i'm sure you've heard this before...

[countrygirl]

i'm on my first EVER batch of wine...an eckrause lambrusco...been following the directions to the T. i noticed the fermentation rate really slowing and it wasn't due to be on the last rack until friday. sg today was .992!! i went ahead and racked it! supposed to sit for two months on this last round. sound like everything going ok?
thanks for any info.

 

[xanxer82]

Sounds like it's doing fine. Keep your airlock full and it'll be great.

 

[djrockinsteve]

It's most likely thru fermenting since there's no more sugar left. Keep it in a cool dark place and yes make sure your airlock is full. Have patience and watch and learn, then enjoy.

 

[countrygirl]

thanks for the encouragement...now i pray for patience, lol...gonna try a peach or blackberry for the second batch. can't wait to start becoming a regular here

 

[Runningwolf]

Hey Country Girl, it looks like you're doing everything fine and you're ready to move on. Pretty soon you're going to need to get a wine rack. Welcome to our forum and feel free to ask questions anytime. A great and trusted place to buy supplies a lot of us use is Fine Wines if your interested.

 

[Dufresne11]

Agreed, souinds like you are doing fine

 

[Wade E]

Did you add any sulfite cause it should be added once fermentation is done to protect it from spoiling.

 

[countrygirl]

thanks for the supplies link...i've already got a "wish list" going...the kit directions call to add the campden tablets right before bottling. i'm just now home and was anxious to see any changes/differences since this last rack. there seems to be no change. it still bubbles up the airlock just once or twice a minute. if i do a batch from fresh berries or peaches, i will need the campden tablets in the actual must, correct? i'm still doing my homework for the first "real fruit" batch!

 

[CoachPieps]

I just bottled eckrause Sun-Cal lambrusco, I followed the directions and everything came out fine. You should be fine.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Did you add any sulfites prior to the fermentation? Before adding the yeast in?

 

[Wade E]

Once fermentation is complete(stable) and that is verified by takeing sg readings a few days in a row and getting no change (SG should be under 1.000) then its time to add sulfites(campden) and also sorbate if you plan on sweetening. Directions on wine making kits v=can be pretty lame sometimes and very generic, The reason you add sulfites at this point is to keep any microbes that are ever present in any wine at bay and to also reduce the risk of possibly oxidising your wine by either racking or degassing or even just aging for anytime in your vessel. The sorbate is there to prevent any renewed fermentation if you plan on sweeting this wine and should always be added in the presence of sulfite.

 

[countrygirl]

the additional items that were added are tannins, acid blend, and yeast nutrient. i haven't added anything else yet
should i go ahead and add the campden tablets now? what process is happening now that fermentation is (basically) complete? i know it needs to clear...the sample for the sg was not very clear...that will improve over the next 2 months, correct?

 

[Wade E]

As stated above you only want to add the sulfite and sorbate if sweetening if you have a stable sg for 3 days or more. Adding them before they are done can make the yeast stress out and possible give your wine off flavors and smells. Take an sg reading a few days in a row and if its the same all 3 days then add these two. If you are going to sweeten your wine I suggest doing so after adding these 2 products and then doing so before using a clearing (fining) agent because sweetening a wine can sometimes cloud it up again. Also, if sweetening a wine do so very carefully and remember that the sweetness will come through more in time so what seems perfect now may become sweeter later so be on the shy side which is the opposite of oaking a wine. Oaking a wine you will want to actually over oak your wine a little as that will settle down ober time. Please feel free to pick out brans on any of these subjects.

 

[countrygirl]

thank you for letting me pick your brain! i didn't realize i needed to check sg in this manner...i will check it again tonight and tomorrow and report back
i bought a wine "condition" with this ec krause kit, but those directions say to add before bottling. i never thought about a sweetness increasing, or oaking decreasing, but both make perfect sense.

 

[countrygirl]

sg .990
another stupid question (just dawned on me)...
i've been putting my sg test wine back into the batch...is that a bad thing?

 

[Wade E]

As long as you have been sanitizing properly all is good. At that sg you are fine to add sulfites and sorbate, Wine conditioner is a sweetener and it has sorbate in it but any think this product has enough sorbate in it to add to a wine with no sorbate, this is not true!!!!!! You need to add this product to an already stabilized wine as it contains sorbate in it just to prevent the product being sold from fermenting. The bubbles you are seeing in your airlock are just C02 being released from your wine.

 

[countrygirl]

sorry, gone for a week on vaca and didn't have the internet connection like we thought we would have...spotty at best. fermentation seems done. now that we are home, i'm going to add the campden tabs. i will keep everyone updated on sg/clearness, etc.

 

[arcticsid]

Girl keep in mind that sitting and saring at your carboy while it is aging will make you cross-eyed!! LOL

 

[countrygirl]

what's the old saying about a watched clock never ticks...what would wine watching be?...i believe the cross-eyed part. wine making is definitely not for the impatient! there is no instant gratification!

 

[countrygirl]

ok, added the campden tabs, crushed, stirred in and i got a re-foaming action! is that normal? it still smells like grape soda to me, lol.