Kickstarting a cleared wine.

[milesaway1980]

Hi all,
I made an orange wine this summer. It's still in the carboy and had finished clearing a month or so ago. I checked the alcohol content and it was a little lower than I wanted, so I gave it a boost with a little sugar.

However, it didn't start back up fermenting like I expected. I'd done this before with wines that were still clearing and it'd worked, but never with a already cleared wine.

Is it too late and now I've made my orange sweet? Or are there some tricks to get the fermentation going again to eat up the new sugar and raise the AC?

Thanks everyone.

 

[robie]

Hi all,
I made an orange wine this summer. It's still in the carboy and had finished clearing a month or so ago. I checked the alcohol content and it was a little lower than I wanted, so I gave it a boost with a little sugar.

However, it didn't start back up fermenting like I expected. I'd done this before with wines that were still clearing and it'd worked, but never with a already cleared wine.

Is it too late and now I've made my orange sweet? Or are there some tricks to get the fermentation going again to eat up the new sugar and raise the AC?

Thanks everyone.

Before clearing this wine, did you add sorbate?
If so, that would keep it from fermenting again.

If you didn't add sorbate, since the wine already has a significant alcohol level, just pitching the yeast on top of that will likely kill the yeast (shock) instantly. Make a yeast starter of the yeast and several cups of your wine. If the starter yeast survive, make sure starter and wine are the same temperature, which should be above 70F; slowly stir the yeast starter into the fermenter.

Might need to add a little everclear to your wine, instead of fermentating more.

 

[milesaway1980]

Sorry for the late reply, I didn't realize the email to inform me of your response went to the junk mail.


I haven't added any sorbate, it's just been clearing from racking over the last few months. (Crystal clear now).

Since I've already added the sugar and I don't want it to be too sweet, I'll see about starting up another yeast starter.

Heh, I'll remember the Everclear thing in the future. Only problem is they don't sell it in this state. Closest town that does is about 100 mile trip!