LONG Fermentation Times

[agaric1]

Thought this would be the place to post this.

Ok I got a problem with a recipe for wine with a fermentation time of about 3 months. It's not a bad problem but still a problem. Past two seasons the ferment time has been about 1 year instead of 3 months. I am about to harvest so this is a problem. I have 6 carboys total and only 2 empty ones. That is not enough empty carboys.

Recipe:
1.5 freezer bags full of grapes, 1 gallon bags. (I measure before I remove grapes from stems)
7 pounds of sugar. (I just go ahead and use the leftover pound for 8 total)
Distilled water
1 packet of regular yeast, from grocery store. I know what you're thinking but the guy swears by this recipe. (NEVER quick rise)

This recipe calls for NO campden tablets. They guy has used it for years and swears by it. It worked well for me last season and this season is going well, too well. Like I said, it just keeps fermenting.
I know I added an extra pound of sugar but I just cannot believe that would add 8 or 9 months of fermenting. Also, the fermentation seems very steady. It might stop for a day because I messed with the A/C. But it never stops for a month and then restarts or anything like that. Fermentation is at a crawl but it's still going.

So wondering if any long time wine makers have any ideas? I would prefer to NOT add anything to just stop fermentation instantly. I did not add any tablets to the wine last time and would like to stay away from that. I would probably prefer to just buy some more carboys (even though I already got 6) than to add anything unnatural.
Could I speed up this year long period of fermenting by doubling the amount of yeast when I start?
No, I did not check my juice with a hydrometer when I started, so I have no numbers to give.
There may be nothing I can do but thought I would ask. Thanks

 

[ColemanM]

I'm guessing the bubble activity is just co2 escaping. Fermentation should be done but the only way to tell is by using a hydrometer. Good luck.

 

[JohnT]

I could not agree more with colemanM. Get a hydrometer. They are cheap, reliable, and will tell you exactly when fermentation is complete.

Having a fermentation that lasts 1 year is HIGHLY unlikely. You make no mention of temperature, so I assume that the wine was kept at 65 degrees or warmer (room temperature)? If this is the case, then I sincerely doubt a 1 year ferment.

Question: How long age did you see the first signs of fermentation? Is it possible that the packet of yeast you added was dead and it took this long for wild yeast to take hold??