Wine from grapes...stuck at 1.020

[davidat19]

As the title really...its a batch from a friends grapes..2nd or third time I have done it...used a turbo yeast, and repitched, it still tastes too sweet, but I cant seem to get it to go out further, I have tried adding sugar..it stops around this point every time. Its in the kitchen next to a radiator and has a heat belt. Any suggestions?
TIA

 

[user 23136]

I made some elderflower that I now think had too much sugar in the recipe. When it stuck, I repitched the yeast - no result. Left it a bit, then tried Restart - no apparent result. Put it aside, and after a month or so, checked it, and it had very slowly started going again. I put it next to the (open) fire and it's still going - very slowly, but the SG is dropping. I started it in June, and hmmm, it's not going to finish fermenting by Christmas! Can only suggest you give it time, or alternatively blend it with a drier wine? Good luck, anyway

 

[davidat19]

Hmmm. I racked it into a clean barrel ;ast week and added 4 litres of juice based red that was going reasonably well...took it up to 1.040, but it went for a while. Seems to have slowed again, and I am tempted to give it a dose of potassium sorbate or Camden tablets and start it again after a weekor so...but I will wait a while before going nuclear. It has a heat belt on and is next to the kitchen radiator, so its warm on a regular basis.
Perhaps it is just time.

 

[Richie_asg1]

Is it possible it can be getting too hot when the radiator kicks on? If you are certain that it has a stable temperature, then I can only think the yeast may have run out of nutrients. You could try using a mixed nutrient and see if there is any increase in activity. You could do this in a trial jar if you don't want to risk the whole batch.
I wouldn't use sorbate if you want to keep it going, and campden tablets will just stop activity for a bit anyway.

Happy yeast would just keep munching away.

 

[davidat19]

Don't think its too hot....the yeast is a turbo one and has always gone like the clappers.
I was thinking to stop it and sterilise it, rack it off again and start it once more.....I will see what happens after xmas.
I 3was thinking of trying part of it in a demijohn.

 

[johncrobinson]

Turbo yeasts are not the best for wine.
They are really only good for that Ahem,!!!! "process"

Keep sorbate well away from anything you wish to ferment.
And this applies to campden too.(to a lesser extent)

If you are getting airlock activity just let it do its thing.

 

[johncrobinson]

The BIG secret to fermentation is STABLE temperature.

 

[davidat19]

Well.....it is still going but still very slow. I will wait and see.

 

[user 23136]

Well.....it is still going but still very slow. I will wait and see.

...I just tested my elderflower...it's taken a month to go from 1.022 to 1.016. Looks like it will be next summer before I get to taste it!

 

[Tony Palmer]

Sounds like nutrient defiency. Add some nutrient (Tronozymol) and then decant into another container to see if that gets it going. Good luck

 

[johncrobinson]

Could be also too small a yeast colony.
As tony palmer says decanting might help as the oxygen will help the yeast to multiply and get its second wind.

A couple of questions what is the actual temperature????
What was the starting gravity.????

What ever you do DONT try to "stop" it then restart the fermentation,Restarting a fermentation can be very problamatic.