Help needed

Chippy_Tea · Oct 25, 2014

You can finish it in the existing FV but it may take a bit longer to clear as you will stir the sediment when adding the Stabiliser, campden and finings, if you leave it fermenting while you are away it will not do any harm it will be very dry when you return so you may need to back sweeten if its not to your taste.

frdmorley · Oct 25, 2014

I take its okay to add the finings at the same time as the Camden tablets? Or would it be better to allow the Camden tablets stop the process for a while before putting in the finings ?

Chippy_Tea · Oct 25, 2014

Campden tablets will not stop the fining doing its job so no need to wait, the reason we use them is below.

What Do Campden Tablets Do?

The original reason these tablets were used in wine making was to keep the wine from spoiling after it had been bottled. By adding these tablets at bottling time, you could virtually eliminate any chance of your wine falling victim to mold, bacteria and other foreign enemies.

Chippy_Tea · Oct 25, 2014

Yesterday morning you said - "Okay will leave it the few days I am away to see if it stops then take the readings and post them up here" are you going to leave it until you come back or stop it now?

I ask as without taking the hydrometer reading i mentioned in an earlier post you don't know if it has finished or not.

frdmorley · Oct 26, 2014

No am away so will when I get back use the hydrometer first before I go any further and then based on the reading that I will of course post up here make an educated decision( advised lol) decision as to the way forward

Chippy_Tea · Oct 26, 2014

OK :thumb:

frdmorley · Nov 2, 2014

Okay popped into the house yesterday and its still bubbling but very slowly ( bear in mind its 5 gallons ) air lock going about once every 5 to 8 minutes, several questions and yes i know I am inquisitive after all thats how we learn, and in the future have the ability to advise.

Okay still obviously fermenting, so will check SV Tuesday when I get home, have been reading for a day or two and several peeps around the globe seem to recommend only adding Campden at some times, looking at the specifics I am tempted to agree, first one is that obviously even if I wish to allow fermentation to progress do I need to add campden tablets and at what rate to if nothing else to prevent oxidisation after exposure to open air or would the wine tolerate a very limited exposure ?

If I need to stop fermentation and some folks advise Campden only stuns the yeast for a short while looking at advice I would be looking at at a 5 gallon rate 30 tablets ( 45 grams per tab) - 10 for 80mg tablet rate .45 grams + 5 tabs for error.

will also next time look at adding pectic enzyme when adding yeast although this only seems relevant to fruits where you need to break down sources between inner and outer cells in fruit.

Peeps I know I am inquisitive but the only way to learn and become useful to others in the future is asking from those that know :)

Chippy_Tea · Nov 2, 2014

Okay still obviously fermenting, so will check SV Tuesday when I get home, have been reading for a day or two and several peeps around the globe seem to recommend only adding Campden at some times, looking at the specifics I am tempted to agree, first one is that obviously even if I wish to allow fermentation to progress do I need to add campden tablets and at what rate to if nothing else to prevent oxidisation after exposure to open air or would the wine tolerate a very limited exposure ?

If I need to stop fermentation and some folks advise Campden only stuns the yeast for a short while looking at advice I would be looking at at a 5 gallon rate 30 tablets ( 45 grams per tab) - 10 for 80mg tablet rate .45 grams + 5 tabs for error

You are not adding campden tablets to stop fermentation you are adding them to stop the wine spoiling while ageing (its not just exposure to air that can cause wines to spoil) , we use Fermentation Stopper also called Wine Stabiliser (postassium sorbate) to kill the yeast so it does not carry on fermenting in the bottles and also does not start fermenting again if we back sweeten.

You say "looking at advice I would be looking at at a 5 gallon rate 30 tablets" I don't know where you are getting this advice but its wrong, anyone advising you use 30 tablets in a 5 gallons of wine should not be advising anyone about anything, you add one crushed campden to each gallon so you only use 5 not 30.

will also next time look at adding pectic enzyme when adding yeast although this only seems relevant to fruits where you need to break down sources between inner and outer cells in fruit.

As we make our wine from juice we don't have grape skins to worry about but we do use Pectolace (Pectin Enzyme) as it stops pectin hazes developing in out wine.

frdmorley · Nov 8, 2014

Okay sterilised all the bits needed, hydrometer reading exactly midway between .990 and 1 so just where I wanted it ( dry) even looks quite clear in the tube, right have added vin clear finings and 6 Camden tablets by stirring them into a large cup of the wine ( did sterilise the cup) and pouring it back into the fv and stirring it well in, cloudy again but expected that after the advice, really pleased so far as first ever attempt, screwed the top back on with Vaseline on rubber seal and will leave for a while okay oh wise ones where now [emoji41]

Chippy_Tea · Nov 8, 2014

Did you add wine stabiliser (fermentation stopper)

frdmorley · Nov 8, 2014

Did you add wine stabiliser (fermentation stopper)

no I didn't I Will need to get some and yes it is still bubbling but so slow its about 1 every hour or so and very slight, would it be okay to add it in a day or two and if i can do I need to do anything else ?

PS edit
Have just ordered a tub, will be delivered by Wednesday at the latest !!

Chippy_Tea · Nov 8, 2014

Add it when it arrives you are going to have to stir it in so will have to wait for it to clear again for a couple of days, then its bottle time if you are not going to age it in the FV.

frdmorley · Nov 14, 2014

Added the stabiliser yesterday stirred in now waiting for the fermentation to stop ( still bubbling) but almost stopped going to just leave alone now until it settles down and then bottle it

Chippy_Tea · Nov 15, 2014

Keep us posted :thumb:

frdmorley · Nov 20, 2014

Okay it stopped 2 days ago, sediment at bottom is about 12mm and looks clear going to leave it three or four days more in the FV and will then filter it whilst bottling it and see [emoji41]

frdmorley · Nov 22, 2014

Bloody thing has come to life again although very subdued, added another teaspoon full in boiled water and gave it a good stir, will give it another stir in two days and hope it stops [emoji35]

frdmorley · Nov 27, 2014

Okay lost now have attempted to stop the fermentation process, its still going don't want to add any more stabiliser initial amount should have stopped it second lot and temperature should have killed it,nope its still creeping along all though so slow , so where now ? ?

Chippy_Tea · Nov 27, 2014

How much stabiliser did you add?

Did you add 5 campden tablets?

frdmorley · Nov 28, 2014

Yes 5 Camden tablets where added with the finings then a few days later 3 teaspoons of the stabiliser and a thorough stir then another stir then because the activity another two teaspoons and another stir, the wine now looks clear, loads of sediment on the bottom and yet it still lives glugging away about once every two hours [emoji57]

Chippy_Tea · Nov 28, 2014

The only way to know for sure what is going on is to take a reading over a couple of days with a hydrometer.

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