I crushed a combination of Cab (60%) and Merlot (40%) into primary and after
5 days began to get good bubbling activity. I pressed grapes with SG at
1.09 at 9 days - color is fantastic.
I put juice into French oak with airlock, and am getting no bubbles.
My question is this: is it possible that the fermentation is taking a
respite before resuming again?
Thanks in advance.
Vic

If after 5 or so days of fermentation, you were at SG=1.09, wondering
what your starting SG was ?

I typically press somewhere between day 6 and 10, once SG reaches
around 1.02. I found this gives me good color.

Years ago, I had a similar thing happen to me when I put my must into
the oak barrel, fermentation stopped. What I'm guessing happened was
that I washed the barrel out with some sulfite solution and didn't get
it completely removed prior to adding must. I guessing the higher
level of sulfite killed off the remaining yeast. I ended up putting in
additional yeast to get it restarted. Fermentation restarted, but I
was never able to get that batch completely dry.

Good luck, Mark


"Vic" > wrote in message et>...
> I crushed a combination of Cab (60%) and Merlot (40%) into primary and after
> 5 days began to get good bubbling activity. I pressed grapes with SG at
> 1.09 at 9 days - color is fantastic.
> I put juice into French oak with airlock, and am getting no bubbles.
> My question is this: is it possible that the fermentation is taking a
> respite before resuming again?
> Thanks in advance.
> Vic

Thanks for the response.
Starting SG was 1.104.
When pressed, virtually all activity in primary had stopped, and the must
was appropriately decomposed and color was / is fantastic.
Juice is sweet wine already, after only 9 days.
Despite any active activity in barrel, fermentation will undoubtedly be
continuing until sugar is consumed. Sugar reading at crush was 26, and at
press was 3.
What do you think?

"Mark - N1MT" > wrote in message
om...
> If after 5 or so days of fermentation, you were at SG=1.09, wondering
> what your starting SG was ?
>
> I typically press somewhere between day 6 and 10, once SG reaches
> around 1.02. I found this gives me good color.
>
> Years ago, I had a similar thing happen to me when I put my must into
> the oak barrel, fermentation stopped. What I'm guessing happened was
> that I washed the barrel out with some sulfite solution and didn't get
> it completely removed prior to adding must. I guessing the higher
> level of sulfite killed off the remaining yeast. I ended up putting in
> additional yeast to get it restarted. Fermentation restarted, but I
> was never able to get that batch completely dry.
>
> Good luck, Mark
>
>
> "Vic" > wrote in message
et>...
> > I crushed a combination of Cab (60%) and Merlot (40%) into primary and
after
> > 5 days began to get good bubbling activity. I pressed grapes with SG at
> > 1.09 at 9 days - color is fantastic.
> > I put juice into French oak with airlock, and am getting no bubbles.
> > My question is this: is it possible that the fermentation is taking a
> > respite before resuming again?
> > Thanks in advance.
> > Vic