Hello, I fermented my grapes. It yielded 30 gallons of must with low SG (I added sugar which give me an SG of 1.200) in a plastic barrel. The fermentation was successful up to SG 1.03.0 at which time I racked it in carboys with air lock attached.
Since that time it has been fermenting very slowly in a 65 degree cellar. The SG not moving as it should toward the SG 0.096 area. Bubbles forming and bubbling in the air lock at every 3 to 5 minutes interval.
Is there a possibility that there may be too much sugar in the must.
I added Lavlin KIV-1116 high alcohol yeast and moved the carboys to a 75 degree area, the result is the same-slow fermentation.
After a few days I moved the carboys back into the cellar, my understanding is that the yeast perform better at that temperature.
Any help would be appreciated to help me boost the fermentation.
Thank you for your time.
Don

Sounds like its getting there, 65 degrees will keep it slow, I think starting at 1.020 is a little high but sounds to me like you made it through, should be about 12% now. I think a little more time it should make it to the 14% mark. What you think Wyo?

Just thinking when you added the 1116 was this after racking, and when so did you add it using a starter?

bob1 is right KIV-1116 is good to 14% alcohol. If you use the formula below I am surprised it is down to 1.030 SG

Starting SG minus Ending SG divided by .00736 will be your alcohol level approx.

If you started out at 1.2 SG and if your present SG was 1.097 and you divide that by .00736 it comes out to about 14%. If you started at 1.2 SG and you now have 1.030 SG that would be about 23% alcohol. Not a chance. I suspect you are going to have a very sweet 14 % wine. May be a little higher alcohol than that.

I think setting the SG at 1.1 would have been a good choice for a dry wine. Then back sweeten to taste after fermentation.

I thouhgt his sg was still at 1.030 which would mean he might get a little more, but only if he added the 1116 in a starter as the alcohol content of that wine might make it difficult to start even the 1116 at 12% which is were I think he is.

I got the email did you mean 1.120 thats what we were thinking. Thats going to give you a potential of %16. You cant get higher than %14. Better not say that anything is possible. If I am correct please let Wyo Wino verify this to use the 1118. It might get another % or so. But I dont think you will ever get below 1.010. In order to get the yeast growing your going to have to make a starter a then slowly add the wine to it to let the yeast adapt to the high alcohol % that exist now. Just noticed I typed it the same way on last post but I think we heard what you were thinking.

either the 1118 by Lalvin or the Premier Cuvee' by Red Star could take it to 18% if you could get it started at this point. Maybe he did mean 1.12 and not 1.2 SG. 1.2 Sg is way off my chart.

He sent me an e-mail that's what he ment. When I saw the 2, 1.120 just jumped in my head. Guess I got a bad habit of that when reading post. Sometimes it makes me look like an idiot, guess it worked for me this time.