Second attempt - fermentation stopped prematurely?

[Kohota]

Hi All,

First time poster to the forum, so, hello!

I've made my second foray into the world of winemaking after the father of my ex bought me a Wilco starter kit last year, with a one gallon demijohn.

The first attempt went well until I bottled it (well, bagged in reality), and woke up one morning to find a bag about to burst. It clearly hadn't finished fermenting, and I poured the lot down the sink.

I've now got the opposite problem. I bought a Beaverdale kit and got it set up no problem. This was about a week ago, just before the weekend heatwave hit us, and the temperature in my flat hit about 27c. The wine fermented vigorously for five or so days, so much so that I decided to move the demijohn to my bedroom which was cooler by a few degrees. It continued bubbling away and then, when the temperature dropped on Monday, I moved it back to the kitchen. Now it seems to have stopped entirely.

I've just taken a sample and the specific gravity is coming out about 0.995. I've had a taste, and it certainly tastes alcoholic!

The pack said the red would take about 15-20 days. So can I just assume that it is in fact done, and that it just happened in half the time due to the high temperatures?

Any advice gratefully received!

 

[kelper]

0.995 is a good final SG. It could, possibly go a couple points more but unlikely. I would siphon it off into a fresh demijohn now. Does that kit include any stabiliser? Or finings?

Just test your hydrometer in water. 1.000 at 20C (or 60F occasionally, marked on the stem)

 

[AXW123]

Hot temperatures do tend to do that,I would say it was done but there is no harm leaving it for a few days longer to be completely sure.

 

[Kohota]

Brilliant, thanks both.

Yes, the kit has both finings and stabiliser, though it's pretty clear already.

I've only got the one demijohn, so I might leave it there for a day or two whilst I source a new one to siphon into.

 

[kelper]

It's definitely worth racking off once. Then stabilise. Then fine. Then send me a sample!

 

[Hagrid]

If all my DJs are full I rack into a large (sterilised) pan clean the DJ and the rack it back.

Also (and I hate to make you regretful) you probably could have saved your first one by putting it back in the DJ and leaving it a bit longer. But it’s all experience! Have you enjoyed the process?

 

[Kohota]

Thanks both.

I'll keep that in mind for the future. I've just been down to Wilco and bought 2 more DJs so I should be ok for a while... *hic*

And yes, love the process. The kits are interesting to follow, but looking forward to some of the more experimental stuff too.

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

I have found myself lacking demijohns before and have invested in a 5 litre water bottle from Tesco in moments of crisis

 

[Kohota]

Thought I'd report back on the results of this.

Overall very happy with how it turned out in the end. Definitely quaffable, if tasting slightly more alcoholic than the SG suggests. Interestingly, it's intensely buttery on the palate, something I wasn't expecting when I started out. It doesn't taste like shop-bought wine, but I wasn't exactly expecting that and am enjoying the unusual flavour.

I seemed to manage to only get 3 and a half bottles out of the DJ. Wondering whether that was down to excessive evaporation given the hot weather, or whether I may have been slightly overzealous in taste tests towards the end of the process

Anyway, happy with what I consider my first proper attempt. So much so that I've now got two new kits on the go!

 

[Barley Rubble]

Hi Kohota.
Why not have a go at a WOW (Worzel's Orange Wine) which is wine made from supermarket juices. Its relatively cheap to make and is ready to drink much sooner than kits. Check it out in the forum.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Hi Kohota.
Why not have a go at a WOW (Worzel's Orange Wine) which is wine made from supermarket juices. Its relatively cheap to make and is ready to drink much sooner than kits. Check it out in the forum.

How to make Supermarket Juice Wine - HERE.

.