I have been making a beetroot wine since last October and it stuck at an SG of
1.024. I tried adding more yeast, but that failed. I then restarted the ferment using the doubling every few hours method. I got a fairly good ferment starting again, but then it stopped at SG 1.020.
The temperature is good about 20C - 22C and it smells good and a fairly alcoholic, but I just dont know what to make of it. There's a strange voice in my head saying 'fine it, rack it then try a doubling referment again.' I am sure that isn't a great idea as it would surely strip out some fermentables. I suppose my subconscious believes that there must be something in the wine that is stopping the fermentation that may be removed by fining.
Anyhow, is there any hope or do you think that I should just give up?
Sorry for the pause before replying. I keep failing to look at the group during hours I can access my wine!
I belive my starting SG was 1.074 - as you can see this recipe relies on adding more sugar after three weeks. The yeast the first 2 times was gervin no.2 - a montrachet red style yeast. The last time was a lalvin yeast recommended for restarting batches (in a post I can no longer access) Yes I added nutrients at initial fermentation and again with the restart yeast in case the initial dose was insufficient.
The recipe is as follows (I hope Jack doesn't mind me reproducing it here):
5 lbs fresh beetroot
2 lemons
2 lbs finely granulated white sugar
1 lb light brown sugar
6-1/2 pts water
1 tsp yeast nutrient Montrachet Wine yeast
Scrub the beetroots well and slice thinly without peeling. Place slices in large pot and add zest of lemons and 1-1/2 qt water. Bring to boil covered, reduce heat and cook additional 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain liquid into dark secondary. Add juice of lemons, white sugar, yeast nutrient, and remaining water. Stir well to dissolve sugar and allow to cool. When luke-warm, add yeast and fit airlock. Ferment three weeks and rack. Add brown sugar and stir gently but well to dissolve. Refit airlock and ferment to dryness (30-45 days), topping up if required. Rack, top up, refit airlock and bulk age in dark place for six months. Rack into dark bottles and store in dark place additional 6 to 18 months before tasting.
The wine stuck shortly after I stirred in the brown sugar. I can't recall what the SG was after adding brown sugar but I can find out.
I don't have sugar tables here with me but from what you say about the sg and that it stuck shortly after adding the brown sugar, I'd guess there was too much sugar added in 1 go that the yeast could not handle. At 3 weeks, if you fermented at room temperature, that wine should have been pretty much bone dry and the yeast would have started dying because of lack of sugar, nutrients and because of the effect of alcohol. Then it's hit by a large dose of sugar which makes the conditions even more hostile, so it's not really surprising that the original yeast gives up at that stage.
Looking at the recipe, the amount of sugar looks like it's not really meant to end up dry anyway. If it tastes good, I'd just leave it alone.
If you decide to restart again, here is a useful article from Scott Labs:
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It mentions at the top that yeast hulls might need to be used to clean the wine of yeast toxins - so your hunch about needing to "fine" the wine is correct.
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