No alcohol in my wine?

[Choch]

Ok, so i've been fermenting some wine for a recommended amount of time, and I decided to taste some today to see if there was any alcohol content in it. I taste literally no alcohol. What could I have done wrong? There has been TONS of activity from the yeast, and it is bubbling like crazy.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Have you calibrated your taste buds accordingly?

On a serious note... Maybe test with a vinometer and see what it reports?

 

[Choch]

Have you calibrated your taste buds accordingly?

On a serious note... Maybe test with a vinometer and see what it reports?

Sadly, I do not own a vinometer . Haha i'm pretty sure my tastebuds are well calibrated

 

[whitesheperd]

Have a hydrometer? What do u mean u can't "taste" the alcohol? Like you can't TASTE it or u can't get a BUZZ? When I used to make wines you couldn't taste the alcohol, which I did it on purpose so u can drink it like a soda and BAM your done for haha. But hmm that doesn't sound right at all.. How long have you been fermenting?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Choch]

Have a hydrometer? What do u mean u can't "taste" the alcohol? Like you can't TASTE it or u can't get a BUZZ? When I used to make wines you couldn't taste the alcohol, which I did it on purpose so u can drink it like a soda and BAM your done for haha. But hmm that doesn't sound right at all.. How long have you been fermenting?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I have fermented two months and taste literally no alcohol. I don't smell any either .

 

[whitesheperd]

I have fermented two months and taste literally no alcohol. I don't smell any either .

Wow something's wrong .. Did you take a OG and test the FG? What sugar did you use..? I'm very baffled by this :S the only thing I can think is ur wine was fermenting.. But it only fermented very little alcohol.. Did u taste the wine before u adde the yeast just to see why it tasted like? If so it should have been very sweet and if u fermente dry then it shouldn't be sweet anymore..


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Choch]

Wow something's wrong .. Did you take a OG and test the FG? What sugar did you use..? I'm very baffled by this :S the only thing I can think is ur wine was fermenting.. But it only fermented very little alcohol.. Did u taste the wine before u adde the yeast just to see why it tasted like? If so it should have been very sweet and if u fermente dry then it shouldn't be sweet anymore..


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I have no idea was OG and FG mean. I used the natural sugar, as well as just store bought common table sugar (i heard it works). I tasted it before and it doesnt taste at all different.

Edit: i also forgot to add that i didnt put in any nutrient, but theres been a ton of carbon dioxide production anyways.

 

[whitesheperd]

Sounds to me that the yeast was active as you said and then died... Bad batch of yeast it sounds.. If the yeast was active and done it's job it would taste different.. Just go spend another dollar on a package of yeast and do it again man..


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[whitesheperd]

What yeast did u use??


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Choch]

What yeast did u use??


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I have two different batches they both died for some reason. One I used regular wine yeast I harvested off of another batch that was very successful. The other I just used some left over nuruk yeast ball which should have worked.

 

[Choch]

I have two different batches they both died for some reason. One I used regular wine yeast I harvested off of another batch that was very successful. The other I just used some left over nuruk yeast ball which should have worked.

I just checked theres still activity in them..... wth...

 

[whitesheperd]

Err.. Well just go to the brew store and get another yeast pack.. Unless someone els has a better theory why it didn't ferment. But that's what it sounds like to me, is that it up and died? Did u keep it to cold or to warm? If it's to hot it will kill the yeast.. But it has to be over 110 degrees for it to die from heat, and the cold will just make it dormant.. Dormant as in basically freeze them ten once it's warm it will dethaw them and start again..


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[whitesheperd]

Hmm.. LOL unless u have got a yeast that isn't reproducing and is a very slow yeast.. Idk is personal go and get another pack.. Many of us have had to do that, more in beer than wine tho. But I've had to do it in wine because I had gotten a bad pack of yeast


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[wozzer]

Sometimes I leave blocks of cheese too long in the fridge. There's lots of activity, but it sure ain't yeast.

If you can't detect any alcohol - and alcohol is the yeast signature - then quite likely what you're seeing isn't the work of yeast.

 

[Choch]

Sometimes I leave blocks of cheese too long in the fridge. There's lots of activity, but it sure ain't yeast.

If you can't detect any alcohol - and alcohol is the yeast signature - then quite likely what you're seeing isn't the work of yeast.

ICK! I wonder what I just took a taste of then

 

[GuldTuborg]

Don't you own a hydrometer, OP?

 

[EJay]

Don't you own a hydrometer, OP?

+1.

I also think the question should be "why don't I taste (what I perceive as) alcohol". No alcohol may be one of many reasons, but I suspect there's alcohol in there.

I work professionally in wine, and an 'alcohol' taste often isn't apparent unless the wine is very 'hot' (say, 14.5% in a Cabernet). It may be you're associating acidity or tannic qualities with alcohol, and perhaps one of THOSE is missing in your latest batch. For instance, a medium-alcohol wine grown from hot-climate grapes with low acidity will have plenty of alcohol, but lacking acidity, might have no bite and taste flabby.

 

[Choch]

+1.

