Transferred too early?

[Texconsinite]

After 9 days in secondary, there are no lees forming on my blackberry wine, and it looks clear, while the other wine I started and transferred at same time keeps plugging away and fermenting in secondary. What do I do now?

Here's recipe and procedure
1 Gallon Welchs Farmer Pick 100% Blackberry Juice
4.5 cups sugar (dissolved in warm juice)
1/2 tsp Acid blend
1 tsp Wine Nutrient/energizer
1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1/2 Packet Lalvin EC 1118 Yeast
OG 1.141. Fermented at 74. Transferred after 1 week at SG 1.055. In the 10 days since then, no lees are forming in the secondary.

Did I rack too early and stop the yeast?
1.055 seems like a high Fg, expected this one to ferment out much lower than this.

 

[shhh]

Have you taken a Hydrometer reading since it went to 2ndary? May still be fermenting, especially with EC 1118.
No lees in the 10 days, is it clear?

I usually do my first racking anywhere between 5 and 10 days. Also , my SG is usually 1.100 So we almost the same there. You're sitting at ~ 11% abv. Should go to 18% ( I think).

I know I'm telling you everything you may know already. Good luck.
BTW is this site loading slowly lately? Even typing is slow.

 

[DoctorCAD]

1.141 is waaaay too high. Stsrting at 1.100 or less will give you better predictability.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

Agreed 100%! You racked way too soon, unless there is a noticeable problem, I never rack until dry, .994 0r lower.

 

[Yooper]

Agreed 100%! You racked way too soon, unless there is a noticeable problem, I never rack until dry, .994 0r lower.

I do something different- I rack (or try to) when the SG is 1.010-1.020, and fermentation is still going on but slowing. Sometimes that's pretty quick, and I miss it and rack when the wine is in the .990-.996 range, but that's not my goal normally.

The reason this wine may have slowed is because of the OG- 1.141 is going to make a very sweet dessert wine.

 

[DoctorCAD]

...
The reason this wine may have slowed is because of the OG- 1.141 is going to make a very sweet dessert wine.

Thats why I suggested his OG was too high to start with. It just makes things difficult to work with.

 

[Yooper]

Thats why I suggested his OG was too high to start with. It just makes things difficult to work with.

Yes. Unfortunately, the yeast will die of alcohol poisoning before fermenting the wine completely.

Sometimes, a happy fermentation with that yeast strain will push 18%- but it's generally through incremental feeding and some nutrients and even degassing.

At this point, it may keep going to 12-15% (or even a bit more), but it will end up a sweet wine due to where it started. A hydrometer reading is what is needed to tell.

 

[Texconsinite]

I suspected the OG may be a problem, as this fermented slower than the Pomegranate I started at same time. That batch started around 1.10 and went to 1.014 at transfer, and has more trub in secondary, which sounds as yooper described successfully fermenting dry.

I'm totally fine with it ending up a sweet dessert wine (SWMBO will LOVE that!), Im more concerned with it ending up as vinegar or rocket fuel.

Thanks for the advice. I am realizing that this batch and many of my past meads with this yeast that turned out very rocket-fuel-y had a similarly high OG (too much honey), and all stalled out around 1.040. Probably due to stressed yeast. Hence my cause for concern that this batch might go that route.

That being said, what is my best course of action to make sure this is sweet and drinkable rather than rocket fuel?

Is there something to be gained by letting it sit longer, or should I stabilize and bottle at this point?

 

[Yooper]

I suspected the OG may be a problem, as this fermented slower than the Pomegranate I started at same time. That batch started around 1.10 and went to 1.014 at transfer, and has more trub in secondary, which sounds as yooper described successfully fermenting dry.

I'm totally fine with it ending up a sweet dessert wine (SWMBO will LOVE that!), Im more concerned with it ending up as vinegar or rocket fuel.

Thanks for the advice. I am realizing that this batch and many of my past meads with this yeast that turned out very rocket-fuel-y had a similarly high OG (too much honey), and all stalled out around 1.040. Probably due to stressed yeast. Hence my cause for concern that this batch might go that route.

That being said, what is my best course of action to make sure this is sweet and drinkable rather than rocket fuel?

Is there something to be gained by letting it sit longer, or should I stabilize and bottle at this point?

First remember that any higher ABV wine will be "hot" when young, and it will age out just fine. You may find that an 19% wine takes a couple of years go be aged out enough, but it does age well.

Next, this wine is only a couple of weeks old? Don't even think about bottling it or stabilizing it for a long while. It needs to be topped up in the carboy, to avoid contamination and oxidation, and then whenever it has lees (sediment) 1/4" thick or more, it should be racked to a new sanitized carboy and again topped up. If there are any lees at all after 60 days, it should be racked then as well.

After at least 60 days in a new carboy with no sediment at all, and if it's totally and completely clear, it can be either aged in the carboy or bottled at that time. You probably don't need to stabilize a wine that has reached it's alcohol tolerance and is clear- but you may want to use sulfites at every other racking and at bottling as an antioxidant.

 

[Texconsinite]

First remember that any higher ABV wine will be "hot" when young, and it will age out just fine. You may find that an 19% wine takes a couple of years go be aged out enough, but it does age well.

Next, this wine is only a couple of weeks old? Don't even think about bottling it or stabilizing it for a long while. It needs to be topped up in the carboy, to avoid contamination and oxidation, and then whenever it has lees (sediment) 1/4" thick or more, it should be racked to a new sanitized carboy and again topped up. If there are any lees at all after 60 days, it should be racked then as well.

Thank you! Yes is it a couple weeks old, I will top up as per your suggestion. However, it is clear and no lees are visible yet, after 10 days in secondary. If there are still no lees after 50 more days, should I stabilize and bottle then?

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

The general rule of thumb when testing clarity is if you can clearly read text through the liquid, it's good to bottle.

The trick to making good wine is patience (a lesson hard learned, trust me).
Forget about the number of days it's in there, it'll be ready when it's done fermenting and everything has dropped out.