Help!! My Dad has grapes so I decided to make them into wine. I have made a lot if fruit wine but none from grapes so this is my first. I followed the directions from EC Kraus and Jack Keller adjusting the acid and specific gravity but my wine looks pink after primary fermentation. What went wrong???
First time making wine from grapes= failure?
- Thread starter batchel9
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2011
- Messages
- 6,116
- Reaction score
- 10,855
If you were expecting a red wine, you have to ferment with the skins of the grapes. The juice itself is white (or pink, at best).
Batchel, what variety of grape did you use? Did you crush and let the skins in the fermenter for the first phase of fermentation? How much wine are we talking about? How does it taste?
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2010
- Messages
- 10,069
- Reaction score
- 5,947
Like the others have said.. Red wine gets it's color from the grape skins. When wineries make rose', they simply press the red grapes immediately after crushing them. To make red wine, the same grapes are simply crushed and allowed to sit and ferment with the skins still in the juice. Eventually the skins will float and form a raft that covers the wine. For even deeper color, winmakers do "Punch Downs" where the grape skin "raft" is pushed/mixed back down into the wine to increase the amount of contact the wine has with the skins.
My guess is that you squeezed the grapes and fermented without the skins. This is not to say that the wine is not good. Keep moving forward and see how it turns out.
My guess is that you squeezed the grapes and fermented without the skins. This is not to say that the wine is not good. Keep moving forward and see how it turns out.
I did ferment the grapes with the skin but I'm thinking it may be a combination of things.... I don't think the grapes were as ripe as they should have been and I think I added too much water. It is starting to clear a bit even after a day and it is already looking a little darker!
seth8530
The Atomic Wine Maker
Was sugar added? How many lbs of grapes did you use? How much juice did that Yield? How much water did you add? What kind of grape? I would by no stretch at this point think your wine is ruined, but some more information might be helpful in helping us guide you and your wine in one of the many correct directions.
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2010
- Messages
- 10,069
- Reaction score
- 5,947
Good questions Seth..
I would also ask "Why did you add water?". Was the PH too low? How much water did you add?
I would also ask "Why did you add water?". Was the PH too low? How much water did you add?
I used about 18lbs of grapes. I added water to adjust my acid (it was WAY to high) and added sugar to adjust my specific gravity (following the directions shown here for acid and specific gravity adjustment): http://www.eckraus.com/wine-making-grape. I ended up with about 4 gallons of wine.
Thanks for the help!!
Thanks for the help!!
seth8530
The Atomic Wine Maker
I believe the issue at hand is the mass of grapes vs the amount of wine you have fermenting. I believe a typical number for grapes to must is like 13lbs/gallon. So you are quite a bit light on your grape loading.. Could you add around another 60 lbs of grapes or so? If not, it might be worth considering whether or not you want to stear the wine into another direction such as pyment or the such.
Yep John, hopefully we can get this moving toward the right direction.
Yep John, hopefully we can get this moving toward the right direction.
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2010
- Messages
- 10,069
- Reaction score
- 5,947
Holy cow! Man, they were really under-ripe!
18 pounds of grapes will yeild about 1 gallon of juice. I am thinking that you added 3 gallons of water? Correct? This was to bring the acid down to the appropriate level?
If so, this is the reason for your light color. You may also find that, in the end, the flavor is light as well.
This is not to say that the wine will be undrinkable. Many of us make "second runs" of just water, sugar, acid, and spent grape skins. The result is a little dissappointing, but drinkable.
Next time try to let the grapes ripen a bit more. I think you will like the results much more.
Haha, rookie mistake!! My dad lives far away so we only had one shot at getting his grapes. We only used the ones that were of color but they definitely could have used longer. At least I know better for next year.
I did buy some grapes at the farmers market to "try again" and that process is going a bit smoother now.
Do you guys have recipes or methods you recommend for making wind from Concord grapes?
I did buy some grapes at the farmers market to "try again" and that process is going a bit smoother now.
Do you guys have recipes or methods you recommend for making wind from Concord grapes?
berrycrush
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2013
- Messages
- 560
- Reaction score
- 119
I tried a small batch of concord grapes. I didn't add any water but still ends up pinkish, between rose and red. That was after the same cold soak with enzyme for a week. So I thought concord just lacks color. See photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99052380@N06/10021580463/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99052380@N06/10021580463/
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2010
- Messages
- 10,069
- Reaction score
- 5,947
Do not worry. You wine might still turn out OK, just a little thin. It is all part of the learning experience. I hate to tell you of all the disasters that have happened to me while I was just learning.
I would suggest that, if possible, you also give vinifera winegrapes a try. If you like the taste of concord wine, then I say "go for it", but if you want to try and make a wine in the style of a cabernet or merlot, then you need cabernet or merlot grapes.
I am not sure where you are exactly located, but the seems to be a huge number of companyies that sell winegrapes. It is not really too late in the season, you still might be able to get them.
seth8530
The Atomic Wine Maker
I can vouch, he can definitely still get grapes. I just ordered some Pinot Noir from M&M which should be arriving next Friday.
