Restarting fermentation in a stabilized wine?

[1187shooter]

Well, I checked on my Riesling kit today and have some questions:
I started it in late August and it fermented dry quickly and cleared nicely, but there was some sediment in the secondary (I sucked up a bit of lees when I first racked it) so last week I racked it out of the carboy back into the bucket, cleaned and re-sterilized the carboy and racked it back in... while it was out we tasted it and decided it was quite a bit drier than my wife likes, so I back-sweetened it with about 1/2 cup of sugar per gallon. Now it is bordering on too sweet for me, although my wife likes it. The problem is the alcohol content seems way too low... my main question for the experts is, can I start a new fermentation, to raise the alcohol level up and then back-sweeten again? (Maybe a little less this time...) I've seen plenty of information on step-feeding during primary fermentation, but not much, if anything concerning raising the alcohol level of an already stabilized batch...

This is a VDV California Riesling Premium 4 week kit, followed the directions to a T up until racking off the lees in the secondary and back-sweetening.
Starting SG was 1.090, the ending SG was 0.998.
When I back-sweetened it came to around 1.018-1.020, but I didn't write it down...
I have a couple packets of Lalvin K1-V1116, EC-1118 and some Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast.

 

[sour_grapes]

Your question indicates the wine has been stabilized, but your blow-by-blow description of what you did to the wine does not say you stabilized it. Did you add potassium sorbate, or have you not done this yet?

 

[barbiek]

I'm in no way an expert but I can tell ya this The main reason you stabilize a wine is to keep it from fermenting again and by the way it will get sweeter with time too my advice to you would be to blend, if it were me I would start another kit let that one sit in the carboy unless you have something now you could blend with but do experiments with it first before you go adding anything to it. Just remember it will get a lil sweeter with time. And since your wife likes it as is, split the wine just let her know it will end a lil sweeter so if it's almost to sweet for her now it will be too sweet for her, blend less in her half hope this helps!
Good luck to you!

 

[barbiek]

That's what I was thinking too Paul because the kit wasn't started till late August thats less than a month? SS I forgot to welcome you shooter! Welcome to the addiction yes we're all addicts here We're all addicted to growing the fruit and vegetables to make the wine also! Some of us aren't even drinkers! Anyway Welcome!

 

[1187shooter]

Your question indicates the wine has been stabilized, but your blow-by-blow description of what you did to the wine does not say you stabilized it. Did you add potassium sorbate, or have you not done this yet?

Yes, potassium sorbate was added when I racked into the secondary, as per the instructions.

 

[1187shooter]

And to clarify, I wrote August in my original post but it was July, my months have been blending together due to an extremely hectic work schedule lately...
After racking I set it in the pantry with a box over it until Labor Day when noticed the stuff in the carboy and I decided to get it off of the sediment.

 

[grapeman]

I would not try to get it fermenting again. You say the alcohol is not high enough but it is close to 12%. That should be high enough for a Riesling. If this was mine and my wife liked it that way, I would leave it alone, wait a month to bottle it and let her enjoy it. I would start another batch and not sweeten it, or just sweeten a very little and keep that one for myself.

 

[Floandgary]

.998sg may fall in the "off-dry" (barely) category on most charts, but after experiencing quite a few different concoctions, most of us would consider anything above .995 as too sweet!! Backsweetening does not diminish the alcohol level already acquired in the original ferment. It's just masked by the additional sweetness. Keep wife happy,,,, THEN make a batch for YOU

 

[1187shooter]

Sounds like a good excuse to start another batch...
To clarify, and satisfy my curiosity, since I already added the potassium sorbate, does this mean it will not ferment? Does the potassium sorbate stay in the wine, and not settle out with the other stuff?

 

[Floandgary]

Maybe one of the more experienced "wine chemists" can properly answer that question.. I would have to think that after some period of time, the effectiveness of sorbate would diminish. However I don't think the effect it's already had on yeast present would be reversed. Cannot attest either way,,,,,JMHO

 

[brottman]

Sorbate does not combine with other elements, and does not lose its potency. Therefore, once added, restarting a fermentation is highly inadvisable. If this is too sweet for your tastes, as others have said, best thing to do is blend it with another batch. Else, if wife likes it (a feat that is a very high mark with my discerning wife), bottle as is and let her enjoy it.

Rant: For the love of the wine gods, if wife likes it omg you should just bask in that glory and let her drink it!!!!!!