Thread for questions and discussion on new winemaker series

[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.

[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

[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]

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]

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

[spritzer]

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

[lockwood1956]

Sound advice Richard


your hydrometer is your friend!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[spritzer]

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 ?

I know it seems like a simple question, and normally this is what I would do... but I don't really want to do it wrong....

Thanks
Carole

[benarnold]

Wow, super speedy! Pity the wines aren't that efficient!

Though saying that, wine no2 is going great guns. It was lethargic even a couple of hours ago, but it's really going for it now

[lockwood1956]

Sorry if I caused trouble.

Absolutely no problems at all dude

I have merged the two user names

[Mamgiowl]

No probs, just caused a mystery