HELP!!! Stuck at 1.020

[Samh200]

My Blackberry jam wine is stuck at 1.020... How can I restart it?

Yeast Red Star Montrachet
My temp is 73
its 1 gallon
start sg was 1.090
i started it on 3/4/12... On 3/10/12 it was at 1.020 and it had not moved. I gave it a good stirring pass 2 days but nothing is going on...

 

[djrockinsteve]

Did you add any nutrients? Is it in a bucket or a Carboy?

 

[Samh200]

Did you add any nutrients? Is it in a bucket or a Carboy?

It was in bucket... but I just stirred and racked it to carbor about 3 hrs ago... I have not added anything to it yet, except what the recipe called for in the begining...

 

[Julie]

give it a few more days, to see if it does down any.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Sam could you post the recipe?

 

[Samh200]

Sam could you post the recipe?

this is the recipe I went by but when I added the suger my sg was 1.120 so i had to add 64oz apple juice and about 6 cups water to get it to 1.090 and then I was at 2 gallons so i seperated into 2 diffrent buckets and added the rest of the ingredints... I put this In each bucket
2-tsp Acid Blend
1/8-tsp Tannin
1-tsp Nutrient
1-tsp Pectic Enzyme
half packet yeast in each

Jam or Jelly Wine (Strawberry, Peach, Blackberry, Plum, Raspberry)
Makes one gallon.

3-lbs or 6 cups Jelly or Jam any flavor
1-lb or 2-cups Sugar
6-7 Pints or 12-14 cups of water
2-tsp Acid Blend
1/8-tsp Tannin
1-tsp Nutrient
1-tsp Pectic Enzyme
1- Premier Cuvee, or K1V-1116 Wine Yeast

Scoop Jelly or Jam into your primary fermentor, use a fine straining bag if it has seeds.
Disolve sugar in 2 pints of boiling water, remove from heat and add 3 pints of cool water to sugar water to cool, then add to primary. (Do not pour the boiling water directly into the jam, be sure to mix with cool water first)
Stir in enough Cool Water to make one US Gallon in primary - make sure all lumps are disolved.
Stir in Acid Blend, Tannin, Nutrient and Pectic Enzyme.
Check that the temperature is near 70 degrees, if not allow to cool.
Test to confirm Starting SG of 1.080 - 1.090 Adjust if necessary.
Let sit overnight for the Pectic Enzyme to work.
Add yeast.
Ferment for 3-5 days. When SG reaches 1.010 transfer/syphon into glass carboy (secondary), attach bung and airlock. Leave for approx. 3 weeks, SG should be at or below 1.000, transfer again.
Leave for approx. 2 months, transfer again this time adding 1 campden tablet. Transfer again in 2 months and again in 2 months if necessary.
Bottle when clear.

Can be sweetened to taste at bottling by adding 1/2 tsp Potassium Sorbate stabilizer and about 1/4 lb dissolved Sugar per gallon. I like this wine sweetened back up to about 1.010, but either leave dry or sweeten to your personal taste.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Ok since you racked and agitated it give it a few days as Julie said and check it again. It will be fine. If it doesn't move I would suggest rehydrating some yeast and add. Use something like Lalvin EC-1118

Let us know

 

[Samh200]

Ok since you racked and agitated it give it a few days as Julie said and check it again. It will be fine. If it doesn't move I would suggest rehydrating some yeast and add. Use something like Lalvin EC-1118

Let us know

OK thanks ill give it a try...

 

[jswordy]

Did you splash rack when you racked it? That helps restart by adding oxygen.

While you are waiting, I'd move the carboy to a warm room or place it near the heat register. Bumping up the wine temp just a few degrees can work wonders to restart. Once it's going again, move it away some.

Patiently watch the airlock very carefully for 10-15 minutes for bubbles. I've had some wines really slow down at 1.020 and below, but they are still working.

Let us know what happens.

 

[chevs15]

I made the same thing recently and am stuck at the same point....1.020! It's been about a week. I have not moved it to a carboy yet. Should I?

 

[winemaker_3352]

You might have racked it too soon.
Next time give a good stir - rack to secondary when SG is around 1.005 or lower.

Did you mix the yeast back up before racking?

 

[chevs15]

I haven't racked mine yet. It's still in the primary. It's been about 8 days and it's at 1.020. Thoughts?

 

[zipur]

I had this happen with some mandarin orange wine. I took some wine out via the thief, got it going again with Lalvin EC-1118, then re-introduced it to the secondary. It finished fine for me and the wine turned out awesome. I am planning on making some more soon.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I haven't racked mine yet. It's still in the primary. It's been about 8 days and it's at 1.020. Thoughts?

Ok - have you given it some good stirs? Get the O2 into it. In the primary - yeast like the O2.

 

[chevs15]

I've stirred it every day. Still not budging from 1.020. Help?

 

[jswordy]

I've stirred it every day. Still not budging from 1.020. Help?

Suggestions:

1.) Is it warm? If you warm it up some, that could reactivate the yeast. Get it into the upper temp ranges for the strain you are using. Then once it restarts, move to a cooler location again.

2.) Starter with vigorous yeast (EC-1118 or similar recommended for stuck fermentations). Then introduce some of your must into the starter. Let rest. Then into the bucket with it and a nice stir.

The second is the more desperate move. Both have worked for me. I'd rather warm first, though, as I can stick with my original yeast plans that way. Good luck.

 

[robie]

How are you measuring the SG? With a hydrometer or a refractometer?
Just in case you are trying to use a refractometer, once alcohol is present, it's reading has to go through a special conversion before you can convert it to SG.

Probably not the case, but just to make sure, as we have had two cases of wine makers trying to use a refractometer on wine over the past month or so.

 

[chevs15]

I just thought of something....would any preservatives in the jam be keeping it from fermenting down to where it should? I didn't pay attention to the ingredients.