| There's a classic observation that applies to | | | | the sugar into alcohol, and the wine become drier |
| everything from wine making to installing | | | | and drier in taste. |
| computer software: When in doubt, read the | | | | But sometimes the fermentation process stops |
| instructions. | | | | for no apparent reason. If this happens you can |
| It's a fact of life that most people don't bother to | | | | usually rescue your wine by making a new lot of |
| read instructions. They assume they know | | | | yeast in your starter bottle. When you have |
| exactly what to do. Or they skim through | | | | activated the new yeast, transfer it to a larger |
| instructions and wonder why they got it wrong. | | | | bottle and add some of the "stuck" wine to the |
| For example, people who have never made wine | | | | bottle. Don't fill the bottle, instead keep adding |
| before will do stupid things like: | | | | "stuck" wine little by little for a couple of days. If |
| · Try to activate yeast in boiling water even | | | | this works, you will see the wine bubbling away in |
| though the instruction state it must be blood-heat. | | | | the bigger bottle. |
| · Put their fermenting liquid in the garden shed | | | | Pour the bubbling mix into a clean fermentation |
| during winter when it's supposed to be kept in a | | | | container, and gradually add the rest of the |
| warm place. | | | | "stuck" wine to it until it is fermenting really |
| · Forget to add the yeast at all. | | | | violently, then throw in the balance. |
| Here are some simple tips that might help you if | | | | The importance of temperature |
| you are a total beginner. | | | | Warm conditions are needed for making wine. If |
| Activate the yeast first | | | | it's too hot or too cold, the yeast won't ferment. |
| Before you do anything else, activate the yeast. | | | | Generally 70 °F is perfect. |
| It takes a bit of time to get started - usually at | | | | Be careful with added sugar |
| least six hours. | | | | Follow quantities given in your wine making recipe. |
| How to cope with "stuck fermentation" | | | | If you want the wine to be sweeter, add extra |
| If your wine ends up syrupy, it hasn't fermented. | | | | sugar gradually. Remember that yeast can't cope |
| What the fermentation process does is to turn | | | | with too much sugar at once. |