2 Independent brews stalled at 1.004

[bgd]

I have both a blackberry and a sloe wine brewing but both appear to have stalled at 1.004, this seems odd as they are completely independent of each other (were started about a month apart)

My usual process is a week in a bucket for primary, move to demi john(s) for 2-4 weeks secondary and then I'm usually at 0.992-0.996 and if that doesnt change for a few days I stabilise.

For these two batches both were in a bucket for primary for a week but then each behaved very differently until now.

The blackberry has taken 5 weeks in secondary to get to 1.004 and now seems to have stalled, I tried racking and that's changed nothing, I have zero activity.

The sloe was moved to demi johns a few days ago and I've had zero activity since, I measured gravity yesterday and it's at 1.004 as well (so was nearly completely fermented in just a week in the bucket!).

I dont use heaters but dont think temperature is the issue (they wont have experienced anything colder than say 20 degC), starting gravity for both was in the 1.08 to 1.09 region so dont think alcohol level is too high, yeast is an all purpose red (that I regularly use)

I'll wait until this weekend and measure gravity again, if either is dropping then great I'll wait it out, but if either or both are unchanged, any advice?

- stabilise and proceed as normal?

- add nutrient?

- add yeast?

- create a starter?

or something else?

 

[HeartOfGold]

It was probably caused by quantum entanglement. Did you use the same yeast on both?

 

[MashBag]

Taste them. What do they taste like?

Tbh, these sound finished not stuck.

 

[An Ankoù]

Taste them. What do they taste like?

Tbh, these sound finished not stuck.

Agreed.
What yeast did you use and what was the OG?

 

[bgd]

Agreed.
What yeast did you use and what was the OG?

Just tasted both, blackberry tastes sweeter than I'd like, Sloe maybe less so

yeast for both was a youngs all purpose red (different packet for each).

Blackberry started at 1.092, Sloe 1.09

 

[An Ankoù]

Just tasted both, blackberry tastes sweeter than I'd like, Sloe maybe less so

yeast for both was a youngs all purpose red (different packet for each).

Blackberry started at 1.092, Sloe 1.09

That's and abv around 11.5-12% and the Young's red claims to be able to cope with 15%.
I'd be inclined to add a bit of yeast nutrient and put it to one side for a couple of months. Alternatively you could add a bit of yeast and kick start it with some Champagne yeast. Rehydrate the yeast first.
I'm drinking a glass of blackberry and elderberry right now and it always tastes a little sweet. Sloe, on the other hand, tends to taste dry in my experience.

 

[bgd]

That's and abv around 11.5-12% and the Young's red claims to be able to cope with 15%.
I'd be inclined to add a bit of yeast nutrient and put it to one side for a couple of months. Alternatively you could add a bit of yeast and kick start it with some Champagne yeast. Rehydrate the yeast first.
I'm drinking a glass of blackberry and elderberry right now and it always tastes a little sweet. Sloe, on the other hand, tends to taste dry in my experience.

Thanks, why nutrient or yeast and not both?

 

[An Ankoù]

Thanks, why nutrient or yeast and not both?

Sorry. you're right. If you take the second option then add nutrient as well.
My experience is that some yeasts tail off towards the end and take ages to finish properly, which is why I suggested just adding nutrient and stash it away somewhere dark and forgotten. But, yes, why not take the belt and braces approach.

 

[MashBag]

Sorry. I would do neither, yeasties don't run to time, they don't have watches.

Leave it alone.

Sweet and dry are interchangeable at bottling time. In this case, if you get there and they are still a bit sweet, add tartaric acid. Glass test to ascertain the ammount.

Too dry (acid) you add glycerine or a nonfermentable sweetener.

Pedal your own bike an' all that, but imo yeast & nutrient is pointless. Neither have been identified as required. This wine has finished alcoholic fermentation it isn't stuck. While studying eneology we learnt lobbing some yeast in, may make you feel better, but that is likely to be the only thing it fixes

 

[bgd]

Sorry. you're right. If you take the second option then add nutrient as well.
My experience is that some yeasts tail off towards the end and take ages to finish properly, which is why I suggested just adding nutrient and stash it away somewhere dark and forgotten. But, yes, why not take the belt and braces approach.

Sorry. I would do neither, yeasties don't run to time, they don't have watches.

Leave it alone.

Sweet and dry are interchangeable at bottling time. In this case, if you get there and they are still a bit sweet, add tartaric acid. Glass test to ascertain the ammount.

Too dry (acid) you add glycerine or a nonfermentable sweetener.

Pedal your own bike an' all that, but imo yeast & nutrient is pointless. Neither have been identified as required. This wine has finished alcoholic fermentation it isn't stuck. While studying eneology we learnt lobbing some yeast in, may make you feel better, but that is likely to be the only thing it fixes

Thanks both, given I have plenty of nutrient and earlier I ordered some EC1118 I'm going to throw them in and see what happens, if it restarts then great, if it doesn't but I feel better then also great

I'll update when I know which way it's gone

 

[An Ankoù]

While studying eneology we learnt lobbing some yeast in, may make you feel better, but that is likely to be the only thing it fixes

While I'd be inclined to leave the wine to sort itself out, I also feel the object of your oenological study has completely passed you by inasmuch as the whole point is to make YOU feel better.

 

[MashBag]

@An Ankoù ..brilliant