Strange hydrometer Reading

[sully]

i am on my first country wine from my other post. It has been fermenting for 7 days ferment slowed down so i strained and transferred. the thing that is concerning to me is that i checked hydro reading while transferring and it was at .986 this seems very high to me the temp was 72 f . all the kit wines i have done where a lot lower like at .998 is there something i did wrong and should i be concerned. it is in secondary now and fermenting as slowed to a crawl. also i do not have a TA test kit so acidity was never checked. how important is this when making wine from fruit. is this a necessity.

 

[Runningwolf]

i am on my first country wine from my other post. It has been fermenting for 7 days ferment slowed down so i strained and transferred. the thing that is concerning to me is that i checked hydro reading while transferring and it was at .986 this seems very high to me the temp was 72 f . all the kit wines i have done where a lot lower like at .998 is there something i did wrong and should i be concerned. it is in secondary now and fermenting as slowed to a crawl. also i do not have a TA test kit so acidity was never checked. how important is this when making wine from fruit. is this a necessity.

At .998 I would have left it under airlock in the primary. I usually like to rack when the wine is at 1.01 to the secondary. Being as low as you are there is a chance for a stuck fermentation. I also add super ferment tot he wine at this point to ensure complete fermentation.

With this said I have had wines finish at .998 or higher. I really don't think you have a thing to worry about. Let it sit for a few weeks and take another reading. When you get the same reading for a week you know you're finished. Good Luck and let us know how you make out.

 

[sully]

shouldn't it start high and finish low.??? it started at 1.086 and is now at ,986 the hydrometer is almost at its top doesn't this mean that there is a lot of alcohol i am really confused i thought i had this figured out =) my other wines finished at .998 now this one is at .986 the ferment was heavy for 7 days. could i have a stuck ferment if the air lock activity was vigorous for 7 days

 

[Julie]

Hi sully,


Check your reading again .986 is wrong. Your hydrometer only goes down to .990. And I am not sure what you mean by this being higher, are you saying that the reading is now higher than when you started at?

 

[jswordy]

I'm confused, too. Any wine under 1.00 can go into secondary, IMHO. If you started at 1.086 and you are now at .986 in 3 to 7 days, your primary fermentation is over on schedule and you should rack to secondary. So I think I must be missing something here in your posts.

If it is alcohol by volume you are worried about, don't fret over that, since you can adjust it at the back end prior to bottling by adding more juice and/or sugar to the stabilized wine. That dilutes the alcohol content and also allows you to manipulate final flavor. Some people blend wines to get that effect, too. The only way abv could be a problem is if you end up with more than your target and you are going to leave the wine completely dry at bottling.

I still think I'm not quite getting what you are asking, though.

 

[g8keeper]

I'm confused, too. Any wine under 1.00 can go into secondary, IMHO. If you started at 1.086 and you are now at .986 in 3 to 7 days, your primary fermentation is over on schedule and you should rack to secondary. So I think I must be missing something here in your posts.

If it is alcohol by volume you are worried about, don't fret over that, since you can adjust it at the back end prior to bottling by adding more juice and/or sugar to the stabilized wine. That dilutes the alcohol content and also allows you to manipulate final flavor. Some people blend wines to get that effect, too. The only way abv could be a problem is if you end up with more than your target and you are going to leave the wine completely dry at bottling.

I still think I'm not quite getting what you are asking, though.

i'm at a loss as well....from what he's stated, i'd take those readings to mean his wine is sahara dessert, bone dry....really to stabilize as far as i'm concerned.....

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Check your hydrometer directions. For that temp you may need to add a few points like .004 or so which means your wine is 100% dry at probably .990

 

[sully]

yes sorry folks i may have not been very clear on my post. I called my local brew shop today and you are right it is 100% dry. i just have never got a reading that low. i said high before meaning high on the hydrometer. my hydrometer goes to .980. so the ferment went well i guess due to being able to sweeten dry wine. from what i have read it is better to ferment a dry wine than a sweet one. now i just need to figure out procedures to sweeten. due to being a strawberry wine i would like a sweet to medium wine. preferably medium i think. It is just my first country wine so i guess i have been a bit unsure of myself. Thank you all soooo much for the help and replies. I really appreciate it more than you all know. I can't get enough of this wine making i have 24 gallons in carboys will be bottling this week just so i can free up 2 more carboys. I am addicted! the only problem is from what i have been told you can only have 200 bottles in your home by law. I will be there in a couple more months then what guess i need to start giving this stuff away cause i am not stopping =)

 

[jdrum]

wine needs dark spaces so dont store it on the front porch, and what people don't know won't hurt you. think about alabama we can only make 5 gal, hahaha

jim

 

[Julie]

Sully,

Are you saying you are only allowed 200 bottles in your home in Wisconsin? I'm thinking you may have that wrong. We have some other Wisconsin people here maybe they can clarify this. I am thinking you mean 200 gallons, not 200 bottles.

 

[tonyandkory]

This is the federal law

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Title 27, Vol. 1, Part 24.75 if you'd like. But here's the basics of it.

Title 27, Vol. 1, Part 24.75

(a. ) General: Any adult may, without payment of tax, produce wine for personal or family use, and not for sale.

