Stopping a Wine Fermentation – WMA028

Stopping a fermentation is not easy to do, nor is it recommended.
It tastes perfect, stop fermenting!

Is it possible to stop a fermentation by adding sorbate or sulfites or both? This is a common question I get from wine makers.

While it is possible to do it can be tough. Even commercial wineries sometimes struggle to stop it right where they want it. Home winemakers have it even tougher without the fancy equipment wineries use.

In this episode of the podcast I’ll address how fermentations can be stopped as well as some common misconceptions concerning the use of sorbate and potassium metabisulfite to stop a fermentation.

Questions Answered

  1. My wines keep developing mold even though I’m using sulfites. What’s going on here?
  2. I started my wine 5 days ago and now the airlock is bubbling very slowly, is it okay?
  3. Is there a way to salvage the wine at the bottom of the carboy with the sediment in it?

Resources & Products Mentioned

Photograph by: Tim Patterson (license)