Thread for questions and discussion on new winemaker series

[Richard S]

I just want to double check something....

If I am making a 5 gallon of wine number one or number two, do just use 5 times the amount of EVERYTHING, except the yeast ?

Yup, just keep an eye on the sugar though, only use enough to get you to your required SG.

My wine number 1 turned out very nice, even Duff likes it and we all know how fussy he can be.

[benarnold]

Yup, just keep an eye on the sugar though, only use enough to get you to your required SG.

I thought SG was basically the percentage of sugar in the liquid. So wouldn't it stay the same if you simply doubled all the ingredients (or in this case increased them five-fold)?

Keeping an eye on the SG seems like good advice anyway, I just wanted to make sure I understood correctly.

[benarnold]

Well, the wine#1 that I added the finings to is doing... something. There's any inch or so of grey looking sediment at the bottom of the DJ now. The cloudiness is still there, I don't think it's dissipated at all.

If I was going to have another go at degassing it, would you recommend racking off this sediment first? And should I add another campden tablet? I added one last Thursday when I racked and degassed it.

[Richard S]

I thought SG was basically the percentage of sugar in the liquid. So wouldn't it stay the same if you simply doubled all the ingredients (or in this case increased them five-fold)?

Keeping an eye on the SG seems like good advice anyway, I just wanted to make sure I understood correctly.

You do understand correctly, multiplying the sugar by 5 SHOULD be ok but the sugar content of the juices can vary quite a bit from brand to brand. Not using a hydrometer is a little like shooting at a target blindfolded, you may get somewhere near but consistancy is a problem. A 5 gallon batch is a lot of wine to put right if you get it wrong, if you have a hydrometer you should always use it to guide you. If you don't have a hydrometer then buy one, it is the most important single piece of equipment you will ever buy.

Well, the wine#1 that I added the finings to is doing... something. There's any inch or so of grey looking sediment at the bottom of the DJ now. The cloudiness is still there, I don't think it's dissipated at all.

If I was going to have another go at degassing it, would you recommend racking off this sediment first? And should I add another campden tablet? I added one last Thursday when I racked and degassed it.

Rack it but do not add another campden tablet (campden tablets should be added at every other racking). My wine number 1 didn't clear that well either, it still had a bit of a haze after a week so, so I filtered it and it turned out crystal clear.

[lockwood1956]

Sound advice Richard


your hydrometer is your friend!

[spritzer]

Thanks Richard
I hope to start a 5 gallon of wine number 2 next weekend

[lockwood1956]

I thought SG was basically the percentage of sugar in the liquid. So wouldn't it stay the same if you simply doubled all the ingredients (or in this case increased them five-fold)?

In theory, but your hydrometer is your friend........


Never just put the amount stated in the recipe into your must, some recipes are older and were put together in the days when sugar was less well refined, and so you needed more of it. Always, when making up your must, add sugar to a specific SG, perhaps start by adding 1/2 the recommended amount, and then add slowly, measuring the SG as you go. Make the sugar into a syrup (2lb sugar to 1 pint of boiling water, sugar completely dissolved...and allowed to cool) it makes it much easier to add, and make sure you stir the must properly before measuring SG.
Care taken at this stage will ALWAYS help reduce problems later. The idea behind these new winemaker series wines, is to build up good basic technique, in regard to Winemaking skill, so we never take short cuts, by dumping sugar in, it will lead to a stuck ferment eventually for sure. I look all around the Internet at wine forums, and the problems that 99% of new winemakers have are all down to sloppy technique, or just blindly following olde worlde recipes.

hope this helps
regards
Bob

[benarnold]

using a hydrometer is a little like shooting at a target blindfolded, you may get somewhere near but consistancy is a problem.

In theory, but your hydrometer is your friend........

Care taken at this stage will ALWAYS help reduce problems later. The idea behind these new winemaker series wines, is to build up good basic technique, in regard to Winemaking skill, so we never take short cuts, by dumping sugar in, it will lead to a stuck ferment eventually for sure.

