Another Wine No 1 Question.

[Providence]

I hope someone can help with this.

My wife and I love this recipe but my wife wants to stop drinking my home brew beer (something which should be encouraged ) and wanted me to make her a sort of German strength version of Wine Number 1. Target alcohol would be about 8-9%.

To what extent should I lower the 700gms of sugar to achieve this and should the amount of citric acid be modified as well?

In fact I would be interested in finding out if there is any rule of thumb for alcohol yield per 100gms of sugar as I am experimenting with other grape juice recipes. It's easy to measure the OG of the juice but the sugar is a different matter as that has to be measured 'after the event'!

[goldseal]

This should be possible.

Firstly, I hope you are using the 700g as a guideline, instead aiming for a starting SG of 1.080 or thereabouts.

Reducing the starting SG to around 1.055 - 1.060 should give you about 9%, assuming the finishing SG is around 0.991. To achieve this, I would reduce the GUIDELINE sugar by 250g to 450g - add carefully, a little more or less, to achieve the desired starting SG.

You can reduce the amount of acid if you wish, and add to taste after fermentation. Personally I like my wine no.1 with a little more acid than standard.

Because of the lower alcohol levels (and possibly lower acid levels), your wine won't keep as long and will be more prone to spoilage, but as a beer maker I assume you are used to being ultra-careful when sanitising.

There are a few charts which equate sugar with SG. I find this one is accurate for me:

http://www.geocities.com/mipeman/sugar.html#calcsug

For alcohol yield I use:

(Starting gravity - ending gravity) * 1000 / 7.36

e.g. (1.060 - 0.991) * 1000 / 7.36 = 9.4

It is an approximation, but it is near enough I think.

Let us know how you get on.

[spritzer]

That is a cracking question...

And I wouldn't mind knowing your results too.

Actually... Pete, that was a cracking answer too

[Providence]

Thanks goldseal that chart gives me the sort of starting point I was looking for.

If it turns out OK there's no question of it hanging about too long, so shelf life is not an issue.

I will be trying some of this in the next empty DJ and will feed back results.

[lockwood1956]

Actually... Pete, that was a cracking answer too

Indeed it was.....

next in line to follow along the judgy path perhaps?

[goldseal]

Indeed it was.....

next in line to follow along the judgy path perhaps?

Nooooo!!!!!

I am allergic to work.

[lockwood1956]

I am allergic to work.

It does involve tea drinking!

[Richard S]

Nooooo!!!!!

I am allergic to work.

How long has sitting around drinking wine been work?

[Her Lushness]

Nooooo!!!!!

I am allergic to work.

HAHA! At least while he's bullying you, he's leaving me alone!!!!!!

[Duffbeer]

HAHA! At least while he's bullying you, he's leaving me alone!!!!!!

Your on the list