I crushed a combination of Cab (60%) and Merlot (40%) into primary and after
5 days began to get good bubbling activity. I pressed grapes with SG at 1.09 at 9 days - color is fantastic. I put juice into French oak with airlock, and am getting no bubbles. My question is this: is it possible that the fermentation is taking a respite before resuming again? Thanks in advance. VicIf after 5 or so days of fermentation, you were at SG=1.09, wondering what your starting SG was ?
I typically press somewhere between day 6 and 10, once SG reaches around 1.02. I found this gives me good color.
Years ago, I had a similar thing happen to me when I put my must into the oak barrel, fermentation stopped. What I'm guessing happened was that I washed the barrel out with some sulfite solution and didn't get it completely removed prior to adding must. I guessing the higher level of sulfite killed off the remaining yeast. I ended up putting in additional yeast to get it restarted. Fermentation restarted, but I was never able to get that batch completely dry.
Good luck, Mark
Thanks for the response. Starting SG was 1.104. When pressed, virtually all activity in primary had stopped, and the must was appropriately decomposed and color was / is fantastic. Juice is sweet wine already, after only 9 days. Despite any active activity in barrel, fermentation will undoubtedly be continuing until sugar is consumed. Sugar reading at crush was 26, and at press was 3. What do you think?
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