it to get it started. Let it set for about 20 minutes then pour it back in to the must.
 
Folks:

I'm thinking this is wine now not must. Many yeasts will not start in an alcohol environment but once they get going, they'll be OK.

Montrachet, according to a couple of web-sites, is only good for 8-10%. I'm surprised. Is this true??

This wine is about 12% already. So better be using another yeast (eg EC-1118) in that yeast starter.

Steve
 
Gee I am feeling stupider & stupider here lol But Learning~


1st Seems I wasn't aware what must really was..!

2nd Can I just add sorbate & campdon pills at this point??


I will save how you make a yeast starter for future reference...
 
Wine4, I'll leave it up to the more experienced people to tell you right. They will tell you the same as I am about to. Learn, or ask before you start adding this and that. There are alot of threads on this forumn, and you will find if you you use the search feature alot of your questions probably could have been answered before you got to this point. I hope "our" senior winemakers can help you save this batch if not, it sure isn't the end of the world. We'll help you make another that'll be just fine. I don't have alot of room to talk, I am a junior member and have successfuly made wine from frozen concentrate. I may not win any awards, but from the advice from all in here, I can truthfully say, "I'll be a son of a bottle", , taste good and got some ver ver in it.
Good Luck
troy
 
....Can I just add sorbate & campdon pills at this point??

...
My first thought on that is how does the wine taste? If fermentation has stopped (you're getting no action in your airlock and SG doesn't change) then you're basically at the point of bottling,if the wine is clear. If the taste is acceptable and you feel it will improve with some aging, then I don't see anything wrong with stabilizing the wine, let it clear and then bottle. I'd rack it if there is a lot of sediment (which I would think there is probably not). I'm sure the pro's here will correct that assumption if it's incorrect...which is fine by me :)
 
I suggested about stabilizing the wine now because I don't really want the wine to be much higher in alcohol content then 12%..
As for taste, to me = I am happy with it.. I was looking for a sweet wine that has a strong grape taste and this is similar what I was looking for~

Thanks for everybodies help..
 
If you are happy with the flavor and alcohol at this point then you could add 1 campden per gallon and 1/2 tsp per gallon of wine. Im not crazy about this idea though as Montrachet yeast is not 8-10% abv it is good up to 13% according to the site I use but Ive had it go to a little over 14% when I didnt want it to. You have an abv right no of approx. 11.8% and that could very well have finished the yeast but there is a chance that it just needs a little nudge with nutrient or 02 so I would rack off sediment which could have viable yeast cells in there and filter if you have the means.
 
i'm making my first batch of wine and used Montrachet. my wine is at or above 15.5% right now.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top