Blueberry Wine Slow Fermentation

[mharrell]

I started a batch of Blueberry Wine on August 15th. My batch is 3 gallons and the starting gravity was 1.09 with a room temp of 76 degrees. The instructions called for the racking to occur with the gravity reached 1.03. As of this weekend, the gravity had only dropped to 1.055.


When I intially started, fermentation was fairly vigorous after the 1st 24 hours. But now it seems to come to a crawl.


By the way, I used the recipe from George's site.


Any suggestions?

 

[AAASTINKIE]

go look here:




AAA’s Blueberry wine ( READ ONLY PLEASE)



try the yeast enegizer and my air pump really got it going.

 

[mharrell]

Actually started the yeast with an enegizer to begin with.


I have read somewhere that I could use an aquarium stone and pump to airate and this might help. This may be my next step.


By the way, will it have a negative effect if I racked at this point?

 

[MedPretzel]

A simple stirring would do the trick.


I personally would not rack it, but if you feel you cannot NOT rack it, then rack and splash.but suck everything you can into a new carboy. You are too early to take it off the sediment. If you're down to 1.040 or so, then you could, or I would suggest you could, but it is also not necessary. You are 2.5 weeks into fermentation, it is not unreasonable for those readings. Is your your temperature constant(fermentation is dependent on temp)? Where are you located? Don't forget (at least in the northern midwest) that nights get cooler towards the autumn. Is it a kit wine? Scratch (made from your own fruit?)?


I think all you're missing is a little patience.

I know, because I still miss that in my wines. Again, I would stir it well (aerate it), and see what happens from there. Have you been watching the airlock? Is there any movement whatsoever? It could be few and far between with the "blubbing" but I am pretty sure there must be some activity.If not, let us know.


Edited by: MedPretzel

 

[mharrell]

The wine isa scratch wine from frozen blueberries. Temp is constant as my the temps here in the Space Coast have not started to drop that much at night. I have my room setup in my house just for my wine making and maintain a costant temp.


Frementation is very slow. There is a small amount of movement in the airlock. I have been stirring every day, but it has not really improved the level of fermentation. At 76 degrees, it should be fairly active.

 

[MedPretzel]

Well, the positive side is that you have a small amount of movement in the airlock! That means, it's still fermenting, just dying down. You are doing everything else right, so I would say, just wait it out.





What yeast are you using?





I would check the SG every 2-3 days and see if it's going down. If in a week, it hasn't gone down at all, then you might consider to pitch new yeast, but I don't think you're going to have that problem.

I hope this helps!





Martina

 

[mharrell]

I used Montrachet. Due to check SG tomorrow. Will post then to let all know.


Thanks

 

[Hippie]

Martina gives good advice here.


You need to be stirring the bajeebees out of that wine at least twice a day. Are you doing this? Blueberries contain a natural fermentation inhibitor not unlike sorbate. The inhibitor makes it very finicky when you are lucky enough to have a good fermentation. I know you aren't required to stir a kit wine, but this is different. If you do not have the wine in an airlockedbucket with an airtight lid, do it now. With all the stirring you need to be doing, and the SG getting a little lower all the time, it needs to be airlocked. You just take off the airlock and lid each time you stir.With a fermentation this slow, I would rack to glass a little early, maybe 1.040. Remember, it will aerate the wine like crazy and make it want to outgas like mad. It is a good thang.

 

[mharrell]

Well, we are making some progress. The SG is 1.045 down from 1.055 last weekend. So it has droped by .01 in a week. At this rate, this will be the longest fremenation I have had. Hopefully I will be able to rack to my carboy by next weekend.


I have noted thatsince I have began really stirring more figoursly, the fermentation appears to have become slightly more active.

 

[Fruit n Nut]

A slow ferment is what I personally prefer,you do seem to extract much more colour and flavour,looks like now its beginning to pick up

 

[mharrell]

My wife and I went down to Sebring this past Sunday to pick some Muscadine grapes. When we returned home on Sunday evening, we crushed the grapes and while I was in the process of preparing the must I realized that I didn't have any yeast nutrient at the time I started the blueberry must. I had purchased some the day after the blueberry was started, but never added to the must. So, I added the the nutrient per the recipe and my fermentation has really become very active.


SGwas 1.029 this afternoon. I will be racking tomorrow night.

 

[Hippie]

Good job!

 

[masta]

Yes good work!


While I have no experience in making wine with blueberries (will be using some concentrated wild blueberry juice in a upcomingmelomel "Mambo in your Mouth") it sounds like it would help to dose the must with nutrient over the first 3 or 4 days of the fermentation as some do with fermenting honey for mead.


By dosing I mean not adding all the nutrient in the initial must before pitching your yeast but adding the total amount over 3 or 4 days and stirring vigorously to add more oxygen to build a healthy colony of yeast.


Does anyone do this?

 

[Hippie]

I sometimes hold back a tsp. of the nutrient and add it to the empty carboy just before I rack to it.