Blackcurrent Wine - Long Long Ferment?

springtime · Feb 24, 2013

I have a gallon of blackcurrent wine that was started at the end of July last year and it's still going (very slowly).
I used the recipe as per CJ Berry as I have made others but this one is taking ages for some reason - 7 months so far.
I also have 5 gallons of the stuff still bubbling away (slowly) which was started at the end of October last year so its been on for about 4 months - this one is currently around 8.5% abv.
Not quite sure why blackcurrent takes so long which is annoying as I cropped over 60lb of currents on my allotment last year and still have loads in the freezer. I'd like to put another couple of gallons on but I'd like them to ferment out a bit quicker.
By the way - the yeast was a standard red type with the usual yeast nutrient and pectinase enzyme was added to the berries beforehand.
Any advice would be appreciated.

KeithS · Feb 24, 2013

Hi
No expert but have you taken a sg reading, the bubbles your seeing through the air lock
could be off gasing co2 locked up in the wine.

Jonny69 · Feb 25, 2013

I have similar problems with blackberry wine. It usually goes off like the clappers and then stalls while it is still quite sweet. It does eventually brew out, but I wonder if the fruit doesn't have the right balance of nutrients and acid to support an efficient brew like, say, apple juice. I've had similar problems with carton grape juice. It usually starts brewing and stalls while still quite sweet. It'll sit there doing nothing for months (even if I pitch more yeast into it) and then one day decide to ferment out to dry.

Any dark country wine has to mature for some time anyway, so it's not really a problem if you have the space to keep a few demijohns going. I'm sure the extra demijohns will come in handy later!

alanywiseman. · Feb 25, 2013

KeithS said:
No expert but have you taken a sg reading, the bubbles your seeing through the air lock
could be off gasing co2 locked up in the wine.

Do this first.

If it is deffinetly still fermenting check the temperature. If that is ok then give it a gentle stir. If that doesnt work repitch yeast but you need to add the wine to yeast not the yeast to the wine. Follow This

Hope at least one of these work :thumb:

springtime · Feb 25, 2013

It's definately bubbling - once every 10 seconds and you can see bubbles rising to the surface - guess this ones gonna be a long one - hope the result is an excellent wine.

Regarding the general slowness of the fermentation of blackcurrent & blackberry wine, are there any tips to help the fermentation move along faster from the start?

Gayle · Feb 28, 2013

A good yeast starter might help kick things off. In a sterilised jar, pour in some boiled water and add a small tsp of sugar or a splash of fruit juice, add the yeast when it's cool enough and cover cleanly. Leave it for at least 15mins but overnight is good too, to get the yeast colonies built up. A little extra nutrient after a few days might help too. If it's been sitting in the FV for 4 months, maybe try racking it, that often gets things going again.

60lbs of blackcurrants? Wow

there's loadsa stuff you can make with those! Jam, cordials, fruit leather, flavoured spirits...

springtime · Mar 1, 2013

Gayle said:
A good yeast starter might help kick things off. In a sterilised jar, pour in some boiled water and add a small tsp of sugar or a splash of fruit juice, add the yeast when it's cool enough and cover cleanly. Leave it for at least 15mins but overnight is good too, to get the yeast colonies built up. A little extra nutrient after a few days might help too. If it's been sitting in the FV for 4 months, maybe try racking it, that often gets things going again.

60lbs of blackcurrants? Wow there's loadsa stuff you can make with those! Jam, cordials, fruit leather, flavoured spirits...

Hi
Thanks for that, fruit leather is a new one on me, I'll give it a go.
I'll have to do something to use them before this seasons crop. I'm anticipating a larger crop this year :whistle:

Blackcurrent Wine - Long Long Ferment?

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