fermentation stopped.

[tommyg595]

I made a 1 gal batch of jelly/jam the 15 of this month. Fallowed the recipe to a T. SG was 1.100. Three days later it was 1.040. Put it under airlock and left it alone. Checked on it everyday. Now its not doing anything. The 3 piece airlock system isn't bubbling anymore.
Does that mean it done and ready to be back sweetened.

 

[Arpolis]

Well what is the gravity now? Then check it in three days. What is the gravity then? If it is the same both days then it is done. Airlock activity is not a good way to determin if ll fermentation is done. But I am sure you are close to it being done. I usually only back sweeten when the wine is crystal clear and sat at least a full 30 days from creation.

 

[tommyg595]

The SG now is 1.020. Ill do that and see what happens. I used k1v 1116 yeast. In other wines I've used it in. It kept going for a month or so. I was just wondering if it was cause I used jelly/jam.

 

[Arpolis]

I made a strawberry jelly mead and just bottled it the other day. My OG was 1.10 and I even used lalvin 1116 as well. It took it dry to about .998. So you may have a loos seal or just your yeast is taking it's time. K1v-1116 will ferment most anything dry but I notice it ferments very slowly if you are a little low on nutrients.

 

[tommyg595]

I used 1 tea spoon of nutrient per gal. So if I have a loose seal. Will it hurt the wine.

 

[Yooper]

I used 1 tea spoon of nutrient per gal. So if I have a loose seal. Will it hurt the wine.

No. But let it finish up and then start to clear before you consider doing anything with it. Once it starts to clear, you can rack to a new carboy and then let it finish up and then finish clearing. That's a good time to take another SG reading.

You won't want to stabilize and sweeten for quite a long time yet, unless you happen to enjoy bottle bombs blowing up in your house!

 

[tommyg595]

Will do. I was just really surprised that it stopped as soon as it did. I've got a blueberry Mead that I made the same day that's still going strong under airlock.
And NO bottle bombs. I don't mind waiting for it to do its thing.

 

[saramc]

I made a 1 gal batch of jelly/jam the 15 of this month. Fallowed the recipe to a T. SG was 1.100. Three days later it was 1.040. Put it under airlock and left it alone. Checked on it everyday. Now its not doing anything. The 3 piece airlock system isn't bubbling anymore.
Does that mean it done and ready to be back sweetened.

So one of the lessons learned is: never rely on airlock activity, or absence of, to confirm that a must is/is not fermenting. As you use different yeasts, different fruits you will quickly find out that some are aggressive bubble makers and others barely/rarely release a blip...but when you check with a hydrometer you are sometimes shocked that your SG may already be below 1.000 or it has only dropped 0.010-0.020 in a matter of 72 hours. Also, when you start making mead you will learn it can takes weeks if not months for those final 10-20-30 points to drop & with wine many would consider it a stuck ferment if no change for 3 consecutive days.

 

[tommyg595]

Thanks. Ill keep that in mind.

 

[tommyg595]

After taking a reading yesterday with the hydrometer, the air lock activity started again.