Thread for questions and discussion on new winemaker series

[goldseal]

I think the colour was the main issue - ginger + grey isn't what I expected

[Leon]

If anybody can pull it off, it's you - ya big Ginge.

Back to the wine, if I may, I have a damson wine on the go and I've done all the fermenting bin mallarkey and transfered it to a Demi John at 1020, that's the SG not the time. The next day I went back to my DJ and the airlock was full of brown thick teasty type substance, as was the neck of the DJ. I had filled the DJ quite close to full, as I assumed the vigourous stage of fermentation would have finished, it had been in the fermenting bucket for five days. I cleaned out the airlock and swirled the DJ so the yeasty type substance would dissipate back into the wine and hopefully ferment. Wht did this happen and could it cause any bad effects?

Thank you kindly.

[SiSandrine]

So long as it smells OK I suspect that this is simply fermentation taking its course, particularly having just transferred off the pulp. Maybe the movement aerated it into the final push.
Unlikely to cause bad effects, especially with a way still to go in fermentation (assume you started at 1080ish). If there was a lot of damson pulp left then I suspect that this will collect as a fair amount of sediment over the next few days.

[Leon]

I see, thank you. Yes, there does seem to be a lot of sediment, but its fermenting nicely.

What about Bentonite? It turned up in the recipie for wine number 3, is it an essential ingredient in all wines? What does it do?

Thank you kindly.

[lockwood1956]

I use bentonite in almost everything i make these days, it aids in the clarification of the wine, and in my mind at least leads to less sediment drop in wines that i age for 2 years or more.....

regards
Bob

[Leon]

Sugar adjustments

I've just started a wine fermenting, a plum wine, and I've started it off on SG 1060, because I ran out of sugar. Can I add more sugar in the next couple of days to bring it up to SG 1080. Also, I ended up adding much more water than I intended, so I've now used 8lb of plums but for 3 gallons of wine, not the two gallons I had intended. Will this leae watery wine? When I add extra sugar can I use red grape juice to raise the fruit content as well as the sugar levels?

Thank you kindly.

[lockwood1956]

When I add extra sugar can I use red grape juice to raise the fruit content as well as the sugar levels?

yes you can, but you may wish to consider white grape juice so it adds less colour, leaving a rose type wine, but red is ok

you could also add more plums later if you wished too, in fact adding some late in the ferment will make it more plummy beieve it or not

regards
bob

[Leon]

yes you can, but you may wish to consider white grape juice so it adds less colour, leaving a rose type wine, but red is ok

you could also add more plums later if you wished too, in fact adding some late in the ferment will make it more plummy beieve it or not

regards
bob

I thought of using red grape juice to give it more colour, more of a red than a rose, would this not be the case?

More plums, how obvious. Is there some sort of formula to the ratio you would add? Why does it make it plummier later in the ferment? And is this true of all fruit?

Finally, when you're working out the abv, do you calculate the drop from the highest SG reached, as opposed to the initial one?

[lockwood1956]

Why does it make it plummier later in the ferment?

because the aroma and flavour compounds are not blown through the airlock by the more vigorous part of fermentation

And is this true of all fruit?

yes

Finally, when you're working out the abv, do you calculate the drop from the highest SG reached, as opposed to the initial one?

calculate the total SG drop e.g. if it went from 1.080 to 0.990 thats a drop of 90 points, but if you fermented to say 1.060 then took it back to 1.080 and it dropped to 0.990 thats a drop of 110

hope thsat makes sense

regards
Bob

[Leon]

It does make sense, except.......

So I put some more plums in my straining bag as it nears the end of the ferment, under 1000 sg, do I then keep taking the SG to see how much it rises, because it will take a while for the new plums to break down the sugar? Is it just a case of taking the SG everyday and then doing them maths?

On a less whiney and questioning note, but not a less winey note, I've just bottled my first wine, from The WAH NUmber 1 range, and it is good. I've got a trial glass here. It's cloudy because drinking it took presidence over de-gassing it a second time, but it is good. And it is all down to you. I salute you all. *Stands and salutes* Dun dun dun dundun dun duun, Dun Duunn Duun Duuuuuuuun.

Thank you kindly.

[spritzer]

On a less whiney and questioning note, but not a less winey note, I've just bottled my first wine, from The WAH NUmber 1 range, and it is good. I've got a trial glass here. It's cloudy because drinking it took presidence over de-gassing it a second time, but it is good. And it is all down to you. I salute you all. *Stands and salutes* Dun dun dun dundun dun duun, Dun Duunn Duun Duuuuuuuun.

Thank you kindly.

Here here
I must admit, Wine number one, made with pineapple juice, instead of apple is one of my favourites. But it is a close call, between the original

[goldseal]

Leon, the secret is to increase production such that supply exceeds demand

[lockwood1956]

So I put some more plums in my straining bag as it nears the end of the ferment, under 1000 sg, do I then keep taking the SG to see how much it rises, because it will take a while for the new plums to break down the sugar? Is it just a case of taking the SG everyday and then doing them maths?

Personally (as that level of accuracy isnt a "thing" for me....)

i would adjust the sugar to get to the right SG, and add plums to take the quantity to 4lb per gallon

you will be near enough to make little difference. it is however a teensy difference and some wine makers like to be very very precise, but thats your call

regards
bob

[Leon]

Here here
I must admit, Wine number one, made with pineapple juice, instead of apple is one of my favourites. But it is a close call, between the original

THat does sound good, it's going on the list.

[Leon]

Leon, the secret is to increase production such that supply exceeds demand

I fear the demand will admirably keep pace with whatever is supplied, to the detriment of everything else.