Ginger wine fermentation!

[gingerfury]

After a couple of successful attempts at wine making with kits I decided to go rogue and use fresh ingredients.
I chose a simple ginger wine recipe and it's been fermenting for about 2 weeks now. Problem is, it seems to have stopped! At first I was concerned that it had a slightly sulphuric smell/fizzy like carbon dioxide but I was assured it was totally natural.
I checked on it again yesterday (hadn't for about 3 days) and the bubbles have nearly stopped completely and there is a couple of small white spots floating on top. I've opened it and give it a good sniff and it smells beautiful - so I'm not concerned that the spots are mould.
My question is, should I take a hydrometer reading today and rack off? Or should it be left as the recipe states? I'm just mindful of leaving it for the next 5 months as recommended!
Any advice would be brilliant!
Cheers!

 

[saramc]

Hydrometer reading needs to be taken for sure. Do you have any sediment/ginger pulp settled on bottom of primary? If so, how much in what size batch?
The white floaties, is it ginger pulp by chance or more of a film that if you stir/shake they go away but a bit later they are back? Out of curiosity, did you use k-meta/Campden at the start of this?? If not, you will definitely want to go ahead and get some on board. Care to share the recipe with us?

And welcome to the forum & may your adventures in winemaking be tasty, and fun!

 

[gingerfury]

Hi! Thanks for the advice, they are like small white spots. There is no ginger pulp in it as I passed it through a sieve before adding the yeast.

This is the recipe used as it came recommended:
http://m.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/may/09/how-to-make-ginger-wine

There is a white, even layer at the bottom (yeast?!) and I read on other forums that the white spots could be yeast colonies clumped together but I was sure I mixed it thoroughly!

It's the huge amount it's slowed down that's worrying me more than anything... Through the bubble airlock there's now only one bubble a minute. It was constant.
Again, thank you for the help!

 

[gingerfury]

The readings currently stand at .990 maybe just under. It's a 5ltr batch currently in a glass demijohn. I've had a quick look at the white blobs and it does look like yeast.

 

[Yooper]

Rack to a new demijohn, top up, and wait. Once it's totally clear, and/or there are 1/4" of lees present (the sediment on the bottom is called "lees"), you can rack again. Once it's totally clear, and no longer throwing any lees at all after at least 60 days, it can be bottled.

 

[saramc]

Looks like you are well on your way to ginger wine! Definitely time to start the process of serial racking & clearing & degassing...all rolled into one. Nature has a great way of taking care of things.

 

[gingerfury]

Ahh I feel so much better!

Huge thanks for the advice! Nice to see such a friendly community prepared to help a novice!

Peace out.

 

[joindia]

Hi I have tried Ginger wine for the first time..today is still the 7th day when I opened it today to stir I saw a creamy white layer like formation on the top but in between them one by one bubble are coming in a very slow phase ...
here the climate is still cold ...so will it take time to start fermenting?
whats the creamy layer on top?? should I wait for few more days as the recipe demands? or should I start the next step to sieve it right now?

I am confused am I in the right track

 

[jensmith]

What was your sg to start and what is it now? Posting your recipie and methods will help us answer your questions better.