So a few questions here....
I read on another site that if you ferment too long you'll get a lot of methanol.. Is this true? If so How long? If it is true I'm thinking it has to be on the order of months considering how long I ferment my homebrew.
Another question... If I am trying to save up enough low wines to get a full spirit run (shouldn't be a problem for me.. but just wondering) How long can I save my low wines?
I ask this stuff because my life has a tendancy to get busy in spurts where I have a lot to do then several weeks of nothing except work... Just wondering what I'm going to do when I get stuck with a full fermenter and no time to distill.
Thanks
Fermenting too long/Saving Low wines
Moderator: Site Moderator
My life gets busy at times also.
You can keep a ferment easily for multiple weeks. If you can rack the wine off of the lees, into a sterile container, and keep it air locked, then the ferment will keep longer (month, months? I really do not know). I personally would not keep finished wash around longer than a couple weeks (off lees and airlocked). You "might" be able to stretch that, but I would not try it myself.
However, low wines (if they are 35 to 45% or more), will probably keep damn near forever. I have about 17 gallons of low wines in 3 carboy's (air locked), since last winter (i.e. almost a year). They are just fine. They simply got set aside.
H.
You can keep a ferment easily for multiple weeks. If you can rack the wine off of the lees, into a sterile container, and keep it air locked, then the ferment will keep longer (month, months? I really do not know). I personally would not keep finished wash around longer than a couple weeks (off lees and airlocked). You "might" be able to stretch that, but I would not try it myself.
However, low wines (if they are 35 to 45% or more), will probably keep damn near forever. I have about 17 gallons of low wines in 3 carboy's (air locked), since last winter (i.e. almost a year). They are just fine. They simply got set aside.
H.
-
AfricaUnite
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:13 pm
- Location: Ontario
Fermentations that take months are generally due to lack of nutrients/stressed yeast.
Like Husker said if you can rack it off the lees into a carboy great. If you want to get fancy and throw some sulfur in there that will help to.
Sulfur (also known as SO2, K-Meta, Potassium Metabisulfite, Camden tablets)
is an antioxidant and will help to protect your wine from spoiling if your keeping it for a few week/months before distilling. Concentrations of 50ppm free SO2 (100ppm Potassium Metabisulfite) are undetectable by almost all people. Legal limits for wine are 50ppm free SO2 here in Canada so if you add that much to your wash you'll be safe.
Like wino said though if your making high alcohol wash's they're pretty stable on their own thanks to the preservative power of alcohol. When I used to make turbo wash's I would rack after 2 weeks and sometimes for 5 or 6 months before distilling. In fact I have 54L of turbo wash still that must be a year old. I analyzed it at work and it was at 16% ABV and still smelled good (for a turbo mash).
Like Husker said if you can rack it off the lees into a carboy great. If you want to get fancy and throw some sulfur in there that will help to.
Sulfur (also known as SO2, K-Meta, Potassium Metabisulfite, Camden tablets)
is an antioxidant and will help to protect your wine from spoiling if your keeping it for a few week/months before distilling. Concentrations of 50ppm free SO2 (100ppm Potassium Metabisulfite) are undetectable by almost all people. Legal limits for wine are 50ppm free SO2 here in Canada so if you add that much to your wash you'll be safe.
Like wino said though if your making high alcohol wash's they're pretty stable on their own thanks to the preservative power of alcohol. When I used to make turbo wash's I would rack after 2 weeks and sometimes for 5 or 6 months before distilling. In fact I have 54L of turbo wash still that must be a year old. I analyzed it at work and it was at 16% ABV and still smelled good (for a turbo mash).