In a mess again!

[plato25]

I have a Beaverdale red which has now cleared beautifully. I took the SG and it is too high 1.01, tastes slightly sweet. Not good in a dry red!

I would like to get this down to the 0.990-0.995 range. Could this be done by adding a fresh activated yeast? Alternatively add some more sugar (to increase potential ABV) and fresh activated yeast.

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question!

Thx

 

[BigDaveK]

Knowing the starting gravity and yeast strain might help.

Residual sugar is most likely fructose. It tastes sweeter to us than glucose but it's not the preferred sugar of yeast. Simply adding more yeast probably wouldn't work.

I've step fed multiple dessert wines, additional sugar and a bit of nutrient, with great results. Since your wine is already clear I don't know if that's an option or if I would even try. Hopefully someone with more experience will have something to say.

 

[QuiQuog]

It's a shame that it cleared before you checked the SG, but stuck ferments can be restarted. It's usually recommended to use EC-1118 to restart stuck ferments. Make a yeast starter and pour it in. You'll need to degass and clear all over again. That is assuming the kit didn't have you add a stabilizer/potassium sorbate. If so, I'm not sure you can get it to restart.

 

[Peggy Billingsley]

It's a shame that it cleared before you checked the SG, but stuck ferments can be restarted. It's usually recommended to use EC-1118 to restart stuck ferments. Make a yeast starter and pour it in. You'll need to degass and clear all over again. That is assuming the kit didn't have you add a stabilizer/potassium sorbate. If so, I'm not sure you can get it to restart.

If you use EC1118 to restart your fermentation, do you still have the problem of it stripping the flavor left?

 

[vinny]

EC-1118 does not strip flavor. Different yeast PRODUCE different flavors and accent different characteristics. EC-1118 is one that does not really accentuate the varietal notes, but if you used a different yeast that will highlight varietal characteristics and they are present in your wine, EC-1118 will not strip them.

It's a matter of not creating, rather than stripping.

 

[Hazelemere]

Add some acid to it until it tastes balanced with sorbate.

 

[Peggy Billingsley]

EC-1118 does not strip flavor. Different yeast PRODUCE different flavors and accent different characteristics. EC-1118 is one that does not really accentuate the varietal notes, but if you used a different yeast that will highlight varietal characteristics and they are present in your wine, EC-1118 will not strip them.

It's a matter of not creating, rather than stripping.

Thanks. Most of the time when I read posts talking about 1118, they talk about it taking the flavor from your fruit wine. Glad to know that it won't undo anything already there.

 

[Raptor99]

EC-1118 does not strip flavor. Different yeast PRODUCE different flavors and accent different characteristics.

Yeast have different characteristics. EC-1118 is a "neutral" yeast which does not add flavors. Other yeasts will add some unique flavors of their own. Some will "enhance varietal characteristics," i.e. enhance the flavors in the fruit.

But it is also true that a more vigorous ferment at higher temperature will drive off more of the volatile flavor molecules from the fruit. That's why many cider makers ferment more slowly at a lower temperature. To the extent that EC-1118 ferments more vigorously than other yeasts, it might contributes to a loss of flavor in comparison to a yeast that ferments more slowly. When fermenting wine, faster is not necessarily better.

 

[BernardSmith]

To restart a stalled fermentation the better way is to create a starter with a champagne yeast (this yeast has more tolerance for both the acidity and the alcohol in your stalled batch: it's been cultured to do a secondary fermentation to create sparkle in a finished wine) BUT rather than add the starter to the stalled batch you upend the process and add the same volume from the stalled batch to the starter. This effectively dilutes any systemic problems in the staled batch - If your starter was say, 1 cup, then add one cup from the stalled batch. Wait until you KNOW that this is actively fermenting, then add 2 cups from the stalled batch to the two cups actively fermenting. When that is actively boiling away, add 4 cups.. and keep on repeating by doubling what you take from the stalled batch and adding that to the starter. This is not a quick fix... it takes time.. but all other things being equal, it works. Good luck!

 

[BigDaveK]

If you use EC1118 to restart your fermentation, do you still have the problem of it stripping the flavor left?

I'm going to add a little to what's been said -
Fermentation temperature plays a role as well. For white or country wines temps less than 70F (or lower!) helps retain flavor and aromas.

 

[ChuckD]

BUT rather than add the starter to the stalled batch you upend the process and add the same volume from the stalled batch to the starter.

I make my starters this way all the time, but I only double it a few times until I have 6-8 cups of actively fermenting yeast. At that point I pour it down the side of the primary. Never failed yet to get the fermentation off to the races.