Stuck Fermentation?

[okiewino]

I'm making a wine kit for the first time (Pinot Noir)....I have experience with all-grain beer brewing. My wine had and OG of 1.090 and after a week of fermentation is only at 1.020. Although the kit recommends two weeks in the primary, it appears that fermentation has slowed considerably and I'm wondering if it will make it to the recommended FG of 0.998. Temperatures in the fermenter have been in the recommended range of 70-80, mostly in the upper 70s during the initial phase of fermentation, but have now dropped to lower 70s. Temperatures in the house have been cooler than 70 at times.

Should I expect any additional fermentation at this point or has it likely reached its limit? Should I try to rouse the yeast and increase temps? Maybe pitch additional yeast?

Thanks!

 

[MarcusKillion]

Well I would say just leave it alone . If they say two weeks then you probably need several more than that if their instructions are like most .
When i make wine I leave it in ferementer ( no yeast or nutrient ) about a 3 days stirring every day and then strain out all the crap i.e. the oranges, lemons , raisins and dandelions and then add in yeast , nutrient and campden tablet . it just sits there for a month or two or three or how ever long it takes to get the flavor and dryness I want . the longer it stays there the dryer it gets and the less sweet and less citrus flavor . Leave it long enough without killing the process and it turns out like alcohol in water . the flavor is almost gone . then you add in sugar to bring back to the amount of citrus and sweetness you want .

 

[okiewino]

Should I stir the wine? The instructions didn't make any mention of stirring, so I've just left it alone....

 

[DoctorCAD]

Follow the directions. They are bulletproof

 

[winenoob66]

Low temp can slow fermentation, but other than that follow directions that came with the kit.

 

[Yooper]

Did you check your hydrometer to make sure it reads 1.000 in water? That can really throw off your reading. (I'm assuming it's a hydrometer and not a refractometer).

 

[okiewino]

Thanks....that's a good suggestion on the hydrometer since I actually broke my old hydrometer prior to making the wine and had to get a new one, but it does check out. I've raised the temperature in the room and bundled up the wine....I'll give it another week and see what happens. Thanks!

 

[MarcusKillion]

Should I stir the wine? The instructions didn't make any mention of stirring, so I've just left it alone....

seeing how you are using a kit , I have never seen one but assume they use a syrup like a can of LME is for beer , then probably not . the wine I make is made from fresh fruits and flowers so stirring it is essential . I should have made that clear , sorry .
It is about the leaving it alone and letting it do its thing . Wine can sit in that bucket at warm room temp for as long as you want it to when made from fresh fruits , I would guess a kit would be the same since you basically have the same stuff just with all the stirring and straining already done for you. the longer it sits the dryer it gets

 

[DoctorCAD]

seeing how you are using a kit , I have never seen one but assume they use a syrup like a can of LME is for beer , then probably not . the wine I make is made from fresh fruits and flowers so stirring it is essential . I should have made that clear , sorry .
It is about the leaving it alone and letting it do its thing . Wine can sit in that bucket at warm room temp for as long as you want it to when made from fresh fruits , I would guess a kit would be the same since you basically have the same stuff just with all the stirring and straining already done for you. the longer it sits the dryer it gets

In general, yes. Unless the fermentation stalls, which may be what is happening, but aI doubt it.

 

[okiewino]

To update.....last week, I bundled it up and using a space heater periodically to warm the room and saw signs of fermentation starting back up. Checked gravity today and it was down to 1.000, so pretty close to recommended FG of 0.998.