Red wine fermentation.

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Dave35

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So after primary fermentation 1.010 I racked my cab into a car boy. It was very slow getting to 1.000. It's been a month now. I was hopeful it would be .996 by now. It's still bubbling, and there is about 1/2 inch of sediment at the bottom. Question is should i rack it off that sediment now and if so should i add the potassium? Or let it go another couple days and see if it drops any more? I have other batches going and they all reached .995 after a couple days in the carboy already been clearing for a month. I started them all at the same time.
 
I was leaning towards just racking it and Adding the potassium, I figure that wouldn't stop it from fermenting the rest of the way.
 
You might want to try adding yeast hulls and stir the wine to suspend everything, wait 24hrs and rack to a clean carboy. This will remove most of the dead yeast and toxins, while adding a bit of oxygen and bringing over the healthy yeast to the clean carboy. I wouldn't add sulfite yet.
 
You might want to try adding yeast hulls and stir the wine to suspend everything, wait 24hrs and rack to a clean carboy. This will remove most of the dead yeast and toxins, while adding a bit of oxygen and bringing over the healthy yeast to the clean carboy. I wouldn't add sulfite yet.

I'd also it in a warm place to see if you can kick off a good growth of yeast. What were the numbers? Sugar really high?
 
I would rack off of the gross lees now and hope you do not have a stinky wine. basic rule I follow is three days after press; rack, three weeks later rack again and then three months rack again. add potassium meta at three day rack. and three week rack. if you did a taste test of wine at a sg of .995 and one at 1.000 I don't think you would be able to tell the difference.
by the way the bubbles you see is co2 degassing.
 
Stickman So you think I should stir up the sediment from the bottom? Or should i rack it then add the yeast hulls.
And stir.
I'm having trouble locating yeast hulls near me i might have to order them. I'm thinking i should rack now. Thanks for your advice

I might be able to get them from a place tomorrow. Do you think I should wait till tomorrow to add them and rack today?
 
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Johnny99 I'm not sure.... It was Regina juice. I brought it home and it was already starting to ferment. I let it ferment in a fermenting bucket for about two weeks first time I checked it was 1.047 racked it out of the fermenter at 1.010 into a car boy and it's been a month now and it's at 1.000 I would check it every 3 or 4 days and it was always dropping.
 
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Agree with the others,

Rack it off, do not add k-meta yet, and try a warmer spot.

As long as it's pushing bubbles out of the airlock and I get it off the sediment I shouldn't have to worry to much about bacteria right?
 
Johnny99 I'm not sure.... It was Regina juice. I brought it home and it was already starting to ferment. I let it ferment in a fermenting bucket for about two weeks first time I checked it was 1.047 racked it out of the fermenter at 1.010 into a car boy and it's been a month now and it's at 1.000 I would check it every 3 or 4 days and it was always dropping.

Hmmm, if I read you right, 1.047 after two weeks of fermentation, it could have been quite high in the beginning. I agree, rack it off, airlock and wait. If it doesn't finish in a warm place you may need to restart with a high alcohol tolerant yeast-unless you want to finish a sweet red.
 

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