I hope you are reading the instructions wrong. SG is NOT an indicator of
when to bottle. It is an indicator of when a wine MIGHT finish. If you
want to increase the alcohol content then add sugar. This is likely to
unbalance the wine so I would not recommend it. If you want to add sugar to
sweeten it, do not do so until the wine is clear and stabilized. Once
again, this is likely to unbalance the final product but it can be done.

If it is truly finished fermenting, my suggestion is you can move it to bulk
aging and age it for a few weeks or a month. Then taste it to see if you
need to adjust the sweetness.

Ray
"Mike" > wrote in message ...
> http://www.diamalt.co.uk/reserve.htm
>
> I have started a five gallon Sauvignon Blanc kit which has been
> fermenting for just over a week. Tested it yesterday and it read
> 994 on the SG meter. I'm surprised because it says it should take
> nearer 10 - 14 days on the instructions. Also, the meter has a
> yellow band at 996 - 1000 which advises the wine be bottled at
> this mark.
>
> So, should I bottle it now, carboy it, add sugar, what?
>
> It is not clear so I suspect it willat least require putting in
> carboys (demijons) for a while. But can I add sugar to continue
> the fermentation process for a few days, and get another stab at
> stopping the fermentation when it is nearer 1000?
>
> Cheers,
> Mike.
>

Interesting. But I repeat what I will expand on what I said earlier. The
hydrometer is the most useful tool a winemaker can have. It tells you a lot
about how fermentation is progressing. But it will not tell you when to
bottle. If the makers of this hydrometer are telling you it will, they are
leading you astray.

Ray

"Mike" > wrote in message ...
> "Ray Calvert" > wrote:
>
>>"Mike" wrote:
>>> http://www.diamalt.co.uk/reserve.htm
>>>
>>> I have started a five gallon Sauvignon Blanc kit which has been
>>> fermenting for just over a week. Tested it yesterday and it read
>>> 994 on the SG meter. I'm surprised because it says it should take
>>> nearer 10 - 14 days on the instructions. Also, the meter has a
>>> yellow band at 996 - 1000 which advises the wine be bottled at
>>> this mark.
>>>
>>> So, should I bottle it now, carboy it, add sugar, what?
>
>>I hope you are reading the instructions wrong.
>
> Please see my earlier post in response to Steve Waller.
>
>>SG is NOT an indicator of
>>when to bottle. It is an indicator of when a wine MIGHT finish. If you
>>want to increase the alcohol content then add sugar. This is likely to
>>unbalance the wine so I would not recommend it. If you want to add sugar
>>to
>>sweeten it, do not do so until the wine is clear and stabilized. Once
>>again, this is likely to unbalance the final product but it can be done.
>
> Ok, thanks for the tip.
>
>>> It is not clear so I suspect it willat least require putting in
>>> carboys (demijons) for a while. But can I add sugar to continue
>>> the fermentation process for a few days, and get another stab at
>>> stopping the fermentation when it is nearer 1000?
>
>>If it is truly finished fermenting, my suggestion is you can move it to
>>bulk
>>aging and age it for a few weeks or a month. Then taste it to see if you
>>need to adjust the sweetness.
>
> I have another five gallon fermentation vessel, it is a
> cylindrical plastic barrel rather than "bucket" shaped. However,
> there will still be a pocket of air at the top measuring the full
> diameter of the vessel and a couple of inches in depth.
>
> Will this cause a problem?
>
> Cheers,
> Mike.
>
>

Mike wrote:
>
>
> I have another five gallon fermentation vessel, it is a
> cylindrical plastic barrel rather than "bucket" shaped. However,
> there will still be a pocket of air at the top measuring the full
> diameter of the vessel and a couple of inches in depth.
>
> Will this cause a problem?
>
> Cheers,
> Mike.

Yes, that sounds like you'd have too much airspace in there for bulk
aging. You'll need to get a 5 gal carboy - 1-2 inches of airspace there
are okay because you'll be in the "neck" section where the volume is
much smaller. And you'll use an airlock to stop outside air from
getting in. Fermentation pails won't give you that.

Pp