Must Rescue

I've rather clumsily embarked on my first winemaking venture using home grown red grapes from my late's father's vine in a north London garden - and urgently need advice please.

After almost a month the hydrometer reading is in the red upper band marked "wine" (1.000) exactly where it was after the initial fermentation. I am worried that the wine has not worked properly

As I say, a week after crushing the grapes and adding the Gervin yeast the hydrometer reading was in the red upper band marked "wine" (1.000).

I pressed the grapes (yielding only 5 litres of juice) and on advice from forum members, added a syrup made from 8 oz of granulated white sugar. The juice was put in a 25 litre fermentation drum (the only one I had) with fermentation lock. There was very little bubbling.

A few days later I also got hold of some Young's yeast nutrient and added a tablet - and after this there was greater bubbling of gases for a couple of days.

Another two weeks have now gone by and I have taken another hydrometer reading - 1.000 as before.

I'm anxious to rescue the situation if at all possible because my dad never managed to get around to making wine from his grapes before he passed away - and I've done it as a kind of tribute to him.

Can I add more yeast and nutrient and get the fermentation going again ? I now have a couple of one gallon glass demijohns and bugs/traps to use.

All advice on how to proceed from here gratefully received !

I'm new to homebrewing too and far from an expert.... What temperature was it at, I guess it's possible it finished in a week and I think a S.G reading of 1.000 means it has I'm sure replies from others will be more helpful.

I want to do exactly the same thing with my late father's vine although there wasn't enough grapes this year - will you let me know how yours turns out?

Cheers!

Hi

Do you know what the SG was (what did the hydrometer say after the sugar had been added but before fermentation?)

Dave

Are you sure it was at 1.000 and not 1.100 at the start. 1.000 is probably finished or nearly finished. Does it taste alcoholic? did you have yeast activity?

Thanks very much for the replies.
Answers to the points raised, in no particular order ....
I'm afraid I don't know what the reading was before fermentation because at that stage I had not bought a hydrometer (in my ignorance I hadn't realised I needed one)
The must has been kept at a temperature of roughly 17 c - 20 c
I think I had yeast activity when it was first added after crushing the grapes - there was a froth on top of the must.
I don't know if it tastes alcoholic - I haven't dared try it ! It's pretty soupy - will it do me any harm ?

What is the consensus on what I should do next please ?

And yes I will certainly keep everyone posted on progress !

Thanks again to those who've taken the time to help !

i'd try a small taster - you only need a drop or two to notice if it tastes alcoholic or not - doubt it would do you muchos harm. (i have had muchos unvoluntary fermented drinking from sucking syphons - tastes rank but haven't had any side effect)

I am only a newbie so bow to wisdom of the ones having brewed for longer here.

This may be pure coincidence - the wines that i have left in buckets a bit longer before going into demi's seem to ferment out much quicker. My elder was pretty much done in a couple of weeks.

This is a medium wine. Don't worry, it's fine as it is.