Think I Might Have Cocked This Up

[oldbloke]

Thanks old bloke,

I think i might drink it like it is.....it is drinkable in this state isn't it??????

I tested the gravity and it is at about 1.017, does that mean anything to you?

Kieron

PS. i take it that stabiliser kills the yeast at the end of the process???? Why would you want to do that!!! Surely it can be left to make more alcohol?

Well, you use stabiliser when the wine is at the stage you want it to stay at, so yes you want to kill the yeast at that point. You don't want the yeast to keep working in the bottle unless they're designed to take high pressures, unless you enjoy having corks fly across the room or possibly even glass shrapnel.

1017 is about medium-sweet I think - hydrometer's downstairs. I just bottled a lemon wine which is still at 1030!!! But with all that lemon in it it needs a fair hunk of sugar to balance it, and I'[m hoping what's ;eft of the yeast (it'd just about given up) will carry on just a bit and carbonate the stuff.

Yeh, it's drinkable, just a bit sweeter and less strong than you intended.

 

[oldbloke]

Another question i'm afraid.........

I have just received my next project in the post, a 16L Elderberry sparkling wine set but was a little disappointed to see the end product would be only about 4% alcohol.....i'm no alcoholic but that's a bit weak for wine isn't it? (i was thinking of testing it out on some of my rugby mates and am in danger of a serious fine should they discover this)

Short of adding vodka at the end, is there anything i can do to pep this up?

thanks as usual,

Kieron

Really 4%? Not a misprint? What kit is this?, seems worth Googling...