Purple68
Junior
Getting airlock bubbles every 2.5 minutes on one wine and 30 seconds on the other. Bothe are clear and can see sediments on the bottom. Are they safe to bottle?
Bottling
- Thread starter Purple68
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From what you have said so far, I would guess that it is too early to bottle. The wine is still outgassing CO2.
As Greg said, you should test the specific gravity (SG) of the wine. This is done with an inexpensive hydrometer (like this one, for example: https://www.amazon.com/FastRack-Triple-Scale-Hydrometer-Specific-accurately/dp/B00GGJ4X9S)
From what you have said so far, I would guess that it is too early to bottle. The wine is still outgassing CO2.
As Greg said, you should test the specific gravity (SG) of the wine. This is done with an inexpensive hydrometer (like this one, for example: https://www.amazon.com/FastRack-Triple-Scale-Hydrometer-Specific-accurately/dp/B00GGJ4X9S)
If you taste the wine, is there an effervescence? A tingly fizzy feeling? I typically will not bottle a wine for at least 3-4 months (white wine) after I would see activity in an airlock. It is always much safer to give it time.
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The advice you've been given so far is all good.
I suggest you navigate to the MoreWine! manuals page (link in my sig) and skim the white wine manual. This will give you a good background on the winemaking process. Don't try to read it intently, it's information overload. Skim it a few times to get a basic understanding, then read through more intently.
The advice you've been given so far is all good.
I suggest you navigate to the MoreWine! manuals page (link in my sig) and skim the white wine manual. This will give you a good background on the winemaking process. Don't try to read it intently, it's information overload. Skim it a few times to get a basic understanding, then read through more intently.
Purple68
Junior
One has been aging for about six weeks and the other five weeks. Haven’t measured the SG. Not bottling dry.
Ohio Bob
Senior Member
Given that rate of bubbling, my guess is they are still fermenting. Give it another 2 weeks, then rack and add potassium metabisulfite and top off to within an inch of the top of the carboy. Age like this another 3 months.
White wines can get bottled in the 4-6 month range if all things go well, they clear, etc. Red wines can take a year.
White wines can get bottled in the 4-6 month range if all things go well, they clear, etc. Red wines can take a year.
Welcome to wine making talk.
If you would bottle dry the wine is safer than if you add sugar. This carboy is young at six weeks. My general guideline is if it is under nine months old it has some live yeast and can referment/ explode. The normal home treatment is to add potassium sorbate if sugar is added.
If you would bottle dry the wine is safer than if you add sugar. This carboy is young at six weeks. My general guideline is if it is under nine months old it has some live yeast and can referment/ explode. The normal home treatment is to add potassium sorbate if sugar is added.
I would say they are too early to bottle. They probably are not all the way clear yet also. Not knowing how much sugar you started with, it is not possible to tell what the alcohol level is. Typically we would start with enough sugar to reach, say, 12-13% alcohol when the sugar is all fermented out. Once fermentation ceases, the wines are dosed with potassium metabisulfite (campden tablets) to protect from spoilage bacteria and oxidation and it is racked into a clean jug leaving sediments behind. You want to rack every 6 weeks or so until it is clear. I dose sulfites every other racking if I'm not actually measuring the SO2 present in the wine. Wine will be dry - that is all the sugar has fermented out. If you want it sweeter in the end, you will need to add some sugar back to the wine before bottling. However, if you do this, you need to also add potassium sorbate to prevent the yeast from growing and fermenting in the bottle. Another alternative is to bottle the wine without the added sugar and add sweetener when you go finally open the bottle for drinking. OR, you could add a little bit of sugar to your wine now and let it ferment. Keep doing this until it no longer ferments and some sugar is left behind. This will bump the alcohol up to a higher level where the yeast will not grow and could potentially be bottled safely and leave some residual sweetness. I don't like this as they tend to be out of balance if the alcohol is 16-18%. I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have more questions.
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