Stuck wine? Need Help!

[janij]

I am new here and I need help.
On Sept 6, a week ago I started 2 kinds of wine. A pear one and a blueberry one. I think the blueberry is stuck. When I finished the must the SG was 1.095. A few days later I was worried it was slow going on the blueberry and I took another SG. It was 1.080. This was last Thurs or something. It is still 1.080. The pear started at 1.095 and is now 1.020-btw can I transfer this to a secondary now? So what do I do? How do I get the blueberry to start fermenting faster? Do I need to add more yeast, nutrients,etc? DId I add too much sugar and it is stuck? If so how do I unstuck it?
THANK YOU for any and all help!!!
Sincerely,
Jani

 

[Julie]

Hi Jani,

What is the temp of the must?

 

[janij]

77.7

It is 77.7 and it is right next to the pear wine. They have both been in the mid to upper 70's the whole week.

 

[Julie]

have you been stirring the must and do you have the lid locked down on the primary? Sometimes yeast will stop working when it does not get enough oxygen. If that is not the problem, try making a yeast starter.

 

[janij]

Yes and how

Yes I have been stirring once a day.
What exactly is a yeast starter. Do I get another package of yeast, take some must and wait til it starts working and dump it in and stir?

 

[Tom]

Blueberry can be a bear to start
Yeast starter = Hydrate yeast in a light sugar water solution. Once you see activity add some juice from the must, when you see more activity add more till you have a large "starter" then add to your must.
I would also add some nutrient and energizer.

 

[janij]

nutrient

I added 2 1/2 t nutrient. I will start a starter tomorrow and see if it gets it going better. I was worried this would happy as it was not very active in the beginning.
I racked the pear and it wants to blow out the bung. Any ideas? It is at SG 1.02. If that helps. Thanks everyone.

 

[Wade E]

Did you add any nutrient and or energizer to the blueberry? Blueberry naturally produces benzoate as does cranberries which is a natural yeast inhibiter. When making either f these 2 wines use both nutrient and energizer. nutrient should be used @ 1 tsp per gallon and energizer @ 1/2 tsp perg gallon. I typically divide the nutrient into 3rds and gradully add this at different intervals to help keep it going well. Ill add 1/3rd up front, another 3rd at about 1.060 and the last 3rd at 1.030. I would try doing this but I also would get another packet of yeast handy or you could do both as another packet of yeast would not hut anything.

 

[Wade E]

I usually rack at 1.010 so its not as active, if you have another vessel like a 1 gallon jug that you could put a little in there untilit settles down some.

 

[Tom]

I added 2 1/2 t nutrient. I will start a starter tomorrow and see if it gets it going better. I was worried this would happy as it was not very active in the beginning.
I racked the pear and it wants to blow out the bung. Any ideas? It is at SG 1.02. If that helps. Thanks everyone.

U saying your pear was 1.020? Thats 16+%.

 

[janij]

Okay

On the blueberry. I added 5 t of nutrients- I am ambitious and started with 5 gallon batches probably folly I know- in the beginning. I just added 2 1/2 more. I guess I will see how it is tomorrow and if it is not sizzling better add more yeast.
On the over zealous pear. I found a tube, put it in the bung and dropped it in the water as I moved the carboy into a cooler to help cool it out of the 70's. This is East Texas and it is still fully summer here. Could I just take out the bung and put cheese cloth over it for a few days then try the air lock again?

 

[Tom]

sURE!
i SUGGEST TO FERMENT IN A BUCKET 1ST AND LAY THE LID ON TOP. tHEN WHEN ITS 1.010 EITHER RACK OF SNAP THE LID AND AIRLOCK IT.
OOPS SORRY @ CAPS

 

[janij]

Did I screw up?

I thought you were supposed to star the wine with an SG of about 1.095 for a 12% alcohol. So I got right at about 1.095. It has gone down to 1.020. I am so green it is sad. I wish my grandparents were alive since they did this well. I thought the wine finished at abound 1.0 or 0.99. Is this bad?

 

[janij]

Another ?

On the blueberry, would it be a good idea to take the fruit out? It has been in there a week, and even though I have had little fermentation wouldn't all the juice be about out any way?

 

[mmadmikes1]

I would move pear to secondary and dump the bottom of the pear primary into the blue berry. BTW I just did this to my blueberry becdause the stuff is alway tough to get going. I dumped the bottom of my Blackberry in and away it went the next day. Pear will have 0 effect on the taste

 

[janij]

Wish I had know

Wish I had know that last night! The pear is in the secondary. I have another yeast starter going. I am going to slowly add the must over several additions. I did keep about 1 pint of the pear in the fridge for topping off. Maybe I will warm it back up and throw it in as well. I will remember that. That is an excellent idea.

 

[janij]

Thanks mmadmike1

I would move pear to secondary and dump the bottom of the pear primary into the blue berry. BTW I just did this to my blueberry becdause the stuff is alway tough to get going. I dumped the bottom of my Blackberry in and away it went the next day. Pear will have 0 effect on the taste

I didn't do this with the pear since I had already racked it when you suggested. But I made a cherry melomel and when it was done in the primary the blueberry was only in the 1.070 range so we put the bottom of the cherry in the blueberry. It has helped tremendously. So thank you very much for this idea!