Winging It!

[hannabarn]

I am making orange pineapple and apple from Welch's concentrate. This is one of my first experiences making wine from scratch. Starting sg was 1.090. I racked it into secondary after 1 week. sg was 1.054. Now 1 week later it is only down to 1.050. Yesterday I added 2 tsp yeat nutrient and it increased the activity a little bit but the fine bubbles are not very vigorous. Is this normal or should I add a little more yeast. The original yeast was Red Star Champaign yeast. The temp has been consistant at 73 degrees. Or am I being a little impatient???

 

[grapeman]

I think the yeast nutrient was a good idea. You could also try some yeast energizer also to feed it some more yeast hulls. I would say you racked it too early the first time, which may have stalled it. Give it a good stir to mix it up and it should get going again. It will take some time to finish up. Last resort- add some more yeast, maybe 1118.

 

[Tomy]

Hi Barney, as this is the type of wine I make from Welch's, Old Orchard, ect. concentrate I beleive you should have added your nutreint at the start, and to complicate matters I beleive you racked too soon. You probally left some of the yeast that had not finished its job in the primary, and should have waited till the SG was around 1020 or less. I beleive your still ok will just take a bit longer to ferment to below 1000. I have a Apple, Grape Raspberry started 2-15 thats still chugging along nicely at one bubble in the air lock every 10 sec., so give it some time before you do something.Good luck with your vino.

Tomy

 

[hannabarn]

It's that patience thing again!! I think it will be OK. I needed assurance. I have quite a bit of lees and the air lock is rising about every 8-10 seconds. I just didn't want to lose it!! Thanks, Tomy & Appleman!!

 

[zember311]

I am far from a pro ( hence the questions I ask ) but i racked my welchers mix too early and fermentation took forever. I started that wine on the 13th of Jan and I just bottled it this weekend. and last night.


It was clear as a window since I did many racks, but I think the premature racking made the fermentation go soo soo slow.


but worry not


IT CAME OUT FANTASTIC !


They call me the " koolaid " man. hahah


Mine bubbled WAY slow for about 2 weeks straight. almost 1 bubble every minute. but it still finished at about 1.005.



Edited by: zember311

 

[Wade E]

I concur with all posts and if worst comes to worst you could always do a yeast stater for a stuck fermentation with a strong yeast but lets see how this goes.

 

[Miss Rocky]

i think it definitely needs more air at this point. pour not rack it back into a primary bucket, make a starter bottle with 1118. stir it daily. only cover the bucket with a cloth.






Nothing to do with your problem, but did you use pectic enzyme on the juice???


Scotty on rockys computerEdited by: Miss Rocky

 

[hannabarn]

Thanks everyone! It seems to doing OK now. I haven't checked the sg for a couple of days but I gave it a good stir and it seemed to perk it up. I didn't add any pectic enzyme when I started it nor did I add any campden tablets. I plan on adding campden when I rack for clearing. I think I panicked for naught!!

 

[Wade E]

I would definitely think about adding pectic enzyme then or your wine may not clear as it will have a pectin haze. It might not being as it was a concentrate but there still is a good chance it will.

 

[hannabarn]

I checked my records and found that I did add pectic enzyme. I didn't add yeast energizer because I am out of it. I am still toying with the idea from Scotty and pouring it back into the primary and see if a little air will speed it up> What do you think?

 

[grapeman]

If it's still perking along on it's own, I wouldn't fool with it. Check the SG soon and verify it is still dropping. I would guess about 1.025 right now. I wouldn't rush a pineapple wine. A slow ferment will retain the fruitiness. A hot fast ferment will cancel out a lot of the aromatics. If it doesn't move further for a number of days, then consider a new starter, otherwise let it go on it's own.

 

[Wade E]

I concur with appleman, if it aint broke dont fix it!

 

[hannabarn]

OK! You two are the guys I was hoping to hear from. I checked the sg this morning and it was 1.050 so it is dropping very slowly. It is still bubbling in the airlock. I'll leave it alone now and go do woodworking or something!!! Thanks very much!!

 

[hannabarn]

OK! It is now March 7 and the sg has only dropped to 1.040 and it is still fermenting and working in the airlock. Seems pretty slow but will patiently wait.

 

[grapeman]

It is unbelievably slow barney! It is one stubborn batch, but at least it isn't a big one in case it never finishes. The good thing is it hasn't quit yet!. It might be a bit too cool where it is especially if you have been below zero around there lately. Spring isn't too far away and maybe if it warms up a bit more, it will finish up OK. Good luck barney.

 

[hannabarn]

With the heating pad on it, it stays a pretty steady 73 degrees. The small bubbles are still pretty vigorous and the airlock rises about every 3 seconds but the sg just doesn't drop very fast. I don't know if a little energizer would help or not???

 

[hannabarn]

I just checked it again this morning and it is down to 1.032 so it looks like it suddenly decided to move normally

 

[Wade E]

If there is still a lot of solids in there as Pineapple has hen it might be giving you false readings as solids will make the hydrometer float higher then were it actually is.

 

[hannabarn]

Progress report!! Today, 3/11, This morning I checked the sg. It was 1.030. I added a little yeast energizer, tonight I checked the sg. Now 1.020!! It looks like it's finally going to make it!! Maybe can stabilize and clear by this weekend.

 

[grapeman]

Well you got those yeasties energized now! Those yeast hulls did it now! It probably still won't be ready to stabilize by this weekend- probably take another week. Way to go!