Hydrometer reading of 0.999. How risky is it NOT to go for 0.998 (or less)?

Hollyhock 2020-07-02 22:51:06 UTC #1

Hi all!
Everything I have read has stated that to know that fermentation has completed, you want a hydrometer reading of 0.998 S.G. or lower. For my second batch (wine kit/fruit wine) I racked at 0.999.
This decision was made mostly out of convenience, based on the time I had available to rack/degas/add stabilizing and finishing agents etc. (Admittedly, there was a tad of impatience that influenced the decision not to wait a bit longer... but the timing was such that it would have been another week or so, and, I decided to just "go for it" and see how it turned out).
It looks like everything worked out; the wine is on day 12 in a glass carboy for clearing and has settled and cleared beautifully from the looks of it (no airlock activity either).
So my question really is, how firm is that 0.998 S.G. level as an indication of fermentation activity being complete? Aren't there some wine varieties that call for racking/stabilizing at higher S.G. readings?
(I do not intend to make a habit of this - I know that good winemaking requires patience and attention to detail. Just trying to learn a bit more context around interpretation of S.G. readings).
Thank you for any insights you can share!
Holly

sneezles61 2020-07-02 22:54:08 UTC #2

The lower it goes, the drier it gets... meaning, not much if any residual sweetness... Buy a dry and a medium and sweet wine... Their gravities determine that aspect..
Sneezles61

loopie_beer 2020-07-03 01:00:15 UTC #3

And next time take a reading and wait 3-4 days. If it’s the same fermentation is over. Again, fermentation doesn’t read a calendar. It may finish faster, it may finish slower. Yeast is a living organism.

brew_cat 2020-07-03 01:32:15 UTC #4

It also depends on the yeast strain some attenuate more than others so if you make the same kit twice you can make it drier or sweeter depending on your choice of yeast. I would do as Loopie said . If you bottle early you will get some slight carbonation in the wine. Are you adding sulfate. You can just decant it which is good practice anyway

Hollyhock 2020-07-03 07:36:33 UTC #5

Yes to the sulfite question, I'm very new to this and following the kit instructions pretty closely. Will get more adventurous once I learn a bit more and grow in both knowledge and confidence. I appreciate this dialogue, it helps a great deal.

loopie_beer 2020-07-03 16:45:51 UTC #6

That’s a good thing. Learn the fundamentals then get adventurous. This way if things go awry you’ll know if it’s a process problem or an ingredient problem.