Selfsufficientish.com

Been a while since I checked in here; I've had a quick squint thru' and didn't see any topics that "covered" the dilema that I may [or may not!] have.

I have demi-johns sat sitting beside the heaters in my living room - all wrapped up nice n cosy in fluffy towels [this hasn't gone un-noticed by the Other Half who feels my priorities have shifted]. Here's the thing; it would appear that fermentation has stopped BUT...on agitating the D/J, there are loads and loads of bubbles racing to the surface!

This is the same with all my apple and apple + "other fruits" wines that I started off in September/October time last year. There's a lot of sediment in most of them. Not sure what to do with them...do I rack them now? Should I pretend I haven't noticed and wait til all the bubbling [when agitated] has stopped? Or...what?! Have I lost them do you think? Have had a sniff at the top of the airlocks and they seem quite OK, definitely NOT vinegar-y.

Fingers crossed that someone can advise,

Nana Caz

No, you shouldn't be worried. You should be pleased because they're all finished. Rack them all now.

The bubbles you see when you agitate the demijohns are nothing more complicated than carbon dioxide dissolved in the wine - that's normal, and will dissipate over time anyway.

Congratulations - you have wine

Mike

I concur with MKG.
I would rack them now.
let them settle for a week or two, then bottle.
or just age them in the DJ

Yeee Ha!!!!!

Thanks guys, got a bit of rackin' to do!

Nana Caz

If you're not sure, syphon off a bit and taste it.
If there is a yeasty taste and slight fizz when you dip your tongue in it [very technical this ] rack them into clean demijohs and let them finish. If the wine tastes too dry at this stage, feed it with a bit of sugar syrup.
The alcohol will kill the yeast when it reaches a certain percentage anyway, so then all it has to do is clear. It's not good to let the wine sit on the lees for too long, it can affect the taste apparently. I rack mine off several times during the fermentation.........just an excuse to taste them all

I concur