First Batch of Strawberry Wine

[Rhudson12]

Hello to all

I started my first batch of strawberry wine last week and from all I have read it should be ready to rack to a carboy this week. This first try is 5 gallons in food grade bucket at the present. When I transfer it to the carboy, I don't expect it to be a full 5 gallons. From reading in the beginners forum there was talk in there of "topping off" in the carboy. Is this just for the wine kits or is it something I should consider for the strawberry wine also?

 

[tonyandkory]

Yes you should top off, it is for everything.
I usually try and make more than my carboys (6gal) can hold so I have top off wine of the same batch for later.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I make more than i need for that very reason as well.

Keep in mind that strawberry will benefit from an fpac.

If you have the carboys - what i would do is rack to a 3 gallon and a 1 gallon until you are ready to add an fpac.

Then rack back to the 5gallon and add your fpac - that way you you don't really need to add another wine or top it off.

 

[olusteebus]

I will in the future make more wine than I need. I only have 5 gallon carboys here in bama so I will probably make six gallons, put one in a one gallon jug. After racking, I will use the gallon for topping off and then either put marbles in the gallon jug or perhaps put it in a 1/2 gallon jug. I will continue to top off with the same wine.

I bought 300 marbles today. I wish I had gotten Cat eyes but the cost was prohibitive. I understand that cat eyes are better for white wines. I don't know.

 

[dangerdave]

Every time I make strawberry wine it turns out like jet-fuel. Strawberries must have a lot of natural sugars in them...which I should take into consideration...next time. I keep telling myself.

 

[Rhudson12]

Okay. So for the first 6 days I have had the wine covered with a muslin cloth and I have stirred it twice daily. This is an aerobic fermentation period where the oxygen helps the process. Now it is going to start going into an anaerobic period and you want to make sure you don't leave much air in the carboy. Is this to prevent oxidation? I guess there is not enough CO2 released to "push out" all the oxygen and the less head space you leave the easier that is. When you make more do you always an extra gallon so you can fill up a smaller carboy for the same reason? I read up on Fpac's. So you feel like a gallon of basically strawberry juice would help the flavor of the wine? When you do this second rack, do you leave out any sorbate and k-meta to allow fermentation of the fpac also? Thanks for all the advise.

 

[tonyandkory]

If you don't Sorbate before the Fpack it will probably start to re ferment.

 

[Rhudson12]

Yeah. Just found another post. It said to add Fpack after you add sorbate and k-meta. This would mean that you are stabilizing the wine. I guess the added time after this in the carboy is for settling and aging.

 

[fivebk]

I would add K-meta, then sorbate and then the F-pack in that order. If you don't add the K-Meta & sorbate the F-pack will have natural sugars that will cause it to re-ferment, thus more alcohol resulting in something that resembles rocket fuel!!!

BOB

 

[Rhudson12]

OK. This is a little in the future, but how long a time period should you wait between K-Meta and sorbate and the F-pack?

 

[Deezil]

OK. This is a little in the future, but how long a time period should you wait between K-Meta and sorbate and the F-pack?

I wait a week between k-meta/sorbate & f-pac, but im one of the more cautious when it comes to this step in winemaking.

 

[mmadmikes1]

I add K meta only to strawberry. Sorbate will only stop the yeast from reproducing. It they are still alive in the wine they can still ferment just not have more little yeasties. I have made at the least 10 batches of strawberry and have never had it restart without sorbate. I know I sound like a broken record but why add something you do not need? Bulk aging and time(6 months) before bottling will take care most of the problems better than sorbate. Now a fun picture(my hallway runth over)

 

[Rhudson12]

Nice picture. So from what you say, the K-Meta will kill the yeast just like it did when I put it in for the wild yeast to begin. From what I calculated, I put 5 tablets in for 5 gallons and at 57 percent it provided 66 ppm of sulfite. is this they same level of sulfites to add for the rack after the second fermentation? Will it loose free sulfites and should I measure? Then I can decide whether to do the F-pack or just backsweeten the wine.

 

[Rhudson12]

Deezil thanks

You must feel the F-pack does add extra flavor. Wow. Trying to understand what to do with a first batch is quite a lot to understand.