Stuck fermentation after racking

[jesseb]

There are many similar threads on this topic already, so not sure if creating a new thread is necessary (as opposed to posting in a existing one).

So my fermentation is stuck, it stopped at 1.010 and tastes way too sweet for my liking. After 9 days of fermenting I racked the wine of the skins and after settling gross lees, racked it to a clean vessel. Then I pitched malo-nutri and a malo culture. It is releasing lot of gas, even has a small ring of foam on top but the gravity reading is still the same after a week, at 1.010. Fermentation started nice and vigorous, but died down in the end. I racked before the end of fermentation because the next batch needed to go into the fermenter and the wine was sitting on the skins for 12 days already. Op top of that I forgot to add half of my nutrient addition.

Must volume in total was around 30L, after first racking yielded about 18L of wine. Starting sugars where 24 brix or SG 1.101. Grape variety is Cabernet Franc.

A timeline with additions and steps:

• Oct 2: Must analysis and corrections
• Oct 3: Pitched yeast (added 5g, package said 5g/25L. Was this total of must, or expected wine yield?)
• Oct 5: Added sacrificial tannins and half my calculated yeast nutrients. (total of 6g, thus 3g.)
• Oct 9: ( Forgot the add the second half of yeast nutrients)
• Oct 11: Racked wine off skins, gravity of 1.013
• Oct 12: Racked off gross lees, gravity of 1.010.
• Oct 13: Added malo culture and nutrients, increased temp to 25C/77F.
• Oct 17: Still 1.010, so added 2g of yeast nutrients. Stirred well to get the yeast off the bottom.
• Oct 20: Still 1.010...

So tried stirring the lees, raise the temperature and adding extra nutrients (and steering again). But without success.

What steps can I take to get it going again? Adding extra yeast and/or some yeast energizer? And what did I do wrong?

Interesting side note: my second batch, a Merlot, had the same type and amount of yeast and also only half of nutrients. It fermented to bone dry in only four days...

 

[ChuckD]

What yeast did you use? If it was not a high alcohol tolerant variety try adding A good starter of EC118.

Otherwise try time. I’ve had wines finish in 4 days and one in 5 weeks.

 

[cmason1957]

I think the big thing you did wrong was that second racking, before fermentation was completed. I bet all of your yeast (or most of it anyway) is long gone from your wine. Adding yeast nutrients at this point isn't much use, the yeast doesn't use them at this late a stage and they just stay, potentially feeding spoilage bacteria.

What can you do?? I think at this point adding in some yeast that can overcome the about 12.5 % ABV in your wine, which I would think EC-1118 (maybe a double or triple batch with some yeast nutrient to make it happy), made into a vigorous starter. Once the yeast is happy and growing well, add that to about 1 L of your wine. About 3-4 hours later add 2L more, then 3-4 hours later add 4L. at the next 3-4 hour point, probably you can add the rest, but maybe to be safe add 8L, then the remaining 2L later.

It is also wise to sacrifice a chicken, say a prayer, cross fingers and legs, turn around 4 times clockwise, then 3.2 times counter-clockwise. (and hope).

 

[salcoco]

one method that should work using EC1118 develops a yeast started once fermenting well add one liter of wine. once this volume is fermenting well add two liters of wine. continue in this manner doubling the added volume as soon as previous volume is fermenting

 

[ChuckD]

I think the big thing you did wrong was that second racking, before fermentation was completed. I bet all of your yeast (or most of it anyway) is long gone from your wine. Adding yeast nutrients at this point isn't much use, the yeast doesn't use them at this late a stage and they just stay, potentially feeding spoilage bacteria.

What can you do?? I think at this point adding in some yeast that can overcome the about 12.5 % ABV in your wine, which I would think EC-1118 (maybe a double or triple batch with some yeast nutrient to make it happy), made into a vigorous starter. Once the yeast is happy and growing well, add that to about 1 L of your wine. About 3-4 hours later add 2L more, then 3-4 hours later add 4L. at the next 3-4 hour point, probably you can add the rest, but maybe to be safe add 8L, then the remaining 2L later.

It is also wise to sacrifice a chicken, say a prayer, cross fingers and legs, turn around 4 times clockwise, then 3.2 times counter-clockwise. (and hope).

I don’t think you can rack off the yeast in an active fermentation. The least active (dormant/dead) yeast should be on the bottom. I would think the active ones would be in suspension.

I never tried that chicken thing. It’s worth a try.

 

[jesseb]

What yeast did you use? If it was not a high alcohol tolerant variety try adding A good starter of EC118.

Otherwise try time. I’ve had wines finish in 4 days and one in 5 weeks.

The yeast was 'Oenoferm Color', alcohol tolerance up to 16%.

 

[jesseb]

I think the big thing you did wrong was that second racking, before fermentation was completed. I bet all of your yeast (or most of it anyway) is long gone from your wine. Adding yeast nutrients at this point isn't much use, the yeast doesn't use them at this late a stage and they just stay, potentially feeding spoilage bacteria.

What can you do?? I think at this point adding in some yeast that can overcome the about 12.5 % ABV in your wine, which I would think EC-1118 (maybe a double or triple batch with some yeast nutrient to make it happy), made into a vigorous starter. Once the yeast is happy and growing well, add that to about 1 L of your wine. About 3-4 hours later add 2L more, then 3-4 hours later add 4L. at the next 3-4 hour point, probably you can add the rest, but maybe to be safe add 8L, then the remaining 2L later.

It is also wise to sacrifice a chicken, say a prayer, cross fingers and legs, turn around 4 times clockwise, then 3.2 times counter-clockwise. (and hope).

Shouldn’t be too hard to find a chicken somewhere, going to try it.

 

[jesseb]

So I think the best approach would be to add fresh yeast. A lot of time (on other post/forums) EC1118 get's recommended. Why this particular strain?

Doesn't adding more yeast and transferring interfere the malo fermentation?

If I understand correctly, you do not add the yeast into the wine, but the other way around? Make a starter and add wine incrementally?

Thanks!

 

[ratflinger]

Because EC1118 is a super yeast - it will ferment water (almost). If anything will unstick the ferment, EC1118 is the product.

 

[ChuckD]

Doesn't adding more yeast and transferring interfere the malo fermentation?

If I understand correctly, you do not add the yeast into the wine, but the other way around? Make a starter and add wine incrementally?

I, and others, Co-ferment. We add the malo with or shortly after the yeast so I don’t see how yeast will inhibit malo.

I do my starter with yeast, goferm, and sugar. After three or four hours I add about 1/2 volume of wine must. I will then double the volume of the starter with must every few hours until my quart jar is full. Then I dump it in the must. Works for three gallons or 30.