fermentation.

[hunter8]

how long should your wine ferment once you place it in the secondary fermenter?

 

[St Allie]

It will ferment until the yeast runs out of sugar and/or dies. Length of time in days or weeks will vary due to wine type, yeast type, temperature etc Some can take more than a month and some are finished in a week.

....is this a wine you currently are fermenting? Have you checked the specific gravity to see if it is finished?

Allie

 

[hunter8]

yes its strawberry wine.i just started it in the secondary fermenter. i just wondered how long it will ferment.because i've read about stuck fermentation before. also i read somewhere not to use distilled water.which i did use. but it seems fine.it just slowed down considerabely since i put it in there. i'm trying to keep it at 70 degrees as much as possible.

 

[St Allie]

Have noticed this myself..

Sometimes fermentation slows a bit after you strain the must into the secondary.. it's like you have shocked the must a bit.. possibly removed quite a few yeast cells in the straining process too and it may take a day or so for the yeast to multiply again.

Not to minimise concerns about stuck fermentation.. I've never had that happen.... if it's bubbling through the airlock .. albeit slowly.. it's working and converting sugars to alcohol. If you have a hydrometer.. test the wine when fermentation looks to be stopped.. you're looking for a reading of 1.000 or lower, for a finished wine.

Allie

 

[Tom]

Hunter,
What was the starting gravity. What is it now. When did you start and when transferred.

 

[Luc]

When you rack a wine from primary to secondary you will leave a lot of sediment behind.
This sediment is not only fruit pulp, but also contains a lot of yeast cells. These will be left behind also and therefore fermentation can slow down when racked/transferred.

About using distilled water:
Distilled water has no minerals in it. Yeast need certain minerals for reproducing and as food.
So most manufacturers write on the packaging of nutrients the dose that is needed when using 'normal tap water'. If you use distilled water add more nutrients as is described on the packaging.

So in this particular case adding a bit more nutrients might help fermentation.

Luc

 

[Ian_Scott]

About using distilled water:
Distilled water has no minerals in it. Yeast need certain minerals for reproducing and as food.
So most manufacturers write on the packaging of nutrients the dose that is needed when using 'normal tap water'. If you use distilled water add more nutrients as is described on the packaging.

So in this particular case adding a bit more nutrients might help fermentation.

Luc

I could be wrong - but it's worked for me - if using distilled or soft water, I've been lead to believe that the major mineral missing is magnesium. I was once told by a very experienced home winemaker some years ago that adding a 1/4 teaspoon of epsom salts will replace the missing magnesium.

I've been doing that and note very good results.

 

[Malkore]

Why is it that winemakers rack to secondary before fermentation has halted?

As a beer brewer, that's something we never should do...so why is it common in wine? Its not like the yeast is going to autolyze as you drop from 1.009 to 0.999 or below.

 

[Chateau Joe]

Why is it that winemakers rack to secondary before fermentation has halted?

As a beer brewer, that's something we never should do...so why is it common in wine? Its not like the yeast is going to autolyze as you drop from 1.009 to 0.999 or below.

Here is a great explanation,

http://www.howtomakehomemadewine.info/Racking_&_Clarification_Tips.html

 

[Tom]

Here is a great explanation,

http://www.howtomakehomemadewine.info/Racking_&_Clarification_Tips.html

Thanks Chateau Joe,
That's a nice article written so everyone can understand it.

 

[hunter8]

Hunter,
What was the starting gravity. What is it now. When did you start and when transferred.

i checked it in the primary fermenter 6 days into it. it was then 1.01.

 

[hunter8]

When you rack a wine from primary to secondary you will leave a lot of sediment behind.
This sediment is not only fruit pulp, but also contains a lot of yeast cells. These will be left behind also and therefore fermentation can slow down when racked/transferred.

About using distilled water:
Distilled water has no minerals in it. Yeast need certain minerals for reproducing and as food.
So most manufacturers write on the packaging of nutrients the dose that is needed when using 'normal tap water'. If you use distilled water add more nutrients as is described on the packaging.

So in this particular case adding a bit more nutrients might help fermentation.

Luc

so should i add yeast nutrient to it?it is still bubbling,just slowly.

 

[Tom]

If you read it correctly its 1.010. Secondary you will see alot less "bubbles". Let it sit a week or so and take another reading and repost. You want it below 1.00 like .994
It seams like everything is OK.