Fermenting Elderberry, not sure what is happening.

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Fermenting Elderberry, not sure what is happening.

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jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Dec 18, 04 2:24 pm Post subject: Fermenting Elderberry, not sure what is happening.
Two months ago, I added some high alcohol yeast to some Eldeberry to try and deal with a stuck ferment, it got back to life and has been struggling onwards though slowing and slowing, until a that is a couple of days ago. I am now getting a bubble every 10 seconds Is this a malolactic fermentation? jema

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 04 9:28 am Post subject:
Just to bump this again, I think this would be a good point to rack, only I don''t have a big enough fermenter I suppose I could rack to a bucket and back again. Any other opinions? This is rather more than 5 gallons at stake jema

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 04 10:54 am Post subject:

Malolactic fermentation does give off CO2. Taste it; if it's less acid on the palatte but with a light sparkle, then it might well have gone malolactic. That said, how much malic acid is there in elderberries to start with?

I'd be tempted to leave it be until such a time as it stops and clears. Check the specific gravity by all means, and keep close eye on it, and if you're -really- concerned then lob in some alcohol (Polish spirit is good, or vodka), sorbate and sulfite. That ought to stop it.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 04 11:07 am Post subject:
SG is 1032 which is only a 6 point drop on 2 months ago Taste is very good though, on the sweet side as you would expect, but with a rather port like taste. With a bit less sweetness I think I could drink it as is I will be leaving it well alone. jema

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 04 11:19 am Post subject:

jema wrote:

SG is 1032 which is only a 6 point drop on 2 months ago

Taste is very good though, on the sweet side as you would expect, but with a rather port like taste. With a bit less sweetness I think I could drink it as is

I will be leaving it well alone.

Knowing your penchant for record keeping (

) that ought to tell you what alcohol content you now have. If it is now up to a decent alcohol level, then most likely it -will- be slow. Malolactic tends to be a cumbersome, quite slow process I find, so either way I'd be tempted to leave it alone as you plan to. Just watch out to make sure it's not doing anything funny, and nuke it with sulfite and extra alcohol if it does.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 04 11:29 am Post subject:
Record keeping only works if the records are right. The SG's I have recorded from this batch do not make sense I suspect some undisolved suger at some stage. jema

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