Wine too sweet :(

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JimmyPage

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Hi All ...

after a break, I've started making wine again. Particular favourite is the "Barola" from Beaverdale (6 Bottle).

Anyway, thought I would try the Shiraz 6 Bottle from Beaverdale. Put it on 2 weeks ago, and it was fermenting nicely.

Airlock stopped bubbling last Thursday. Went to check the s.g. Sunday, and it was 1.007 - which the hydrometer reads as towards the dry end of medium. However tasting a sip, and it was far too sweet - almost like a sherry :(

This is what put me off winemaking before - I made a 30 bottle kit (Merlot) and despite it appearing to ferment fully, it was just sickly sweet. That was 5 years ago ... it took me a long time to get back in the saddle.

Unless my taste palate is way off beam, I am clearly doing something wrong. The wines on a brew mat - kept in a room where the air temperature doesn't fall below 18C.

Anyone know what I could be getting wrong. And is there a way to salvage this batch ?

Thanks in advance y'all :)
 
Leave it for a while longer, 1.007 is a high fg, it should drop lower than that. Airlock activity isn't a good measure of fermentation activity. Have a bit of patience, check it again maybe next week.
Out of interest how much sugar are you adding to brews?
 
Leave it for a while longer, 1.007 is a high fg, it should drop lower than that. Airlock activity isn't a good measure of fermentation activity. Have a bit of patience, check it again maybe next week.
Out of interest how much sugar are you adding to brews?


Well, it costs nothing to leave it (although it may get overoaked !).

I don't add any sugar - the Beaverdale kits are just-add-water.
 
If you're worried about overoaking, you could rack it into a different fv and leave it to it's devices in there.
 
Checked the s.g. a week on. Still 1.007 :(

Checked temperature, which seemed a touch high at 25 (no need for the heating mat). So I took it off, and cooled it down to 20C.

Added some stuff I was given a while ago for a stuck fermentation ... mixed it well in.

As of now - no bubbles, s.g. still sticking at 1.007.

Looks like I will have to dump this brew.

MEANWHILE, the Chardonnay I put on at exactly the same time, and on the same heatmat came out at a touch under 990, and beautifully dry - exactly how we like our whites.

So the question is ... wtf am I doing wrong with *red* kits ? I have made Barola's (Beaverdale) and one came out perfect, the other ... a touch too sweet (matter of taste).

Is it letting the mix over-ferment and spill through the airlock initially ?

Should I keep off the heatmat for reds ?
 
I honestly don't know. It sounds like too much sugar, but if it's no sugar added then that shouldn't be the case. Try adding a high alcohol yeast (stuck ferment yeast, something like that), see if that helps. You could also try watering it down a touch, see if that works. Otherwise keep it and mix it with a dry red when you have one.
Overspilling shouldn't matter too much as long as you clean up afterwards. Personally I never use any heat source and all my brews turn out fine.
Maybe try a different kit, wilko's or brewbuddy, see if they ferment out fully (would also give you something to mix with)
 
the one im doing now has finished at.998 wouldnt go any lower, taking a while to clear,

with yours you could make another batch and blend it to get rid of some of the sweetness, also i heard adding a touch of acid will take the sweetness taste down.
 
Dont get disheartened! The same happened to me with a Beaverdale Barolo. I fixed it by chucking in EC1118 yeast which did the trick. I also found this wine doesnt improve much with ageing, although lovely young. Very little difference between 1 and 6 months, its a strange brew that one.

Best red from Beaverdale I have tried is the Chateau do Roi wotsit. Lovely wine young and old.

I agree with the previous comments tho. Get another Barolo on, ferment it out and mix it. Will be delicious :thumb:
 
I have also never used a heat mat or belt. If the temp is a little consider a champagne style yeast that will ferment down to 10c. However, I once changed a yeast in a white wine kit wine and it took EIGHT bloody weeks to ferment out and it was s**t!! :doh:
 
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