Solutions to known issues in wine making

Some things can go wrong while making your wine perfect. We have gathered a list of possible solutions to some popular problems with the wine.

Wine stopped fermenting

This occurs when the yeast is transforming the sugars into alcohol.

If you made the wine from your own home batch, it might be that you added to much sugar.

In the case of the wine kits and Juice that we sell, it might be from a slow and steady fermentation.

Step 1: Check the Specific Gravity using a Hydrometer and taste the wine. 

Step 2: If the hydrometer is in the specific gravity area that you want the wine to be at (Generally 1.000 - .990 ) Transfer it off of the sediment

Step 3: After transferring, add Campden tablets. If it was a wine kit, add the Potassium Sorbate and Potassium Sulphite provided.

Step 4: Move the finished wine into a cool (darker) area for the wine to settle. In a fruit cellar or a cool spot in the basement. You want your thermometer to be at room temperature of approximately 10°C - 15°C/ 50 °F - 60°F

Those following steps should solve the issue of your wine continuously fermenting.

Wine is not fermenting at all

Wine that does not ferment can be for various reasons, some of the main ones are:

1. You have it in a cool place
2. The yeast might have died
3. depending on the product that you purchased

1. Having your juice mix in room temperature of (21°C - 24°C/ 70 °F - 75°F) is ideal for the wine to ferment. If you have the wine in a basement cellar, it can still possibly ferment - but it will be much slower and difficult for the yeast to ferment.

2. The yeast might have died from adding it to hotter water, the temperature being to cold. Feel free to purchase another wine yeast to get it restarted. It will not harm the wine and it will not give the wine a "Yeasty" taste by adding another yeast package.

3. We have had many new customers come in because of wine kits that are not fermenting. If you see a wine kit on special for half price, there is usually a reason. We can only give support for our own product lines that we carry and are confident in what we sell. That being said, the best solution for other products in the market would be to add: yeast and yeast nutrient. And of course, buy to next batch from us!

Wine is not clearing

This happens from time to time. Every wine is different, and there are times when the wine just does not want to clear. Assuming that you have transferred your wine off of the sediment and have added some sort of additive (either potassium sorbate or campden tablets) . Some suggested options:

• Place the wine in a cool (preferably darker) place. - if you have the wine close to a furnace, you might have cloudiness.
• You can add chitosan and kieselsol - this generally clears out the wine
• You can always filter the wine with a filter machine

If all the of these options did not work...

and you made cider, you in your next batches think of added pectic enzyme, this help with the cloudiness. If you are making wine, adding bentonite at the beginning of fermentation helps with the clarifying. 

Wine has a harsh taste

Some main reasons in why your wine would taste harsh

The wine is young

Although the wine is drinkable when you first bottle it. The wine will taste better with age. When you let it age 3+ months you will taste the difference.

The wine was on the sediment for too long

Once the wine has been fully fermented, you want to transfer the wine into a secondary carboy, if the wine sits on the sediment for too long you will get a harsh taste. Other than letting the wine age, you can try added some wine conditioner or liquid oak to smooth out the harshness.

The wine is very dry / has high alcohol

Once again, you can try added some conditioner to smooth out the wine or you can also try to blend the wine with a sweeter or less harsh wine to lower the alcohol level.