Mosti Mondiale SG stuck at 1000, shiraz fresh juice

[davelochner]

I got a fresh juice kit in the middle of last October. I've had a huge problem getting my SG down to what the directions say is needed before first racking. After almost a month and a half of sitting in the cardboy I am concerned I have waited too long. The wine smells and tastes great, but I am worried about clarification and what not later on.

The directions that came with the kit stated to wait until a SG of 990 to 992 until first racking. I've been at 1000 for 2+ weeks and I see no more signs of fermentation, i.e. pressure on the airlock is not existent.

Is this batch dead? Or is there something I can do to invigorate fermentation? I was thinking giving it a good mix with my ladle and seeing if that does anything, but I'm also worried all the dead yeast at the bottom will spoil the wine.

Do I really need to follow the directions to the T? I will rack it today if someone tells me it's okay to do so.

I can't tell you how nervous I am about how this will turn out haha

 

[Rocky]

Dave, what is the temperature of the wine and the ambient bemperature of your wine area? If it is not around 75-78 degrees, warm it up either with an electirc belt, electric blanket or a heater. What was your initial SG? You might want to give it a good stir to re-suspend the yeast. You say the wine "smells and tastes great," is it sweet? The batch is definitely not ruined. Do not do anything to it until you get some further replies to your post and you respond with the information requested. It will be fine.

 

[robie]

Your kit is likely fine. It just stopped a little early. 1.000 is still plenty dry. You might try stirring it and heating it up to the mid 70's, but it is not likely it will start fermentation again at that low of SG.

As long as the wine smells OK and doesn't have any mold on top, just start again with the directions, which says what to do when the wine is first dry.

Follow the direction to the T from that point forward. After you have made several kits, you can take a look at tweaks, but not on your first kit.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Time lines are rough rule of thumb depending upon juice type acid temperature etc. I agree warm it up a bit and if no change rack and clear. It just means you need less sugar to back sweeten. Remember to sulfite and allow to completely clear.

 

[Wade E]

Its most likely done and a lot of wines will stop here especially if this was the yeast that was already in the bucket of fresh juce hence why we like to sulfite these and then add our own. Its a little higher then I like a red like this tostop at but no where near worrying about. It could also be your hydrometer isnt calibrated correctly. Check the paper that came with it to see if this hydrometer is calibrated to 60* or 68* and then test it in tapwater at the temp it is calibrated to and it shoud sit at exactly 1.000. Also are you adjusting your g reading to this tem? You will want to add sulfites now or take this wine through MLF if thats what you want to do with it.

 

[davelochner]

My ambient temp is between 69 and 70, and my thermometer on the wine is reading between 68 and 69.

I have begun heating a large closet with a ceramic heater to 75 cdegrees, I'll put the wine in there after a good stir tonight.

My SG at the beginning of primary was 1072 and the beginning of secondary was 1012. I always adjust for temperature and my hydrometer is up to snuff after doing the test.

In my opinion the wine is not dry enough, but it is certainly not off the charts sweet.

I will update in a few days after it has been exposed to the heat and the stirring.

 

[Wade E]

Getting it up to around 75 could get it finished but either way you want it up there anyway so thatt you can degas it if it is done fermenting anyway!

 

[davelochner]

Oh that is another question I had, when exactly am I degasing?

I was amazed that the instructions made no mention of it.

 

[Wade E]

You should degas the wine when its done fermenting so that the clearing process can begin. Trapped C02 in the wine will keep lots of solids suspended.

 

[davelochner]

Okay thank you for the help!