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Bill W

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I'm making 3 gals of Strawberry wine. The fermentation had slowed down a lot in the last couple of days (2weeks total, primary and seconday) and thought maybe the fermentation was stuck. When I took my hydrometer reading it was clear that its not. I started with 1.080 and now its .990. Just to see if there are any off flavors I risked tasting just a wee bit and its clear that all the alcohol fermented as it has a raw alcohol taste with a little stawberry bitter taste, but no bad tastes. Should I just rack it off into some one gallon containers and let sit to further settle out, airlocked? I know that if I rack it off into a bucket and then clean the carboy and put it back it would have too much headspace. Would filtering it help at this point? Eventually I will need to back sweeten a little as its definitely too dry (but I was expecting that). Help...
 
Your wine is done. Rack it then K-meta and sorbate it. Will you be adding a f-pac? If not you can add clearing agents and backsweeten and age..
 
What has been the time line thus far?

Is the wine clearing well? If not, you will need to continue racking and let it age in a bulk container verses bottling at this point (or you will have ugly residue in the bottles). You will need to add either a similar wine or water to top up (so you don't have any head space).

I would hold off on sweetening (additional flavoring - like an F Pac) until it clears also (as this may kick up the fermentation process again). I don't have much experience with de-gassing, but that may need to be done also prior to bottling.

Can't believe I am giving advice (funny) - but others pls chime in :)
 
You can rack into into the bucket and wash the carboy and then put it right back in no problem. I would add some sulfite and sorbate and degas at this point now!
 
Bill W, go to UserCP and fill your location in. This can help us suggest places to go. You may be one of our neighbors!
 
OK - maybe Im not ready to give advice :) I just usually try to get the wine to clear by itself (and hold off on clearing agents unless I have to). Is the alcohol / fermentation the best way to know your wine is done?

FYI I have 4 5 gallon batches currently that have finished fermentation, but I am letting them sit (and rack every few weeks as needed - I look for sediment on the bottom) until they are clear. I just had a plum wine (I had to separate it into 2 1 gallon containers) one of them just cleared totally - I will be posting pics shortly, but the other one is still a little cloudy. These were stored side by side in the same location ?who kew
 
OK - maybe Im not ready to give advice :) I just usually try to get the wine to clear by itself (and hold off on clearing agents unless I have to). Is the alcohol / fermentation the best way to know your wine is done?

FYI I have 4 5 gallon batches currently that have finished fermentation, but I am letting them sit (and rack every few weeks as needed - I look for sediment on the bottom) until they are clear. I just had a plum wine (I had to separate it into 2 1 gallon containers) one of them just cleared totally - I will be posting pics shortly, but the other one is still a little cloudy. These were stored side by side in the same location ?who kew

I started a 3 gal strawberry batch on 7/6 and it's still going. It's been struggling since it hit about 1.050. I just took a hydro reading yesterday and it has finally dropped to 1.000, so it's almost done. I was afraid it was stuck. I'm myself only rely on seeing no airlock activity along with the hydormeter reading before I'm convinced it's done. If I still have bubbles it's not done in my book.
 
OK - maybe Im not ready to give advice :) I just usually try to get the wine to clear by itself (and hold off on clearing agents unless I have to). Is the alcohol / fermentation the best way to know your wine is done?

FYI I have 4 5 gallon batches currently that have finished fermentation, but I am letting them sit (and rack every few weeks as needed - I look for sediment on the bottom) until they are clear. I just had a plum wine (I had to separate it into 2 1 gallon containers) one of them just cleared totally - I will be posting pics shortly, but the other one is still a little cloudy. These were stored side by side in the same location ?who kew

Your advice sounds spot on to me. Thats what I would do. I would just let it sit until it clears. Now if after a month or two it hasn't cleared it is time to take some measures. Like Wade said though, if you stabilize and degas it will clear faster. I have a batch of Pinot Grigio from a kit sitting in a carboy right now. It has been there for a couple months. It has been crystal clear for over a month. I am not going to use any fining agents on it at all. I haven't stabilized or degassed it yet. I am making this one old school style just to see how it turns out.
 
Just to see if there are any off flavors I risked tasting just a wee bit and its clear that all the alcohol fermented as it has a raw alcohol taste with a little stawberry bitter taste, but no bad tastes.

Hi Bill,

How is that Strawberry wine going ? Can you keep us updated in regards to that "bitter" aftertaste that you noted at week 2 ? My strawberry wine at 6 months has the same bitter feature, though beautifully clear, nice boquet and pleasant mild strawberry taste (no off smells at all), though 5 seconds after tasteing it I get a lingering bitter note for 4-5 minutes which I am not too happy about. I am hoping that 6 months is a little young for mine and that it is just tannins causing the lingering bitterness that will mellow further over the next 6 months (mind you I think I am particularly sensitive to bitterness). Have back-sweetened mine now, so that may help somewhat. Curious how your's develops.
 
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I see you back sweetened. Did you add a f-pac?
 
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