Rack before <1 SG?

[whynot]

I've got a key lime fermenting, I was out of town a while and I think it stalled out.. it was 1.020 on the 14th and today 1.012, so it's still going down but slowly.. I'm going to back sweeten anyway, wondering if I just rack it now and clear it, it should stop fermenting and I won't have to backsweeten.

I've read you can do this, but wanted to get some input, as I've always ferm to dry...

 

[sour_grapes]

There is absolutely no reason to think you can stop this fermentation. Let it finish. Also, why do you say it stalled? It went down 0.008 in the last two days.

Where have you read that you can stop a fermentation?

 

[bkisel]

I've heard of that being done but the first time for a particular must/wine has to be a best guess experiment. Fermenting to dry and then back sweetening to taste, I would think, gives you a whole lot more control.

 

[DoctorCAD]

1.012 is waaaaay sweet. If, by chance, it did quit fermenting, you wouldn't need to add any sugar.

 

[whynot]

1.012 is waaaaay sweet. If, by chance, it did quit fermenting, you wouldn't need to add any sugar.

That's the point... I did a batch to dry, with lemon/lime and added 4 cups of sugar, which was fine to my liking.. I tasted this and it's ok...

haven't decided what I want to do, as I understand it, when you back sweeten you can kind of taste the sugar and wine separately, so wondering if I stop it now if it will get a better flavor overall.

 

[wineforfun]

as I understand it, when you back sweeten you can kind of taste the sugar and wine separately, so wondering if I stop it now if it will get a better flavor overall.

Don't know that I agree with that. I have made a Welchs Concord where I ran the SG to 1.145 and the yeast died off at 1.026. I then made a Welchs Concord and ran it dry, then backsweetened to 1.020. I don't notice any difference or sugar and wine taste separately. Either way they are using the same amount, whether it be on the front end or back end.

 

[Wuggs]

I'm still a novice but if you stop it before it ferments to dry I would think you would have a low abv wine depending on what sg you started at. Racking and clearing it won't stop the fermentation as you seem to suggest in your first post. Good luck with whatever you try.