Zinfandel from fresh Mosti california juice

[rayca1954]

Hello, this is my first attempt making any type of wine. I started with 6 gal Mosti Mondiale fresh Zinfandel juice. At a specific gravity of 1.023 we racked into a glass carboy. The SG got down to 1.00 and has been there for the last 4 days. Is it considered...."stuck"? Do I need to do anything to help move it along to reach the .992? Is this normal? The must is in my cellar which is 70 degrees.

Thanks.



Ray

 

[Arne]

What S.G. did you start out with? If it was high enough, your alcohol has possibly gotten high enough that it has killed off the yeast. Personally, I would let it sit for a few days and make sure it has stopped. Mite even give it a gentle stir. If it starts to clear, you can be pretty sure things are done. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[Bartman]

Most likely, you're fine - Mosti's juice and kits have always fermented fine for me. It's hard to screw them up. I doubt it is stuck - some wines simply do not ferment much below .998 or so, and getting there can take a week or two. There is nothing magical about 0.992 - it's not 'better' if you get it that low, it simply cannot go any lower than that (under normal circumstances) so you know it is finished if it ever gets to that point. Lower alcohol wines usually don't go below 0.996 in my experience, but I would expect a Zin to end up there.

Let it rest for a while in the carboy and rack it again in a week or two to remove the sediment at the bottom, and then let it rest in a carboy for a couple months or more. Patience is the key.

 

[rayca1954]

What S.G. did you start out with? If it was high enough, your alcohol has possibly gotten high enough that it has killed off the yeast. Personally, I would let it sit for a few days and make sure it has stopped. Mite even give it a gentle stir. If it starts to clear, you can be pretty sure things are done. Good luck with it, Arne.

Thanks for the response. I am traveling this week and don't have my notes of the initial SG, but I know it was at least 1.09 . I will take your advice and give it a few more days.
Thanks.

 

[rayca1954]

Thanks for the responses....I will sit tight for another week and see where it winds up. Thanks.

 

[Arne]

Comes back to the 3 p's of wine making. Patience, patience, patience. {thanks Tom} I know it is hard, but waiting really helps in your winemaking. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[robie]

You can give it a good stir all the way to the bottom and warm it up to about 74F. Give it another 3 or 4 days. If it doesn't go any lower, your wine will be just fine right where it is. Personally, I have never had a wine finish below .996, but again, that is just me.

 

[rayca1954]

You can give it a good stir all the way to the bottom and warm it up to about 74F. Give it another 3 or 4 days. If it doesn't go any lower, your wine will be just fine right where it is. Personally, I have never had a wine finish below .996, but again, that is just me.

I'm starting to feel better. I'll give it a stir and a bit more time. I thought that it HAD to hit that magical .992 level. Thanks.