VERY Slow fermentation

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ap_winer

Junior
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I'm making a batch of Apple/raspberry wine. I started it on Sept. 19 (pitched the yeast in around 10pm). The recipe calls for the batch to be left in the primary for 10 days, then test for tannin, then rack.

(• 1 gal fresh or bottled apple juice
• 1-1/4 lb granulated sugar
• 1 tsp acid blend
• 1-2/3 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp tannin
• 1-1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 pkt Champagne wine yeast
In a primary, stir in sugar until completely dissolved. Add acid blend, 1/4 teaspoon tannin, yeast nutrient, and crushed Campden tablet. Stir well, cover primary and set aside for 12 hours. Stir in pectic enzyme and recover primary. After additional 12 hours, add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir daily for 10 days, keeping covered. Taste wine to determine tannin adequacy. If not adequate, stir in 1/8 teaspoon additional tannin and set aside 4 hours. Taste again to determine if another 1/8 teaspoon is required. When satisfied, rack into gallon secondary and fit airlock. Any additional wine can be poured into small bottle for topping up later and airlocked using #2 or #3 bung. Rack, top up and refit sirlock every 60 days for 6 months. Stabilize, sweeten if desired and wait 2 weeks. Rack into bottles and set aside one year.)

I used a 4L bottle of Wellesely's Sweet Apple Cider and threw in about a pint of raspberries as well. The apple cider is pasteurized, but I just recently read in fine print that there is 1/10 of 1% of Pot. sorbate to preserve freshness.

Anyway, I accidentally left the first part of the 12 hour step in for 24 hrs (had a brain fart thinking 12hrs was from 10am one morning till 10am next morning). Anyway, I followed the steps above. I started with a SG of 1.088. It's now been 13 days and it's only down to 1.062.

Should I go ahead and rack to the secondary anyway? or should I leave it in the primary to slowly ferment down more? In all my other batches of different fruit wines I've made, I've racked into the secondary around 1.00. I can still hear some fizzing when I listen to it.

Thanks.

ap_winer
 
Get another pac of yeast and make a large starter and add
 
The sorbate is probably what is causing your slow ferment. But the good news is that it is fermenting. I haven't had this problem before, but ....

You could try the large starter that Tom suggested. I don't know if it would make any difference. You could also try patience (I like this choice personally).

I wouldn't transfer to a secondary until the sg is lower. I would stir every couple of days to bring any yeast that has settled back up into the wine.

Steve
 
Thanks for the replies... I have already tried putting in another yeast starter and some more yeast nutrient (about 5 days ago when things were even slower)... I guess I'll keep stirring it and wait till the SG is lower before transferring. thanks again.
 
Avoid much use of sorbate as it is making the fermentation slow becoz of the very fact that it resist the growth of microorganism.
keep me informed for further updates...:b
 
Thanks for the replies... I have already tried putting in another yeast starter and some more yeast nutrient (about 5 days ago when things were even slower)... I guess I'll keep stirring it and wait till the SG is lower before transferring. thanks again.

You might want to consider adding some yeast energizer if that 2nd packet of pre-started yeast didn't net you much action. I see you added yeast nutriet in the beginning and then, more later..maybe nutrient just isn't enough.
 

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