- Check with a
hydrometer to see if the reading is the same for several
days. If it actually changes (lower day by day) it means
that your wine is fermenting and you probably have a
leak somewhere so you can't see any bubbles in the
airlock.
You don't have to do
anything about it now but before you start your next wine
kit it might be a good idea to get some new equipment. Check
lids and fermenter necks for damages. Check rubber bungs
etc.
- If your hydrometer
shows the same reading for several days you have indeed
no fermentation.
If the reading is low
(1000 or below) your wine kit has fermented ok and the wine
is ready. Check for leaks as above, replace equipment for
next time.
If the reading is high
(1070 or above) your fermentation probably never started.
That could depend on cool temperatures in the room or if you
used very cold water for your wine kit. Cold water may delay
fermentation start for 1-2 days so in this case just wait
and see.
If your wine kit hasn't
started after 2-4 days (the longer time for cold
environments) you should get hold of a new wine yeast from
your retailer and add it as soon as possible. First check so
you didn't add the stabiliser by mistake - if you did, there
is no return.
If the reading is below
the start value of the wine kit (normally 1070 or higher,
check your instruction if you didn't record it) it means
that there has been some fermentation but it stuck for some
reason. Read more about stuck fermentations
here. |