Slow Ferment or Misread Hydrometer?

[MrsJones]

I'm hoping someone might be able to shed a little light on this for me. I thought secondary fermentation was over due to Hydrometer reading & kit instructions but I was very wrong and had a foamy mess after a five second stir.

This is my kit:


And here's my initial and second hydro readings:


annnmd here's today's reading:


I thought this was 0.998 and according to my instructions I thought that meant I could move to stabilizing:


Oh and I was a bit late on the photo - but this is my foamy mess:

 

[cmason1957]

That second SG reading is 0.992 (maybe 0.994). That means all sugar is gone. Your foamy mess is just CO2 coming out of solution. Very normal. Continue to follow your directions. You probably want to top off your wine or real down to a smaller carboy. You want to let this sit for the days indicated now.

Wine takes time.

 

[MrsJones]

Ooh thank you! I thought for sure that much foam meant I didn't wait long enough for secondary fermentation. I've cleaned up now so I'll let it sit for the evening and pick up where I left off tomorrow.

 

[Arne]

You mite want to level your test tube off so the hydrometer floats in the middle. Resting against the side can skew the reading a bit. Arne.

 

[MrsJones]

Hi Arne,

I was fighting with that quite a bit - to get it to float in the centre. Maybe I'm just wobbly but I couldn't get it to stay true.

MJ

 

[DoctorCAD]

Hi Arne,

I was fighting with that quite a bit - to get it to float in the centre. Maybe I'm just wobbly but I couldn't get it to stay true.

MJ

Heres a tip about that...fill the test jar so that the hydrometer is floating all the way above the jar, its much easier to hudge it towards the center that way.

 

[MrsJones]

Thanks DrCAD - I'll give that a try tonight

 

[Arne]

Another little trick if it is still in the primary bucket is to just put the hydrometer in the bucket. It is a bit harder to do if you have a bucket full of fruit, but still doable. Arne.

 

[MrsJones]

Thanks Arne! With it being in the secondary carboy I'm afraid I would not be able to get the hydrometer back out.