What did I do??!? Sigh

[BonnieLynn]

Started 30 day wine kit fine. It says to filter on day 10 when hydrometer is at 1.010 or lower. Mine was at .0980. Then it's supposed to sit until the chemicals are added after another 8 days and slow fermentation is finished at .095 or lower. After filitering I topped up (not all the way to the top) with a bottle from my last batch. Was not supposed to top up at this point, and the instructions clearly said DO NOT TOP UP (which I missed during my fumble). What now...there is still space in the bottle, but whatever chemicals are in the wine I used to top off are now in the carboy. Advice please?

 

[Bartman]

You're probably ok, unless you added a lot of sulfite to your last batch immediately before bottling. 0.98 is certainly low "enough" for the long-term well-being of the finished wine, but this is clearly a dry wine, so the drier the better, right?
My wines usually ferment to dry within 10 days anyway. Bottom line: don't worry!

 

[JohnT]

if you are at .098 (I think you mean .980) then fermentation should have slowed WAY down.

I am pretty sure that the "Do not top off" instruction is there to avoid any issues of wine overflowing into your fermentation trap as the wine ferments.

You should be OK, just keep an eye on it and if the trap get some wine in it, just clean/replace it.

 

[sour_grapes]

My guess is that the OP meant 0.998 and 0.995. There is essentially no way to get to 0.980 (let alone 0.950) from making wine. And certainly her instructions do not call for one to wait until 0.950!)

Anyway, BonnieLynn, you do not need to worry. The VERY SMALL amount of sulfites that were in the bottle from your last batch will not hurt anything.

 

[JohnT]

My guess is that the OP meant 0.998 and 0.995. There is essentially no way to get to 0.980 (let alone 0.950) from making wine. And certainly her instructions do not call for one to wait until 0.950!)

Anyway, BonnieLynn, you do not need to worry. The VERY SMALL amount of sulfites that were in the bottle from your last batch will not hurt anything.

Of course your right SG. Was focusing on the digits and missed that.

 

[richmke]

Port is made by stopping fermentation at 1.030. So, worst case scenario, you have a little more sugar, and a little less alcohol. However, at .998, you are pretty much done anyway. So, don't worry.

If you bulk age for a few more months, even if it continues to ferment, it will be done by then.

 

[BonnieLynn]

Thanks all. Yes, I did mean .980. Reading those hydrometers is always confusing to me! And I'm always dropping them too and having to rebuy..duh

 

[sour_grapes]

Thanks all. Yes, I did mean .980. Reading those hydrometers is always confusing to me! And I'm always dropping them too and having to rebuy..duh

I am sorry if this sounds rude, but I still think you are not reading it correctly. I am willing to bet that it was 0.998. Wine hydrometers do not typically go down as low as 0.980. Take a look at this image. There is no mark for 0.980; if it were there, it would be at the very, very top.

Here is a long thread on how to read your hydrometer: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16574

And here is my favorite video on it:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty7PAJaBsts"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty7PAJaBsts[/ame]