New Wine Maker Please Help!

[ruddwine]

Hello and thanks for reading i would appreciate any response here. I have just made m first batch of wine its a red merlot from a kit made byYoungs. (im in the UK) however i think i only put 2 kg of sugar in not 5kg and ive just bottled my wine but it doesnt taste strong, it is pretty clear like a rose wine and taste watery what can i do and will it rectif itself now its bottled? like with age etc? if not how to i prevent it next time thanks

[Her Lushness]

Was it just 1 gallon you made?

If it was, then 2 kg of sugar should have been ample. What were the starting and ending SG's?

I'd advise storing it for at least 2 to 3 months before drinking it. When I first started out I made mostly Youngs kits, and found out the hard way that they are best off being aged for a few months to improve the taste/texture.

[ruddwine]

actually it was a 5 gallon kit and as im new to this im pretty baffled b SG? please could u explain? the instructions told me to test after 7 days with a hydrometer and it was under 1,000 so i bottled it as instructed. i have tested it recenty and is has gone from 2% alc to 6% after few days of bottleing

thank you

[Duffbeer]

Errr no it doesn't work like that, the alcohol will be present before bottling, sg means specific gravity, what your hydrometer would have read at the start of fermentation.
The amount of sugar to a kit sounds about right at 2kg, I think fermentation has taken place and your wine is probably suffering from impatience, cheaper end kits will taste a little thin, the alcohol is usually around 11% so there will not be a strong alcohol taste, put it aside for a month or so you will taste the difference.

can I ask how you came to the conclusion that the alcohol had increased from 2% to 6% ?

[ruddwine]

my hydrometer has a reading on it for alcohol content and that is wht it read. basically the kit was 5 gallon i added water along with the ingerdients and concentrate left for 7 das and then added the fininings and clearing. then bottled however it looks like a rose not like a red wine. i have bottled it not and hope it will age in the bottles getting a stronger taste and maybe thinken up

[Duffbeer]

Ah now I see, the hydrometer doesn't work like that, it is reading the potential alcohol for the amount of sugar, here is a link on using the hydrometer.

Check out the tutorial section of the site there is a mass of information there, just try not to get too bogged down with ph testing at this early stage.

[Zebedee]

As a suggestion....
Read the new winemaker section of the forum
and then make wine No1 etc

when you have a few wines under your belt,you'll have a better idea what s happening.

[goldseal]

I agree.

Kit instructions often tell you WHAT to do, but not WHY you are doing it. Start here:

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=62

- spend some time reading through the instructions for Wine No.1 and Wine No.2 as a minimum. You'll notice how the emphasis isn't on the number of days each step takes. You'll need to rely on your hydrometer a lot. I think Duffbeer has already posted a link to the Hydrometer tutorial.

Spend a couple of hours just browsing the site. Along the way you'll find plenty of my posts where I'm panicking about something not happening quickly enough, followed by someone else basically advising patience.

I agree with Zebedee - get a Wine No.1 going, and maybe a Wine No.2. Try to get a couple going at a time - you'll compress your learning time, and it'll give you something else to do rather than rushing a single batch of wine along. Wine No.1 was my first non-kit wine - I followed the instructions and it came out great.

[Mamgiowl]

Hello and thanks for reading i would appreciate any response here. I have just made m first batch of wine its a red merlot from a kit made byYoungs. (im in the UK) however i think i only put 2 kg of sugar in not 5kg and ive just bottled my wine but it doesnt taste strong, it is pretty clear like a rose wine and taste watery what can i do and will it rectif itself now its bottled? like with age etc? if not how to i prevent it next time thanks

Welcome to the forum Ruddwine. I am afraid that by the sound of it you didn't put enough sugar in for 5gals. In future use the hydrometer at the beginning, looking only at 'specific (or starting) gravity'. Once the reading hits 1070-1080 or so stop adding sugar, and proceed with the rest of the instructions. Once fermentation is finished then take a reading of final gravity and that will give you the alcohol content.

2%-6% Alcohol is not enough for keeping so I should drink this as soon as poss (if it's not too bad). You should aim for about 10%-12% in order to have a wine that will stand aging and thereby improving.

[Duffbeer]

Welcome to the forum Ruddwine. I am afraid that by the sound of it you didn't put enough sugar in for 5gals. In future use the hydrometer at the beginning, looking only at 'specific (or starting) gravity'. Once the reading hits 1070-1080 or so stop adding sugar, and proceed with the rest of the instructions. Once fermentation is finished then take a reading of final gravity and that will give you the alcohol content.

2%-6% Alcohol is not enough for keeping so I should drink this as soon as poss (if it's not too bad). You should aim for about 10%-12% in order to have a wine that will stand aging and thereby improving.

Jan, It's a kit, 2 kilo of sugar is enough, you only read 1/2 the thread, I'll get our Bobby to spank ya..

[Mamgiowl]

Oo, I'm standing in the corner awaiting punishment

In my defence I don't make kits so have no idea what you would normally add. In future I won't open my mouth about things I know nothing about.

(Well, not too often anyway)

[Duffbeer]

Oo, I'm standing in the corner awaiting punishment

Well I'm sure it'll be all tickle n feathers Jan Sorry if my last post sounded of a chastising nature, wasn't meant to be

[goldseal]

Mamgiowl, be careful, he's had a go at me tonight as well. Just don't mention Acid

[Mamgiowl]

[QUOTE=Duffbeer;40915]

Oo, I'm standing in the corner awaiting punishment

Well I'm sure it'll be all tickle n feathers Jan Sorry if my last post sounded of a chastising nature, wasn't meant to be

No probs. Chastisement taken in the spirit it was given, and it is unforgiveable to give wrong info to Newbies. (However I stick with the rest of my comments, so there! )

Mamgiowl, be careful, he's had a go at me tonight as well. Just don't mention Acid

No, I'm OK there 'cos I agreed with him that time

[ruddwine]

OK thanks guys this is great help, im trying to find a local wine circle where some one can teach me how to use the hydrometer properly, do u think that i should leave my wine bottles then or throw it and start again
it is not drinkable at the minute?