Could do with a bit of advice guys

[wisp]

As you probably know, I've decided to have a go at a carrot and a parsnip wine.

I have, at the moment, roughly 2 gallons of carrot juice and 2 gallons of parsnip juice. Now I know Bob would want me to feed these juices to the garden and replace them with grape juice , but that's not going to happen .

I also have 5 litres of grape juice for each, and I'd thought that I'd incorporate much of ms67's recipe for the parsnip.

My quandry is, do I have enough stock of each, plus the grape juice, to turn them into 5 gallon batches? If so, should I increase the thumb of ginger for the parsnip or keep that the same?

Obviously I'll be adding the nutrient and B1 tablets as per usual, but how much sugar should I add to a 5 gallon batch of each for a final alcohol level of approx. 14%?

Should I add a jug of strong tea to each for tannin?

Will 5 tsp of citric acid be enough for each?

Is 1 tsp of tartaric acid enough for each? What does tartaric acid actually do? - in easy language please .

Have I missed anything?

I would appreciate any help you feel able to offer.

Cheers.

[ms67]

i'm not going to try and get into what to do to make what you have up to 5 gallons, cos it would be experimental! i more or less stick to my version of parsnip wine, simply cos it works for us, so no added grape juice etc.

regarding tartaric acid, my tub of youngs acid says it enhances bouquet and flavour, i think that may especially refer to the more delicate flavours that could be swamped by alcohol if the wine only has delicate flavours, but anyone who knows better will improve my craft.

regarding ginger, at the levels i use it for in this wine you don't really taste it as ginger, but it does add something to the wine. so if you want to get the ginger flavour then increase the proportion. if you use a smaller proportion it may be just as effective (the less is more principle???) but i really dont know as i haven't tried.

according to Berry's book an OG of around 1105 should give you a wine of about 14%. this is what i used for my first batch. this year i have reduced it a tad and reckon on 13% ish.

happy brewing, i hope your parsnip wine delights you as much as ours delights us.

[ms67]

in my book, he says 7 lb for 2.5 gallons, but maybe yours is an ealrier edition and this is a misprint that was picked up. tho he usually uses 1 gallon recipes so maybe that caught you out?

[wisp]

I used 8 kilo of parsnips and have 2 gallon of juice. They [the parsnips] were processed in the least amount of water that we believed functional. Would like help on the carrots too.

A similar amount of carrots were used, too.

[ms67]

sounds like you have plenty enough parsnip (to me anyway) for you increase the volume to 3 gallons, maybe more. if it were me i would keep the ginger, zest etc in proportion, and aim for 13% abv or maybe even less (but i know from our pms that you like quite a high abv same as i do). Bob could easily have nailed it with his comments about the ginger and zest masking the parsnip, all i know is that this wine makes me and the better half (and guests) happy.

[ms67]

cant offer any opinion on the carrot wine as i never made one, but if you want to tell me how it goes then perhaps i will one day

[wisp]

Thanks for the information guys. I don't know whether to play safe and go for 3 gallons or try the five. I may still add the grape juice though.

[Rich]

Not being an expert on either.. but, isn't it about 4lbs of fruit (or veg) to a gallon a guide in one of cjjjjjjj books? long time since I've read any of them.

If so, then your 8Kgs is roughly 16lbs so that should do 4 gallons worth, then with the grape juice added should give some body and flavour.

Keep good notes of what you do and how you do it. Then it'll aid in fine tuning next time!

[wisp]

(or veg)

Stop moaning, it's part of my 5-a-day .

Thanks for your input Rich. Something to consider.

[wisp]

OB, I don't believe you can remember your 24th birthday - especially if homebrew is involved!

I think I might go for the 5 gallon on the parsnip. Still wondering about the carrot. I have to make a decision soon as we're going for it Sunday.

[lockwood1956]

If it were me (and it wouldn't be )

I would make seperate carrot and parsnip batches, both starting at 1.080 and if you want higher gravities sugar feed once SG reaches 1.010... 2oz at a time as a sugar syrup.

in the initial batches I would use the zest and juice from 4 oranges, being sure not to get any of the white pith in there, this will go a very long way to smoothing out t earthy tones that root veg add to wines.

take extra care with nutrient level as and particularly to the acidity levels, the wine will need some sweetness (im guessing SG 1.010 for the finished wine, perhaps a tad more) at the end to balance that heavy an alc level, and with the sweetness extra acidity is required.

so my thinking would be

for 5 gallons

5 litres Parsnip juice
4 litres grape juice
zest and juiceof 4 oranges
1 litre apple juice
sugar to 1.080
5 tsp good quality nutrient
5 tsp (or the correct dose check the tub they are all different) of amylase
7.5tsp tartaric acid
5 tsp bentonite
water to 5 gallons
Lalvin K1V-1116 (to get as much fruitiness as possible)

before the yeast goes in.....taste it

because you are using juice, and not pulp, i think it will mature earlier...

send me a little nip when its done

[lockwood1956]

and 5 litres of carrot juice for the carrot version. then blending trials afterwards.

I have tasted some well made parsnip wines, but have yet to taste a carrot wine that didnt make me cringe (offers to send me anyones best carrot wine for scrutiny graciously accepted)


you "could" add some sultanas (NOT raisins) to add a little vinosity, and they will add a little something. You could also boil 5 lb bananas peeled and chopped in 5 litres water and add the water discarding the bananas, this will aid clearing and add body, its really olde worlde technique, but it can work.

let us know how you get on

[wisp]

If it were me (and it wouldn't be )

I would make seperate carrot and parsnip batches, both starting at 1.080 and if you want higher gravities sugar feed once SG reaches 1.010... 2oz at a time as a sugar syrup.

in the initial batches I would use the zest and juice from 4 oranges, being sure not to get any of the white pith in there, this will go a very long way to smoothing out t earthy tones that root veg add to wines.

take extra care with nutrient level as and particularly to the acidity levels, the wine will need some sweetness (im guessing SG 1.010 for the finished wine, perhaps a tad more) at the end to balance that heavy an alc level, and with the sweetness extra acidity is required.

so my thinking would be

for 5 gallons

5 litres Parsnip juice
4 litres grape juice
zest and juiceof 4 oranges
1 litre apple juice
sugar to 1.080
5 tsp good quality nutrient
5 tsp (or the correct dose check the tub they are all different) of amylase
7.5tsp tartaric acid
5 tsp bentonite
water to 5 gallons
Lalvin K1V-1116 (to get as much fruitiness as possible)

before the yeast goes in.....taste it

because you are using juice, and not pulp, i think it will mature earlier...

send me a little nip when its done

Could it be that Bob's trying to smother the taste of the parsnips?

Thanks Bob.

[ms67]

my parsnip wine was definately ok after a few months, and is now about a year old and still one of my best. if you have more or less followed my recipe (with bobs suggestions i think its still close enough) then you should be enjoying it sometime in the summer. cheers for the citrus tip on covering up earthy flavours Bob, i'll try informing my taste buds next time i drink some .... umami or something like that isn't it (earthy tastes?) the 5th taste.