Yes you can use a stable SG as a good indicator that the wine is done. That
is if the SG is low enough. If the SG is 0.992 and not changing and no
bubbles given off you can be pretty sure that the wine is done. If the SG
is 1.005 or even 0.999 and no bubbles are coming off, it may be stopped but
you can not be sure it will not start up again as there is still sugar in
it. You should stabilize the wine. In both cases the SG helps you decide
what to do.

Ray

"Roger" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> Rich,
> A good wine takes more than a couple of months to age well, after
> fermentation is complete, as compared to beer which may only take 2-3
> weeks( depending on if you 're making a lager or ale).
> O2 can really affect the color, taste, and feel of both beer and wine, but
> the length of aging required for wine makes it a target for oxidization
> problems which is why it needs to be topped up.
>
> Hope that explains it a little
>
>
> --
> Roger & Lynda
>
> "Rich" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I have made a few batches of beer and want to try a wine. I'm a
> > little confused about the procedure. It appear that it is recommeded
> > to top off in the secondary, why? Is wine that much more sensitive to
> > oxidation than beer? The few books I looked at all seem to guess when
> > fermentatiopn is done, cannot you use a stable SG as a sign that it is
> > done? Look forward to your insights.
>
>