Adding sugar

[PaulWhite1965]

For a sweet wine, some recipes say to add sugar when you rack it until fermintation stops, how do I know when it stops?

 

[grapeman]

Watch for the bubbles to slow down to almost totally stopped. This means you are very close to the end. A bubble now and again could still be released as a little Co2 comes out of suspension slowly. Get a hydrometer and it should read well below 1.000(aroung let's say .0995) If you get the same reading 2 or 3 days in a row , it is done fermenting. You can then add k-meta and k-sorbate to stabilize and then add the sweetener safely without it refermenting.

 

[swillologist]

Got a question appleman. Do you wait a couple of day tolet the k-meta and the k-sorbatework or do you put the sweetener in right away? I have been waiting. I was just wondering if I had to.Edited by: swillologist

 

[grapeman]

Good question Swillologist. It can be done either way- if you are certain it was done. Generally if I have taken my time and it had beenin the carboy for a while, it would be safe to add soon after, but I generally wait a couple days anyway. Definitely wait at least a couple days after adding sweetener before bottling. You don't want to take a chance of refermentation in the bottle. When unsure, leave it longer.

 

[swillologist]

Thanks appleman. I usually wait a couple of weeks or longer after I add the sweetener.
Well I'm off to make molasses. I will catch you again Sunday night or Monday. Everyone have a good weekend.

 

[PaulWhite1965]

Thank you for the info