Fermentation has started again

Something odd has happened: I made (or rather am making) a Selection International Gwertztrimner kit. Now, in retrospect, I admit that I was a bit too hasty stabilizing and clarifying this wine. (SG 0.996) I am new at this after all. Any way, I stabilized using the metabisulfite and the sorbate that came with the kit, degassed and clarified the wine, and I followed the instructions religiously. I decided to leave it in the secondary for a month or so before I bottled it. Now, I swear, I really swear that the fermentation lock on the secondary was absolutely flat during the period it was clarifying. And clarify it did, beautifully I might add. After it had clarified I racked it off about 6 days ago, and decided to leave it in the secondary for about a month or so before I bottled it.

Just this evening, I went down stairs, and something caught my eye: The fermentation lock burped. I said to myself, this cannot be, but I stayed and watched it. Sure enough - very slowly, fermentation lock is bubbling - therefore, I can only assume fermentation has begun again.

I guess the only thing to do is to watch it carefully and see where it goes from here.

Has this ever happened to anyone here? What can I expect to happen?

Abby

Reply to
Childfree Abby
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It's probably not relevant, but I thought one of my fermenters had started fermenting again. It turned out, I believe, that it was just a rise in ambient temperature pushing some gas through the lock. The SG never changed.

If it is fermenting, pressumably it will throw a little sediment over time so you may be able to check that way too.

Jim

International Gwertztrimner kit. Now, in

wine. (SG 0.996) I am new at this after

with the kit, degassed and clarified the

the secondary for a month or so before I

secondary was absolutely flat during the

it had clarified I racked it off about

before I bottled it.

fermentation lock burped. I said to myself,

fermentation lock is bubbling - therefore, I

Reply to
jim

Ditto what Jim said... a change in temperature or pressure can make an airlock burp.

However, I have had several batches that appeared to be done, but came back to life just before I bottled them. Unless you have the equipment to do micro-filtration, your best bet is to let it run its course and rack one more time before bottling.

Greg G.

Reply to
greg

It could also be some dissolved CO2 coming out of saturation if the temp changed.

Joe

Reply to
Joe Sallustio

Thank you, one and all for your responses.

Whether change of air pressure, temp or whatever... the burping has stopped. Therefore it is back to our regularly scheduled bulk aging

Abby

Reply to
Childfree Abby

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