RJ Spagnols Rack while still bubbling?

[trashy]

Both of the Blueberry kits are still bubbling fairly regularly. Will it hurt to go ahead and rack, degas, and clear them into the carboys? I've never had batches ferment this long. They have both been in the primary buckets for 19 days now!

 

[summersolstice]

Did you take a hydrometer reading? I'd leave it for another week or so if it's still fermenting and I certainly wouldn't attempt to stabilize. If you're worried about the wine remaining on the gross lees, it wouldn't harm it to rack off the lees to another carboy to finish fermenting but I really don't think it's necessary yet. Fermentation isn't as aggressive with cooler temps and fermentations take longer under an airlock.

 

[trashy]

OK, here are the SG numbers:

Kit 1
11-13-07 - 1.127
12-02-07 - 1.020

Kit 2
11-13-07 - 1.092
12-02-07 - 1.014

They started higher because of the invert sugar (and the 'oops' on Kit 1)

Did you take a hydrometer reading? I'd leave it for another week or so if it's still fermenting and I certainly wouldn't attempt to stabilize. If you're worried about the wine remaining on the gross lees, it wouldn't harm it to rack off the lees to another carboy to finish fermenting but I really don't think it's necessary yet. Fermentation isn't as aggressive with cooler temps and fermentations take longer under an airlock.

 

[Wade E]

Just follow the instructions as you added all that sugar which has boosted the abv and will take longer than instructions say. You will want to rack when instructions say to rack.

 

[trashy]

Just follow the instructions as you added all that sugar which has boosted the abv and will take longer than instructions say. You will want to rack when instructions say to rack.

OK, that confused me. So I should go ahead and rack off the lees now and let it finish fermenting in the carboy? But I should wait and do stabilization, etc. after fermenting drops off, right?

 

[grapeman]

That's right Trashy. I might even given the real high SG one a few more days to get a little lower. Sometimes when you rack one that is already high in alcohol it will cause it to stall out. Then if it doesn't start up again you would end up with a very sweet wine. The lower one is no problem, bo ahead and rack but let it finish up fermenting before stabilizing.

 

[PolishWineP]

Or, if you rack it at too high an SG you could find the action of racking will cause it to kick into high gear and flow out of the carboy all over everything. It's not pretty.

 

[trashy]

OK, so it won't hurt to rack the one that is down to 1.014, right? And then stabilize and degas later. Cool.

Because I need a free primary so I can bottle my Chocolate Orange Port!

 

[Wade E]

Never add stabilizer while a fermentation is in effect as it most likely will not do anything as it is very hard to stop a fermentation in progress and if it does stop it it most likely will be at point where you dont want it to stop. It is very unpredictable and not recommended at all. There are ways of doing this like cold stabilization or sterile filtering and those 2 ways are the only methods that are good.

 

[masta]

I have found that adding sugar to a kit like you did also needs some added yeast nutrient to help the yeast complete the fermentation. Racking now and adding a tsp at this point might even help it complete fermentation.

 

[trashy]

I have found that adding sugar to a kit like you did also needs some added yeast nutrient to help the yeast complete the fermentation. Racking now and adding a tsp at this point might even help it complete fermentation.

Yep, I did that, which I suspect is why it is still fermenting!

 

[PolishWineP]

You could just bottle out of the carboy?

 

[trashy]

You could just bottle out of the carboy?

Now why would I want to do that? What a hassle!

OK, so we got one Blueberry kit racked and now we're gonna bottle the Chocolate Orange Port and I just hope we don't drink it all first. Then we start the new kit, which I have forgotten what it is.

I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I had a vodka and diet coke at 9am.....