Saturday, December 14, 2013

Double, double toil and...

...trouble.  A stuck fermentation spells big trouble for a winemaker, as unfermented  °Brix can be a source of food for unwanted wine microbes which can spoil a whole lot of wine.  Stuck fermentations can occur for many reasons; an incorrect initial yeast selection; competition from other microbes (pediococcus, lactobacillus etc.); high fermentation temperatures. The best way to deal with a stuck fermentation is by avoiding this undesirable turn of events in the first place because restarting one involves a lot of work. 
Down in the bowels of TWWIAGE is a bubbling cauldron of 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon.  A lot of fiddly steps are being followed by the production team to get this particular fermentation going again, but restarting a stuck fermentation essentially involves a new yeast selection and a lot of granulated sugar...and perhaps throwing in the odd "eye of newt" and "toe of frog" for good measure.  The colour in the above photograph is off a little, in reality the fist-sized bubbles are a wonderful blue-purple.  Bubble on little yeasties!

7 comments:

Thud said...

Trouble at t'mill?

New Hampshire Wineman said...

What does a stuck fermentation taste like?

Thomas said...

Dennis, you don't want to know the answer to your question.

Vinogirl said...

Thud: 'Ee by gum, ecky thump, they'll fix it!

NHW: Sweet, unfinished wine. Raw.

Tomasso: Don't scare NHW!

New Hampshire Wineman said...

VG: I'm having a fascinating time reviewing your harvest posts, and am curious if this 2013 stuck fermentation resulted in an off-wine vintage at TWWIAGE, and what grape was this? That is supposing you've tasted this batch!
Also wanted to thank for all the time you've spent 'holding' my novice hand through my wine adventures.

New Hampshire Wineman said...

Ha! thank you . . .

Vinogirl said...

NHW: The stuck fermentation did not spoil the 2103 TWWIAGE Cabernet Sauvignon. Actually, drank some at a cocktail party last night and it's pretty darned nice.