Thread for questions and discussion on new winemaker series

[RTPFUN]

Wine no 2

Just a one on the sorbate and sulphite as we want to avoid nasty smells. Does one go in first or is it just at the same point in time before degassing and it matters not which one you put in first?

[lockwood1956]

I think as long as they go in at the same time all is well.....


however, i always add sulphite, then the sorbate

regards
bob

[Leon]

Bob is right, both methods should give the same approximate result.

However (and I can hear you sighing from here ) ....

If you calculate the alcohol from each SG drop and add them together, you need to adjust the first alcohol figure because you have significantly increased the volume of the wine by adding another litre of liquid.

In our 1.080 / 4.7 litre DJ / 3.7 litre must example:

We start at 1.084 in 3.7 litres.

We ferment to, say 1.000.

It now contains approximately 11.4% alcohol.

We now add another litre of juice.

The alcohol has been diluted. We can calculate the new percentage as 10.9 / 4.7 x 3.7, which is around 9%.

Now measure the SG again. Measure it once more when fermentation is complete, calculate another alcohol figure from that SG drop, add this to the 9 figure, and there's your approximate alcohol content.

Sorry to resurrect an old question, but I'm putting this into practice with a wine number one, which has a liter of aldi grape juice and 450g of sugar so far and I'll be adding a liter of orange juice later in the ferment. When it comes to working out the percentage, what is that 10.9 figure I have highlighted there? Is it a fixed figure or is it dependent on the previous calculations?
I'm going bald with head-scratching.

As always, thank you kindly.

[malcmackenzie]

A little help please.

I was following a tutorial on red 'Wine number 2' now I xcant seem to find it anywhere can someone post a link please?

Also does anyone have a basic recipe for a Rose? and a good basic recipe for a red?

Thanks

[Ted.B]

Is this the thread you had in mind ?

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?1614-Wine-number-2-Red-Table-wine-medium-sweet

A little help please.

I was following a tutorial on red 'Wine number 2' now I xcant seem to find it anywhere can someone post a link please?

Also does anyone have a basic recipe for a Rose? and a good basic recipe for a red?

Thanks

[RTPFUN]

bulk aging/time to bottle

I'm bulk aging some reds but wondered when best to bottle them to allow them to get back to their best allowing for bottle shock etc. So let’s say we’re giving them as Christmas presents when should they be bottled? (I’m trying to avoid sediment in gifted bottles. All my reds have put down sediment even the filtered ones I just decant them not an issue for me but for gifts.........)
Thanks Pete

[malcmackenzie]

Hi

I am making some sparkling wine and want to test the sugar content.

I have manageed to get a small drop out of the bottle and tested it with a diabetes test kit that I got hold of and calculated that it has a sugar content of 4.72 grams per litre.

Can anyone tell me what SG that would be?

[goldseal]

My book (this one) says you should be aiming for 68g sugar per gallon. Why the mixed units, I have no idea.

I make that 15g per l.

So I guess you'd add another 11.3gl (about 53g in the average glass DJ).

[malcmackenzie]

My book (this one) says you should be aiming for 68g sugar per gallon. Why the mixed units, I have no idea.

I make that 15g per l.

So I guess you'd add another 11.3gl (about 53g in the average glass DJ).

Thanks.. but you have the wrong end of the stick. I am tyring to work out if it has finnished fermenting so is 4.72 grams per litre say SG
.995 or 1.005 what does it equate to?

[Cellar_Rat]

Bottle shock is a 24/48 hour issue. Often more of an issue for commercial chaps, who are more agressive and use more additives. Gently bottled home made is not such a problem -if at all.

[goldseal]

Thanks.. but you have the wrong end of the stick. I am tyring to work out if it has finnished fermenting so is 4.72 grams per litre say SG
.995 or 1.005 what does it equate to?

Ah, apologies, I understand now.

I don't think you can use a single SG figure to tell you whether a wine has finished fermenting (unless the SG is so low that it can't possibly have any more sugar in it).

I would take an SG reading, wait a few days, then take another one. If it has finished fermenting, the reading won't drop. There are factors other than sugar which can affect SG, such as the presence of nonfermentable sugars, and other substances which affect density (e.g. glycerol produced by the yeast).

[Smiggs]

Hi,
I have a wine number 1 (made with Asda WGJ and Apple juice) which isn't clearing.

It was made exactly to recipe using Gervin 5 as it was a bit cold when I started it. It fermented to dry in around 2 weeks, was racked (+campden) and left for 2 more weeks then degassed (+campden) and left for 2 more weeks.

There was no sign of it clearing so I used some Kwik clear. 4 days later, it has dropped some sediment but is still very cloudy.

Any ideas?
Thanks

[goldseal]

I have had some batches of WN1 clear on their own, some have required Kwik Clear, and some have required other treatments.

My first suspicion would be that it's a pectin haze (apples are high in pectin). I would draw some wine off, dissolve 2 tsp per gallon pectolase in it, and stir back into the wine. This will stir up the sediment again, but don't worry about that - the finings should cause it to drop again.

If that doesn't work, I would try bentonite.

[i*windows]

my WN1 has been fermenting away for over 3 weeks now, SG is down to 1005. I had a sip and its pretty nice but dry and fizzy as Proesecco - should I just leave it to crack on for a couple more weeks or should I stop fermentation with some sulphate and then rack and clear? I dont think I want it to get any dryer.

[goldseal]

I would advise against trying to stop an active fermentation. The usual method is to ferment to dry (i.e. allow it to complete - you'll see the same hydrometer reading for several days), then degas & stabilise (add sulphite and potassium sorbate). Wait a few more days, then sweeten to taste. Take a look at the Wine No.2 tutorial, which explains sweetening in more detail.

The fizziness you can taste is the carbon dioxide given off be fermentation. Some dissolves in the liquid, and the excess comes out of the airlock.