Rookie question

[dazzle.]

I started a mixed berry recipe 4 weeks ago based on a recipe I've had for a while, I stopped brewing for a long time so this is the first time I've tried it.

It called for 2kg of mixed berries and 450g of sugar, 450g of brewing sugar, plus yeast/nutrients and so on. It started well and has been on an inkbird controlled heatpad which I know through going through the data has been consistent at 20 degrees.

After 7 days i transferred to a demijohn and it has been fermenting for 3 weeks. It's slowed down over the past few days to a rate of 2 bubbles through the airlock per minute.

The OG was 1.100, but today, after 4 weeks, the SG is 1.020

I've left it to ferment but I'm a bit concerned that the recipe says it should be complete after 2-3 weeks but its been 4 and still not finished.

Should I leave it to carry on, start with the next stage or bin it?

thanks for any replies

 

[Chippy_Tea]

What temperature is it fermenting at?

Should I leave it to carry on, start with the next stage or bin it?

If you have no heat source i would leave it another week and see if it drops.

 

[dazzle.]

Hi there,

I've set the inkbird to 20.5 so when it drops to 20 it will fire up the heat pad. The data shows the lowest temp it's been over the past 4 weeks is 19.9 for approx 15 minutes. Other than that its been between those two values.

I'll leave it as you say and see how it goes. Is there any danger to leaving it as in will it give off flavours?

Also, if it doesn't drop, would bottling it at that SG cause a problem as it should be around 10.5% but very sweet maybe?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

As you have used a heat source it's odd it's fermenting so slowly maybe give it a good stir to see if that'll kick it off.

Bottling before it's finished fermenting isn't a good idea even if you use fermentation stopper there is no guarantee it'll stop it totally and you could end up with bottle bombs.

You may also end up with something way too sweet and undrinkable.

 

[dazzle.]

As you have used a heat source it's odd it's fermenting so slowly maybe give it a good stir to see if that'll kick it off.

Bottling before it's finished fermenting isn't a good idea even if you use fermentation stopper there is no guarantee it'll stop it totally and you could end up with bottle bombs.

You may also end up with something way too sweet and undrinkable.

Cheers for that. I'll give it a good stir and leave it a little longer to see if it improves at all.

I could understand if the temperature was too low but it's not. Just a very slow ferment and it would be my first one that's not from a kit!!

 

[An Ankoù]

I started a mixed berry recipe 4 weeks ago based on a recipe I've had for a while, I stopped brewing for a long time so this is the first time I've tried it.

It called for 2kg of mixed berries and 450g of sugar, 450g of brewing sugar, plus yeast/nutrients and so on. It started well and has been on an inkbird controlled heatpad which I know through going through the data has been consistent at 20 degrees.

After 7 days i transferred to a demijohn and it has been fermenting for 3 weeks. It's slowed down over the past few days to a rate of 2 bubbles through the airlock per minute.

The OG was 1.100, but today, after 4 weeks, the SG is 1.020

I've left it to ferment but I'm a bit concerned that the recipe says it should be complete after 2-3 weeks but its been 4 and still not finished.

Should I leave it to carry on, start with the next stage or bin it?

thanks for any replies

It sounds as if all is going as it should. Leave it until it stops fermenting, ie until it stops pushing bubbles through the lock and it starts to clear. Certainly don't bin it. You have an inkbird controlled heatpad, but where is the temperature probe? Is it measuring the heat pad or the liquid in the FV? I'm also a bit confused as to why the recipe calls for both table sugar and brewing sugar. Surely the latter is an unnecessary expense, but it certainly won't do any harm.
Try to bring the whole FV into a warmer ambient temperature. Stick it in an airing cupboard of get the labrador to cuddle it 24/7. But be patient most of all.
Or do what I do. Get the half-pint mugs out and neck the lot down. The world might end tomorrow. If it doesn't you can get another brew on.

 

[dazzle.]

It sounds as if all is going as it should. Leave it until it stops fermenting, ie until it stops pushing bubbles through the lock and it starts to clear. Certainly don't bin it. You have an inkbird controlled heatpad, but where is the temperature probe? Is it measuring the heat pad or the liquid in the FV? I'm also a bit confused as to why the recipe calls for both table sugar and brewing sugar. Surely the latter is an unnecessary expense, but it certainly won't do any harm.
Try to bring the whole FV into a warmer ambient temperature. Stick it in an airing cupboard of get the labrador to cuddle it 24/7. But be patient most of all.
Or do what I do. Get the half-pint mugs out and neck the lot down. The world might end tomorrow. If it doesn't you can get another brew on.

Hi there, thanks for your reply. From what I can remember from the time, the brewing sugar was to increase the alcohol content, but not the sweetness. I think this was because of the sweetness from the strawberries. I'm not sure if that works or if it makes sense but that's what I was told at the time. If that's not true then I know better for next time!

The temperature probe has been taped to the outside of the demijohn, roughly about 1/4 of the way from the top. Do you think this is giving me an inaccurate reading? If that's the case then then I may have been fermenting at too low a temperature.

Although it's my first non-kit wine, I've made it at a time when the weather has gone colder, hence the Heatpad. If you think it will help, I could move it to the warmest room in the house but taking readings with my thermometer, I'd still need a heater of some sort!

 

[An Ankoù]

Hi there, thanks for your reply. From what I can remember from the time, the brewing sugar was to increase the alcohol content, but not the sweetness. I think this was because of the sweetness from the strawberries. I'm not sure if that works or if it makes sense but that's what I was told at the time. If that's not true then I know better for next time!

The temperature probe has been taped to the outside of the demijohn, roughly about 1/4 of the way from the top. Do you think this is giving me an inaccurate reading? If that's the case then then I may have been fermenting at too low a temperature.

Although it's my first non-kit wine, I've made it at a time when the weather has gone colder, hence the Heatpad. If you think it will help, I could move it to the warmest room in the house but taking readings with my thermometer, I'd still need a heater of some sort!

Brewing sugar ferments completely leaving no sweetness (up to the alcohol tolerance if the yeast) and so does table sugar. They're not the same, one's a single sugar and the latter is a double, but the yeast takes care of that.
I've never used an inkbird controller with a glass demijohn, but if I did, I'd tape a folded lump of bubble wrap to the vessel and insert the probe under it. I'd then wrap the whole thing in a towel. Glass demijohns are pretty thick and not given to sensitive measurement of the temperature of the contents.
Good luck with the wine, I reckon it'll turn out fine.