I also think the question should be "why don't I taste (what I perceive as) alcohol". No alcohol may be one of many reasons, but I suspect there's alcohol in there.

I work professionally in wine, and an 'alcohol' taste often isn't apparent unless the wine is very 'hot' (say, 14.5% in a Cabernet). It may be you're associating acidity or tannic qualities with alcohol, and perhaps one of THOSE is missing in your latest batch. For instance, a medium-alcohol wine grown from hot-climate grapes with low acidity will have plenty of alcohol, but lacking acidity, might have no bite and taste flabby.

I suppose that could be right. I have always associated alcohol with a sort of bitter taste for lack of a better word. I can also typically "feel" it in my mouth. Maybe i just did something different so its disguised in it.

 

[podz]

Ok, so i've been fermenting some wine for a recommended amount of time, and I decided to taste some today to see if there was any alcohol content in it. I taste literally no alcohol. What could I have done wrong? There has been TONS of activity from the yeast, and it is bubbling like crazy.

Congratulations, you've fermented what they call a "panty dropper". Now go and find the best looking woman in your neighborhood and offer her some of your wine ;-)

 

[whitesheperd]

Congratulations, you've fermented what they call a "panty dropper". Now go and find the best looking woman in your neighborhood and offer her some of your wine ;-)

LMAO!!! I couldn't quit laughing!!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[DrunkleJon]

I know nothing about making wines other than apfelwein so take whatever I say with a grain of salt.

Use your hydrometer. Did you take OG (Original Gravity) and FG (Final Gravity) or any other SG (Specific Gravity - I think) readings? Has your gravity dropped since you pitched the yeast? Did you make this from a kit? if so check your current SG against the directions. Did you follow the directions of your recipe?

Don't wines need to be degassed (stirred a bit to get the CO2 out of solution) to allow the yeast to keep working? I think I read that wines needed that somewhere.

Congrats, you may have made a session wine. I kid. You did remember to make sacrifices to Bacchus right? He gets really grumpy if you do not pay enough attention to him.

 

[podz]

Don't wines need to be degassed (stirred a bit to get the CO2 out of solution) to allow the yeast to keep working? I think I read that wines needed that somewhere.

No, actually removing the Co2 from a fermenting liquid will slow down fermentation to the point that it nearly or completely stops. A good way to get a stuck fermentation is to shake your carboy and let all the gas out. How else would the yeast remain in suspension if they have nothing on which to cling? They create their own ride!

Degassing of wine is done after fermentation is over so you don't have carbonated wine because 1) it usually doesn't taste too good, and 2) you want your yeast to drop completely out of suspension so the wine can clear.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Is this 'wine' something you're making under your bed in your parent's house?



Seriously, I'm guessing it is low in ABV and you just can't taste it. Drink a gallon and see how you feel.

 

[Hermit]

2 months of unfermented sugars and this didn't go bad? Please....

 

[Yooper]

No, actually removing the Co2 from a fermenting liquid will slow down fermentation to the point that it nearly or completely stops. A good way to get a stuck fermentation is to shake your carboy and let all the gas out. How else would the yeast remain in suspension if they have nothing on which to cling? They create their own ride!

Degassing of wine is done after fermentation is over so you don't have carbonated wine because 1) it usually doesn't taste too good, and 2) you want your yeast to drop completely out of suspension so the wine can clear.

Co2 is poisonous to yeast. It's very common in higher ABV meads to degas during primary often. It won't cause a stuck fermentation when you degas- exactly the opposite. During active fermentation, the yeast is producing a ton of co2 as waste, along with ethanol. It's very common to stir during this time, to break up the "cap" and to get oxygen into the must and to get the c02 out. You definitely WANT the co2 out, even in primary.

Some people who rush the wine to the bottle do degas before bottling; but I"ve only had ONE gassy non-kit wine in nearly 30 years that needed it. Normally, enough time passes for the wine to degas on its own. For kit wines, which are rushed to bottle, degassing is usually necessary.

 

[hunter_le five]

Is this 'wine' something you're making under your bed in your parent's house?

Sounds about like my first wine. Welches grape juice concentrate, sugar, and bread yeast. It didn't taste very refined, but it did the trick.

 

[whitesheperd]

Sounds about like my first wine. Welches grape juice concentrate, sugar, and bread yeast. It didn't taste very refined, but it did the trick.

Lol my very first "hooch" was three diff kinds.. Half gallon of strawberry kiwi, strawberry/banna, and a something els.. Added bread yeast to each and put a condom on the too and bam I had alcohol lol.. NASTY SHIZ THOUG! Which got into wine after that an learned.. Then got into beer where I am now( u have to learn somewhere tho (; but I have come a LONNNGGGG way since the bread yeast days lol...


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[whitesheperd]

When I made my wines I personally did like Welchs concord concentrate wine.. 4 things of frozen concentrate per gallon.. It was amazing.. I usually stoped the fermentation the firs week because of the sweetness and had a little carbonation to it.. I love that wine.. I am actually thinking about making more (; been a LONG time since I have lol..


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew