Black Currant slow fermenting

[Rodnboro]

I'm just a bit worried about a Black Currant that is taking forever to ferment out. I've not had a must to take this long. Details:

Vitner's Harvest Black Currant Fruit Base (making 3 gallons)
Yeast - Vitner's Harvest MA33
Start date - 2/5/12
Starting S.G. - 1.090
Starting T.A. - .65
Starting PH - 3.34
Current S.G. - 1.040
Temp. - 70 to 75 F. (room temp.)
Must is in 6 gal bucket with cloth covering, stirring twice daily

One can of fruit base. Added water to 3.5 gallons. Followed directions on the can adding 3 campden tabs, nutrient, energizer, pectic enzyme, simple syrup to 1.090 sg. Waited 24 hours then pitched yeast. The S.G. is still dropping but I'm worring about how long this is taking. Do I need to worry? Thanks!!

 

[vschlaff]

What is the temp?

 

[almargita]

Just starting similar except I'm doing Raspberry. Making 6 Gal, using 2 - 96 oz cans but using Lavin 1116 yeast instead. Just pitched the yeast this morning. Will also add 1 liter bottle of Marco Polo Raspberry syrup when ready to flavor & backsweeten, next year sometime.......

Al

 

[Rodnboro]

Temp. of the must is 71 F.

 

[Wade E]

That is a little slow but Im not familiar with exactly what yeast that is. If its equivalent is Red Star Cotes Des Blanc then its about right. Remember with fruit wines this is what you want, a nice slow ferment so it doesnt burn through all the flavor. Since its fermenting nice and slow you could rack to carboy racking over everything so as not to leave behind any needed yeast. Maybe do this at about 1.020 but for know give it a good stir to get some 02 in there. When starting a wine dont add 1 campden tablet per gallon as thats actually a pretty high S02 level. add like 2 per 3 gallon and 4 per 6 gallon.

 

[Rodnboro]

Thanks for the replies. I don't mind a slow ferment, but I wanted to make sure that it would not be a problem. I'll rack to a carboy around 1.020 as Wade suggested.

 

[Sammyk]

That is strange, similar temperatures here. I checked mine yesterday and it was .99 and it has been going since the 5th of February, racked one time.

Yeast was Lavlin 71B-122. I don't know enough about yeast to know if that would make a difference.

Instructions say to wait 3 weeks but it went to .99 in 12 days. I was going to rack yesterday but I could see it was still bubbling (probably some co2 and still some light air lock activity. Will wait a few more days to rack and add the final additives.

 

[Flem]

Hi SammyK,
.99 what? Is that .990 or .999? Without expressing SG in three decimal places, it's hard to understand where your fermentation stands.

 

[Sammyk]

.990

I have no idea why it fermented so fast.....

 

[Wade E]

Wow, that went Sahara desert dry!!!!! This is a good candidate for oaking. Its 1 of only a few fruit wines I ever oak.

 

[Sammyk]

How much oak? and can I add it to the carboy when I sorbate, k-meta.

It got away from me with the fermenting. I had it marked on the calendar to check it next week. I had some time yesterday so I went ahead and checked it for the heck of it. And I not have time to rack it to secondary yesterday. Might have time tomorrow...

 

[Julie]

Thanks for the replies. I don't mind a slow ferment, but I wanted to make sure that it would not be a problem. I'll rack to a carboy around 1.020 as Wade suggested.

You should be fine, I had an apple wine once that took 3 months to ferment dry and it turned out to be one of the best apple wines I made. I currently have a pear that has been fermenting since 12/24/11, it is currently at 1.000