Wine started to clear then became cloudy again??

[dtrues878]

Hello this is my first batch or homemade wine that I have tried. It has been a little under a month and my airlock slowed down pretty much all the way to a stop but can still see little tiny bubbles sometimes.

Anyways I racked my wine last night like I said it has been going for about a month. After I put the airlocks back on it started to clear up at the top and looked beautiful!!! But when I checked it again this morning it looked cloudy again. Not sure if I was supposed to taste the wine last night but I did bc I was currious and it taste good!

One question I have is should I stop fermitation if the taste was satisfactory? Because I'm trying to get this wine out as Christmas presents... Also if I stop fermentation will it clear up faster?

Thanks!
David

 

[Runningwolf]

Dave first of all welcome to the forum. To help you out we need to know what kind of wine you are making and what was you starting sg and what was it when you racked it. It sounds like to me you still have some fermentation going on or gas. Is this a kit? Did you degas? Until your wine if fully degased it will not clear perfectly. I think to do this right you better give the recipients an IOU on the wine and let it finish correctly.
If you give them wine that is not finished yet, that is what they are going to remember about your wine. Give it some time.

 

[dtrues878]

Dan

Thanks for getting back to me. I used one packet of grape concentrate, 4 cups of sugar a third a packet of wine yeast, yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme, and filled the rest with spring water. I did not do sg readings or anything on my first batch just kinda winged it haha. But so far I am pretty satisfied.

I mean it taste great and strong even all cloudy when I sampled it last night then started to clear.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!

How much pectic did you add? How big a batch are you making?

You can try adding more pectic in - it could be pectin haze.

It could be protein haze as well - you could add bentonite to help drop that out.

Could just be sediment not falling out - you can add super kleer to drop that out.

If all else fails - filtration will do the trick.

 

[xoltri]

My recommendation is to go purchase a hydrometer. You can't effectively make wine without one, and they are not expensive. Using it you can tell if the wine is finished fermenting. If it is then you can proceed to degassing, stabilizing and clearing.

 

[dtrues878]

Very true! I will be getting a hydrometer for my next batch. I don't think fermentation is fully complete but on the flip side I don't think I would want to drink anything any stronger than what it is right now...

 

[Julie]

xoltri is right you need to get a hydrometer and you need to now. Do not try to stop a fermentation the chances of you doing that effectively is very slim and without the hydrometer you do not know if your wine is done fermenting.

 

[dtrues878]

Julie

I was checking out the batches you have done. Did you Welch's white grape rasberry turn out ok? I was told that anything with potasium metadisulfite wouldn't work? Did he just not know what he was talking about? Because I have 4 cans in the freezer that I didnt think I could use. If so i'm excited!

 

[sly22guy]

Do your self a favor and buy 2 hydrometers! That way when you break your first one you will still have a spare!!

You can't rush wine your wine is no where near ready, even kit wines require 3 months. the little bubbles are more than likely gas. you should degas it and let it sit! Give them out for Valentines day instead or on there birthdays.
If you give them crappy wine once that is all they will remember.

There are some great Tutorials on here def check them out, they will help you a ton! & get a hydrometer! Welcome to the club, this is were a hobby turns into an addiction!

 

[Julie]

Julie

I was checking out the batches you have done. Did you Welch's white grape rasberry turn out ok? I was told that anything with potasium metadisulfite wouldn't work? Did he just not know what he was talking about? Because I have 4 cans in the freezer that I didnt think I could use. If so i'm excited!

It turned out great, actually I will be making a bigger batch once I have a free carboy. Sulfites are not the problem it is sorbate. If it has sorbate in it the chances of you getting fermentation to start are slim to none.

 

[JordanPond]

Do your self a favor and buy 2 hydrometers! That way when you break your first one you will still have a spare!!

se

Reading thru the forums I thought it would never happen to me. (Must be the indestructible nubie syndrom) And then it happend... I was cleaning my hydromenter and I squeezed too hard and it shattered in my hand. Fortunately no blood. I headed off the the local supply shop and bought TWO.

 

[Runningwolf]

Thanks for sharing that, I broke mine when it rolled off the table.

 

[sly22guy]

lol yeah my wine making area is not to forgiving, Tile floors, tile counter tops, & the back wall by the sink is fake stone!

 

[grapeman]

I know others have said it already, but let this one sit out this Christmas. To give for Christmas gifts, a wine should be started a minimum 3-6 months ahead of time and preferably a year. Give it awy next Christmas. There is no way in heck even if it was stopped from fermenting that you could get it clear and stabilized in 3-4 days. You would just end up giving away fizzy wine and possibly bottle bombs!

 

[Tom]

This is where The "3 P's" come in...

 

[frohe]

Thanks for sharing that, I broke mine when it rolled off the table.

I've broken 2 now. Yeah I know; some folks just learn slowly.

I keep a washcloth on the counter when I'm working on my wines to lay my hydrometer on so it don't roll off like the first one and hit the floor.

 

[JohnT]

I made this right after I broke my last one. Holds Thermometers and hydrometers, and test tubes, and syringes, Made out of solid oak, I finished it off with food grade polyurethane. It is heavy and solid and I no longer need to lay my hydrometers down.....

 

[BobF]

As others have said, there isn't a lot to go on without SG readings, so here is my best guess:

When you racked there was still residual sugar and the exposure to o2 while racking kicked the yeast into another round of fermentation.

 

[JohnT]

As others have said, there isn't a lot to go on without SG readings, so here is my best guess:

When you racked there was still residual sugar and the exposure to o2 while racking kicked the yeast into another round of fermentation.

Or it could have simply been caused by a temperature drop.

 

[sly22guy]

Nice Rack John! lol that def came out wrong! My luck i would knock the whole rack over and break everything in one clip.