SG 1.01 already?

I pitched the yeast on Sunday morning, and last night (Thursday) the SG was at 1.01.  This seems awful fast to me, especially since I’ve been cold fermenting in the low 50’s (thanks to my new cooler and bottles of ice).  This is my first time with the K1V yeast, but it’s supposed to ferment at a moderate rate.

This morning, the airlock was bubbling once every 2.5 seconds, so I know there’s still enough CO2 to insulate the wine for now.  I’m going to check it again tonight, and I’ll probably rack it.

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SB Continued Fermenting

This morning when I shook my non-MLF Sauvignon Blanc, it foamed up into the airlock, which I took as a good sign. Tonight, I checked the specific gravity, and it was at 0.994. That was great, and I was happy (despite having broken my test jar).

I’ve been shaking the MLF batch daily and stirring it weekly. It still has a long way to go, though.

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Racking SB on Day 14

It was day 14 before the specific gravity (SG) of my Sauvignon Blanc dropped below 1.0. Tonight, it was at 0.999. (I guess that’s a consequence of fermenting at lower temperatures.)

I racked off 1gl into a jug and then poured the remaining gallon into another jug. The second jug will go through malolactic fermentation (MLF), and I understand that the sediment will help with the MLF. The first jug was topped up with glass marbles and will be allowed to clear, while the second goes through MLF. The second jug will be stored at room temperature until MLF is complete, while the second will be stored at cellar temps.

I want to wait for complete dryness before inoculating with the MLF culture.

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