(b. ) Quantity: aggregate amount...
(1) 200 gallons per calendar year for a household in which 2 or more adults reside, or
(2) 100 gallons per calendar year if only 1 adult resides in the household.

(e. ) Limitation: This exemption should not in any manner be construed as authorizing the production of wine in violation of state or local laws, and does not apply to partnerships, corporations, or associations.

(f. ) Removal: Wine produced under this section may be removed from the premises where made, for personal or family use including organized affairs, exhibitions and competitions, such as home winemakers contests, tastings or judgings, but may not under any circumstances be sold or offered for sale.


MAY 15TH
Wisconsin lawmakers on Thursday passed a closely watched bill that would make crucial changes to how home-brew enthusiasts around the state share their suds. Both houses passed the bill on the last day they could take up the issue before they adjourned the legislative session for the year. It now heads to Gov. Scott Walker’s desk.
The bill would allow brewers to make and share their beer and wine outside the home. As with current law, they cannot sell any beverage they make.
The bill was introduced after state officials realized last year that current state law prohibits home brewers from transporting any beer or wine they make. The law’s language has been ignored for decades, as homemade brewers say they didn’t know about the transport ban.
It technically makes tasting events and competitions illegal, a fact that’s thrown a wrench for event organizers. Some home-brewing groups have postponed annual events until the law is changed.

Home-brew groups around the state have said the current law is archaic and hurts their beloved hobby.
The bill would also exempt home brewers from permit requirements and taxes. They’re limited in how much they can brew every year, which would be 100 gallons for one person in a household or 200 gallons for two people in a household.
The bill gained early support from most lawmakers, but it hit a roadblock after several groups like the Tavern League of Wisconsin criticized its broad language. They said the bill ignored state regulations on alcohol distribution.
As a result, several amendments were added to the original bill on Thursday, including clarification that a state municipality can regulate a tasting event or competition.



oh ya btw 200 gallons is 1,000 bottles

 

[g8keeper]

Sully,

Are you saying you are only allowed 200 bottles in your home in Wisconsin? I'm thinking you may have that wrong. We have some other Wisconsin people here maybe they can clarify this. I am thinking you mean 200 gallons, not 200 bottles.

granted, i'm not in WI, but i was told years ago, federal law stated 200 gallons....yes, it is true that state government can, and does intervene, as is the case in ALABAMA, which we hear so much about, but i never heard anything about WI....

 

[jswordy]

The federal law signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 allows up to 200 gallons to be homebrewed for personal use per household per year. However, states have their own laws which supercede the federal law, because it provides for regulation by the states if they so choose. In Alabama and Mississippi, homebrew and winemaking is a felony in any amount.

You can go to the American Homebrewers Association site here:

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/government-affairs/statutes

and pull to your state in the Statutes box at top left to find out the laws in your state.

 

[jswordy]

now i just need to figure out procedures to sweeten. due to being a strawberry wine i would like a sweet to medium wine. preferably medium i think.

Here is how I sweeten a wine prior to bottling. Not saying it is the only way or even the "correct" way, but it's how I learned it:

1.) Stabilize the wine (add 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite per 6 gallons and add 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate per gallon (1 TBS per 6 gallons).

2.) Make an invert sugar by using one cup water and add at least 3, and up to 5, pounds of sugar. Put the water in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and slowly add the sugar while stirring. You do not want to boil the sugar. Ideally, it reaches a point where max sugar is in the syrup but all of it is dissolved. (I find for some reason the amount of sugar to reach this point varies but is always between 3 and 5 pounds. If I want super-sweet syrup, I go the full 5 even if not all the crystals dissolve all the way.)

3.) I generally start by adding 1 cup invert sugar to a carboy, then I taste. If more is required, I add more, 1 cup at a time, to my taste. I note how much I added in my wine notes when I get where I want to be, so I will know next time. There is another method, where you add sugar to the wine and take hydrometer readings until it gets where you want it. Many sweet wine lovers seem to like it around 1.020 or so.

4.) Once sweetened, I wait 3-5 days to make certain refermentation does not start (it never has in any of my wines). Affter that period, the wine is bulk aging, and can be bottled anytime.

Hope this helps you.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Good info. Here's the CT statute which lowers the amount we can make in a year from the federal regs. It also specifically says "beer" hmmmm? I'm assuming wine follows the same regs but it does not say wine specifically.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not prohibit a person, other than a minor, from producing beer for personal or family use only, in the following amounts: (1) One hundred gallons or less in one calendar year if there are two persons who have attained the age of twenty-one residing in the household; and (2) fifty gallons or less in one calendar year if there is only one person who has attained the age of twenty-one residing in the household. Such beer may be transported in sealed containers for use at organized affairs including beer exhibitions, contests or competitions. Such beer shall not be sold or offered for sale.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

After looking a bit further in the CT Statutes wine has its own regulations and it appears the federal limits of 200gal (for 2 adult household) and 100gal (for 1 adult household) are not reduced. Sorry beer brewers

Sec. 30-62b. Home manufacture of wine. Any person, other than a minor, may, without payment of tax, produce wine for personal or family use only. Such wine may be transported in sealed containers for use at organized affairs, including exhibitions, tastings, contests or competitions, but shall not be sold or offered for sale.

 

[sully]

yes i think you are right Julie not quite sure