OK, I get it - theory is nice but accuracy is better, and don't assume anything or it will come back to bite you!

Always, when making up your must, add sugar to a specific SG, perhaps start by adding 1/2 the recommended amount, and then add slowly, measuring the SG as you go. Make the sugar into a syrup (2lb sugar to 1 pint of boiling water, sugar completely dissolved...and allowed to cool) it makes it much easier to add, and make sure you stir the must properly before measuring SG.

Say you were making a gallon must then, would you make up a gallon less one pint with water (and whatever else, i.e. everything except the sugar). Then add the sugar syrup as you say above until the SG is what you want. Then top up to the gallon with water?

If the amount you needed to top up with is, say, half a pint, I could see you might need to add a bit more syrup then a bit more water, keeping checking the SG, until you are at the full gallon. Does this sound right?

Rack it but do not add another campden tablet (campden tablets should be added at every other racking). My wine number 1 didn't clear that well either, it still had a bit of a haze after a week so, so I filtered it and it turned out crystal clear.

Thanks Richard. In the end I have not racked or degassed it yet as I got home on Friday and it had cleared quite a bit. It's still not completely clear, I'd say it's back to the state it was before I added the finings. I'm going to leave it a few more days (to a week) to see if it clears more.

Oh, and the suspended stuff in the second wine#1 has all gone now. It's bubbling away nicely looking like the first one did.

[lockwood1956]

OK, I get it - theory is nice but accuracy is better, and don't assume anything or it will come back to bite you!

correct

Say you were making a gallon must then, would you make up a gallon less one pint with water (and whatever else, i.e. everything except the sugar). Then add the sugar syrup as you say above until the SG is what you want. Then top up to the gallon with water?

If the amount you needed to top up with is, say, half a pint, I could see you might need to add a bit more syrup then a bit more water, keeping checking the SG, until you are at the full gallon. Does this sound right?

correct again

Oh, and the suspended stuff in the second wine#1 has all gone now. It's bubbling away nicely looking like the first one did.

Result
isn't this hobby great?

[benarnold]

Result
isn't this hobby great?

Indeed it is

The first wine#1 is looking pretty shiny now, tonight I think I will bottle it. And maybe drink some

[Richard S]

Just put another wine number 1 on (apple) and 2x wine number 2 (1 cranberry and 1 blueberry). Should prvide some good quaffing stuff for BBQ's.

[spritzer]

Just a quick question...

I have made a variation of wine number 1's.. grapefruit, pineapple, apple and pink grapefruit.
I want to back sweeten a couple of bottles of each.
I was going to do this with grape juice.

Do I need to add sorbate to the whole DJ of wine, or just the couple of bottles that I want to sweeten ?
I previously added a campden tablet to each DJ at the last racking... Would I have to add another for the final racking and sorbating ??

Thanks

As always.. All comments welcome

Carole

[lockwood1956]

when adding sorbate you must always add campden too......but this would likely end up with too much metabisulphite in your wine



but you could just sweeten each bottle as you intend to drink it, take a measure out, and add either sugar (why not!) or grape juice to taste

regards
Bob

[spritzer]

when adding sorbate you must always add campden too......but this would likely end up with too much metabisulphite in your wine



but you could just sweeten each bottle as you intend to drink it, take a measure out, and add either sugar (why not!) or grape juice to taste

regards
Bob

Yeah... I thought I was too late with the sorbate.... I just wanted to double check.
Never mind... I know for next time.
Thanks Bob

[rjb222]

Yeah... I thought I was too late with the sorbate.... I just wanted to double check.
Never mind... I know for next time.
Thanks Bob

There is something called wine conditioner that contains sorbate already. Each manufacturer has their own concoction. Just add the minimum that is listed on the container and you can back sweeten your wine. One word of caution though if you use this stuff do not add less than the minimum recommended or you will cause a re- ferment or add more sorbate, also add about a month before planning to drink to allow time for this to become a part of the wine.