Fermenting too fast?

[ryan850]

Hello. I'm making my first batch of wine. I'm using apple cider from a local orchard. I'm concerned about it fermenting too fast. I started with a PA of 12%. It's been 3 days and the SG is already 1.010. Is this bad? Should I start secondary fermentation?

I have a cold house so I'm using a belt heater. I'm concerned it is fermenting too warm. Actually I'm positive it is. I took another temperature reading and it's 83!!

Is this batch ruined?

Anyone have better luck with belt heaters?

 

[Wade E]

Its not ruined but get the heater off the carboy after it gets started cause fermentation itself will create its own heat and that in itself can raise the temp by 5*. What size batch is this as smaller batches will ferment faster. What was the starting SG as a lower starting sg will get to this lower # faster? I would rack this to carboy now though.

 

[ryan850]

I got the heater off now. It is a 6 gallon batch. The starting SG was about 1.090. I'll rack it now. Thanks for the advice. Is there anything else I should do? This is a huge drop in SG in 3 days. Still think it's not ruined?

 

[Green Mountains]

The speed of the drop won't ruin it, it just means that it's fermenting faster and might have a different taste then if it fermented slower. Different might be better.

I have 6 gallons of the same going. My starting SG was 1.10 and I'm down to 1.042 as of yesterday (about 8 days into fermentation).

How does it taste?

 

[Luc]

Your batch is fine, it fermented fast but that happens sometimes.

When circumstances for the yeast are at an optimum it can happen.

Last year I had a test batch that did the same. It went from 1.085 to 998 in about 4 days.

A slower fermentation might give you a fruitier wine, however there is no harm in a fast fermentation.

Luc