how to stabilize a stuck fermentation

[hobbyiswine]

I have two batches of pee that are stuck like Chuck at 1.014. This is about where i would backsweeten to so I was considering throwing in the towel and conceading defeat. Question is...what is the best way to stabilize a stuck wine? I would hate to have it start cooking in the bottle and pop the corks or worse. Is sorbate and kmeta enough? If yes in what dose? I dont have a filter setup and do not want to heat passteurize. I could get them down to 32-33* in my mini fridge but it only holds one 3g carboy at a time. Cold chilling 12 gallons of stuck pee would take longer than i really want to deal with.

 

[novalou]

I have two batches of pee that are stuck like Chuck at 1.014. This is about where i would backsweeten to so I was considering throwing in the towel and conceading defeat. Question is...what is the best way to stabilize a stuck wine? I would hate to have it start cooking in the bottle and pop the corks or worse. Is sorbate and kmeta enough? If yes in what dose? I dont have a filter setup and do not want to heat passteurize. I could get them down to 32-33* in my mini fridge but it only holds one 3g carboy at a time. Cold chilling 12 gallons of stuck pee would take longer than i really want to deal with.

Typically 1/2tsp of sorbate per gallon and 1/4 tsp of kmeta per 5 gallons.

Read the label of your additives to make sure the dosage is correct.

 

[ColdClimateWines]

Question one- why do you think it's stuck?
Question two - ten fourteen - what's the abv?
Question three - what is your goal?

 

[hobbyiswine]

One...i think its stuck because it has been fermenting for over a month. I have thrown yeast at it 3 times. Heated it up. Stirred. Degassed. Etc. The SG isn't moving.
Two...about 9.5%
Three...would like it to have fermented dry so i can backsweeten to desired sweetness or add some berry concentrate for f-pac. If i add anything now it will be much sweeter and lower abv than i want. I think the sweetness is ok where its at now so if i can stabilize where its at i am fine with just the lemon and lime flavor. Biggest goal for now is i dont want to risk bottling and have exploding bottles if it starts to ferment again in the bottle so i am hoping someone can advise on the risk of using sorbate and kmeta to stabilize it.

 

[ColdClimateWines]

A couple of directions. First stuck ferments are often due to lack of yeast food or YAN (yeast assumable nitrogen). You can add DAP (diammonium phosphate) to your must and repitch a yeast that is good for getting stuck ferments going. I would suggest you use the long method of hydrating the yeast. Lalvin ec 1118 is one such yeast.

Second i agree abv is low. You can make a port type with it. Add grain or vodka and bring up the abv, it will kill the yeast. Keep the sweetness and maybe add glycerin for mouth feel.

Third use kmbs and ksorbate. The kmbs is totally ph specific. There are charts ( had them before the fire) that will indicate the amount by weight to add by the ph of your wine. Roughly you want 70 ppm at bottling, but what you add is dependent on what you already added and your wines ph. Other methods are by the seat of the pants guesses. I need to get my charts in order so I will look, but "grape man" probably has it. The k sorbate is a belt and suspenders approach and is weight based to gallonage. Kmbs kills - k sorbate prevents reproduction.

Forth - keep the wine refrigerated and the yeast will not activate. A winery in NJ sold all his wine this way. No preservatives. The owner, a doctor I believe always sold out.

Fifth- invite us all to a party and drink it all quickly!

 

[grapeman]

The Fermsoft Sulfite calculator should help you out- a link is here http://www.fermsoft.com/sulphite.html and also in the section of the forums for Calculators, Wine Logs and Yeast Charts.

 

[ShawnDTurner]

sorbate and k-meta