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How to stop a fermentation

I have been making wine for almost 50 years and never had this happen.

I have six gallons of blueberry wine that has been fermenting for about nine months. It stopped after about four or five months and appeared to be finished.

About a two months ago, I added 1 1/2 teaspoons of Potassium Sorbate and 2 teaspoons of Potassium Metabisulfite to get ready to bottle. It started working and is slowly bubbling away. It tastes dry and quite good.

I had a refractometer brix reading of approximately 3 when I added the Potassium salts. Our local winery owner told me that a few other people had the same thing happen to them. Is it possible that the Sorbate or Metabisulfite may act as a yeast nutrient of some sort?

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I want to bottle it.

Reply to
Andie Z
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Two tsps of meta sounds like an awful lot. I only use 1/4tsp/5 gallons

Valley Vintner made a spreadsheet for converting a refractometer to a adj brix/sg reading. With a reading of 3@70deg you had an sg of 1.021 and an adjusted brix of 5.2. As someone else pointed out you can't go by a refractometer brix reading alone. The alcohol throws it off.

So, given those numbers the blueberry wasn't d> I have been making wine for almost 50 years and never had this happen. >

Reply to
Marty Phee

I made three batches of raspberry wine last year (medio August). In December it stopped fermenting. I then used 2-3 months to clear it before adding sorbate and metabisulfite and sugar until proper sweetness. I also added raw vanilla to two of the batches. About a month later both of those two batches has began to ferment again. One of the batches still ferment (3 month now).

Guess I just have to wait before it finnish. I suspect this is MLF?

Reply to
Jørn Dahl-S

My cellar and wine temp is 58 degrees.

Reply to
Andie Z

That gives: Reading Temp SG Adj Brix

3 58.0 1.019 4.9

Andie Z wrote:

Reply to
Marty Phee

Another consideration is the age (condition) of your potassium sorbate. I've read that even with proper storage the shelf life is only 6-8 months.

Reply to
miker

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