Why wine stopped playing ahead of time and what can be done at home
Making wine at home is a real art, a family tradition. Making a delicious drink the first time is not easy. It is important to follow the technology, have experience in winemaking and be able to select raw materials. The fermentation process can go wrong if a mistake was made or the wrong ingredient was selected. What if the wine stops playing and the bubbling stops ahead of time? Consider the common mistakes novice winemakers make.
Why doesn't homemade grape wine ferment?
There are a number of reasons that can disrupt the natural fermentation process. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the temperature regime and conditions created for the release of carbon dioxide. Success in the difficult task of making homemade wine also depends on the quality of the yeast and the original wine material, the amount of sugar and the tightness of the container.
In the process of making a homemade drink, you need to get rid of the rush and fuss. If the wine has not fermented an hour after filling all the ingredients in the container, this does not mean problems. Depending on the grape varieties and the type of berries in fruit wines, the beginning of the process of carbon dioxide release can vary from 24 hours to 72 hours. If during this period the desired bubbles have not formed, then it is necessary to start looking for the reason for the lack of fermentation.
Yeast quality
To start the fermentation process of grape wine, yeast must be added. They must be "alive" and meet the expiration date. Dry yeast is not recommended.
Before adding yeast to wort, it must be softened and activated. Experienced winemakers add juice from one orange or live grapevine juice to a glass of clean boiled water at room temperature. It takes about 40 minutes to soak the yeast in this mix. When yeast starter is added to the wort, the temperature of the joining liquids is leveled.
Failure to observe the temperature to activate the process
Temperature readings for starting the fermentation process are extremely important. It is unacceptable to create temperature differences. Before pouring yeast into the wort, the temperature values of the two liquids are matched, the wine should be infused warm. A common reason for the violation of the fermentation process is the mismatch of the temperatures of the wort and yeast starter.
Recommended temperature for fermentation - +25 C. At temperatures below +18 With the release of carbon dioxide in the wort, the pressure drops in the container, the number of bubbles decreases.
Temperature differences
After the successful start of the fermentation process, it is important to maintain the temperature in the containers throughout all stages of winemaking, and regularly check the tightness.
If a temperature jump was recorded above +30 C or a sharp drop in temperature below +15 C, it is necessary to add the yeast starter culture again. The winemaker must carry out daily temperature monitoring. Prepare a water thermometer in advance.
Why did the wine stop playing ahead of time?
If fermentation stops abruptly after 2 days, you need to take urgent measures to eliminate the cause and start the process again. If the bubbles cease to stand out after a week, then the fermentation process may be over, or the wine has soured.
Consider the reasons for the cessation of carbon dioxide emission, analyze the mistakes of novice winemakers.
The hydraulic seal is not tight
In this case, the fermentation process may go on, but only the person will not see the gas bubbles, and the glove will not "stand up." The fact is that the emitted carbon dioxide will escape through the slot of the hydraulic seal, this is very bad, the pressure is violated, pathogenic microorganisms and bacteria begin to penetrate into the bottle.
The danger of this phenomenon lies in the acidification of the wine, the required pressure in the container quickly drops. If the tightness is not restored, the wine will be hopelessly spoiled.
Note: experienced winemakers coat the joints of the shutter with plasticine or dough.
It is often not recommended to open containers. The bottle is opened for technical procedures: removing foam, adding additional ingredients, sugar.
After adding sugar
If the fermentation process stops immediately after adding the sweetener, it is too early. Sugar is an important component of the fermentation process. With its lack, the yeast does not have enough "fuel", the release of carbon dioxide stops. But you can't go too far with sucrose, because sugar is a natural preservative that can turn wort into jam.
The recommended sugar content in the sourdough is 15%. It is not difficult to check this indicator; a hydrometer will come to the aid of a beginner.
After mash separation
If the consistency of the wort after the separation of the mash and filtration is too thick, the fermentation process will stop. This problem is relevant for fruit and berry wines from currant, chokeberry, gooseberry and strawberry.
Thick wort must be diluted with water brought to the recommended temperature, but its amount should not exceed 15% of the total volume of wine material.
Mold
The winemaking process must be sterile. All manipulations with the container are carried out with gloves and hands are thoroughly washed. The glass bottle must be sterilized in an oven or water bath. When pathogenic microorganisms enter the wine material, mold forms in the wort. Most often, such a negative phenomenon is observed with a weakly closed shutter cover.
One of the first signs of mold formation is a film on the surface of the wine liquid, the number of bubbles is sharply reduced.
How to determine that fermentation has stopped?
The first visual sign of a lack of fermentation is the absence of carbon dioxide bubbles. The absence of fermentation can be determined by a number of the following processes:
- There are no clicks and hiss at the container shutter.
- A sediment formed at the bottom of the bottle, bubbles stopped forming.
- The glove fell off.
- The time of the end of fermentation came, the wine became clear.
If the wine is ripe, then you should not panic; signs of the end of the natural fermentation process include:
- Yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
- No bubbles.
- Natural clarification of the wine.
If the fermentation has stopped before it can start, then it is necessary to take measures and eliminate the cause of the failure, start the process again. Otherwise, the wine will turn sour, the wort will have to be disposed of.
What to do in such a situation?
Fermentation can be started only after identifying the reason for its termination. If little sugar is used, then its amount must be increased, if there is too much sweetener, then the wort must be diluted with water.
When mold forms, the wort is filtered, yeast and sugar are added, poured into a sterilized container, hermetically closing the shutter. In this case, you can still make the wine ferment again; it is better not to use such a drink for storage.
If the wine material is hopelessly spoiled, it is recommended to distill the wine into alcohol or make homemade moonshine. Wine vinegar is made from fermented wine.
It is possible to save a "sick" drink by resuming fermentation by adding young wine with an undisturbed fermentation process to it. But such wine must be consumed in a short time; the drink is not suitable for storage.
Preventive measures
It is better to prevent any problem than to look for the cause and quickly fix the defect. Consider the rules for making homemade wine and ways to prevent souring of an alcoholic drink:
- The stages of preparation of the drink should be carried out sterile: containers are sterilized, hands are thoroughly washed.
- Air contact with wort is inadmissible; it is important to seal the bottle tightly.
- Observe the proportions of the ingredients in the recipe.
- A visual inspection of the container is carried out every day.
- Maintain the temperature at the same level.
- They use live yeast and proven raw materials for future wine.
If you follow these rules, the process of making homemade wine will be fun, and the result will be of high quality. Note that the technology for making homemade wine from grapes or berries will differ, as well as the amount of sugar required. A thermometer and hydrometer are prepared in advance, these assistants are necessary for both beginners and experienced winemakers.
