Newbie Winemaker question(s)

[Mr_Detail]

Please take a look at the following recipe and see if I understand correctly that this recipe will yield 1 gallon of wine. If so, can I double the initial recipe to bottle more?

Can the primary be a 1-1/2 gallon food grade pail?
What is the "secondary" made of? Glass or another food grade pail?

Bring 1 quart water to boil, remove from heat and dissolve sugar, acid blend and grape tannin. In primary, combine Frozen Blueberry Pomegranate 100% Juice Concentrate, sugar water and yeast nutrient. Add water to make 1 gallon and stir in yeast nutrient.
Cover primary until cooled to under 100° F. Add activated dry yeast in a starter solution, re-cover primary and set aside. Stir daily until specific gravity drops to 1.010, then transfer to a secondary and attach an airlock. Allow 30 days to pass before racking. Stabilize with 1/2 teaspoon potassium sorbate and a finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet; rack again after additional 30 days. Sweeten wine to taste if desired, then wait a final 30 days and carefully rack into bottles. Wait 1 year to 18 months for best enjoyment.

Thanks much!

 

[olusteebus]

I would put in enough water to make a gallon and a 1/8 of must (wine). That way, when you rack out of the primary, you should have a full gallon of wine, leaving tge lees(dead yeast). I don't think that much water will hurt.

I suggest a hydrometer (see sticky in beginners forum). You will need a gallon glass jug and s stopper that will hold a airlock. I see there is a brewer supply store in Havertown. They will have the jug and airlock and hydrometer.

You need to spend a little money there. Ask for help and get some racking material.

Good luck and welcome.

 

[Mr_Detail]

Thanks olusteebus for you response.

I did know about a brewer's supply in my town but wasn't sure they did wine making stuff. I guess I assume wrongly that the term "brewer's" will always mean beer.

When you stated

"Ask for help and get some racking material"

did you mean a racking cane and hose?

I am confused by this statement

"and a 1/8 of must (wine)"

In this recipe's case, isn't the must the juice?

Also won't I need a "secondary" for this recipe?

 

[cintipam]

Hi Mr Detail

Yes, racking cane and hose, and the other things you'll need to rack the wine into. Secondary should be glass. Must is just the term used before the sugars ferment into alchohol, so he's saying make a little more than a gallon in your primary so with evaporation (caught me by surprise since I had only done summer wine making before than) and the bit you'll leave behind from the bottom with all the lees you'll still wind up with a gallon when done. Brew does sound beer only, but in my experience each carry wine supplies also. Some way more than others, I'm lucky to have several local that fulfill all my needs. Asking for help means they will guide you to buy the right stuff and all that you need the first trip. Otherwise you can find out you need nutrient or bung or something else you hadn't thought about and have to go back.

Hope this helps. Bet you'll be hooked when you taste your first wine.

Pam in cinti

 

[zalai]

I think 100° F is to hot for the yeast . Your must should be 70-75 ° F . I only work with kits may be someone could confirm this .

 

[Mr_Detail]

Zalai,
Water boils at 212 F. In my original post the recipe states "Cover primary until cooled to under 100° F."
The key word here is under. It did not say room temperature.

 

[DoctorCAD]

No need to boil, the sugar will dissolve at much lower temps. Makes your wait time until warm much less. Remember, yeast is a living thing that developed here on our earth, same as us. Any temperature that is comfortable to you will be comfortable for the yeast.

 

[vernsgal]

I agree with DoctorCad. You don't need to boil.I would suggest putting everything in your primary pail (you didn't mention Pectin enzyme but I'm assuming your recipe calls for it) except yeast. Wait overnight ,preferably 24 hours and then pitch your yeast. No need to put lid on, I would cover with a towel to keep things out, stir daily until SG reaches dry. Rack to your secondary (glass carboy) and rack every 2-3 months til clear.Of course if you're going to backsweeten then it's another post lol

 

[Mr_Detail]

vernsgal,
Here is the recipe's ingredients per the author, Jack Keller. Don't think I see any mention of pectin enzyme. Is that necessary?

• 3 12-oz cans Old Orchard Frozen Blueberry Pomegranate 100% Juice Concentrate
• 1 lb 13 oz very fine granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp acid blend
• 1/4 tsp powdered grape tannin
• Water to 1 gallon
• 1 1/4 tsp yeast nutrient
• Lalvin RC212 wine yeast

It does however state later in the recipe, Stabilize with 1/2 teaspoon potassium sorbate and a finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet; rack again after additional 30 days.

 

[Julie]

I would bump that up to 4 cans of concentrate, 3 cans is a little on the weak side and add only the amount of sugar you need to get an sg to 1.085 and check your acid before adding any acid blend

 

[Stressbaby]

Looks like a "quickie" wine from Keller.
I don't know why you would have to boil, except to note that there is no kmeta until stabilizing.
Keller almost always uses pectic 12 hours prior to pitching the yeast. If he left it out you probably don't need it.
Keller's recipes will consistently end up short of a gallon if made to specs. Do what Olusteebus said and start with an extra 250-375ml.

 

[jamesngalveston]

I agree with julie, 3 cans is weak, go to 4 are 5.
If you want a weak wine, start as julie stated.
If you want a stronger wine, start at 1.100
If you plan to add sugar and add flavor pack,start at 1.100

starting sg of 1.085 will give you about 11.8 percent abv.
anything added in the end will drop that a little.

 

[Stressbaby]

I would bump that up to 4 cans of concentrate, 3 cans is a little on the weak side and add only the amount of sugar you need to get an sg to 1.085 and check your acid before adding any acid blend

I agree with what Julie said. I forgot to mention that in my experience, Keller's recipes tend to end up with a pH on the high side and I end up adding another 1/2-1t acid blend.

Also, I'd cut that sugar back until you check it. I think you are going to overshoot on the sugar with 3-4 cans of concentrate. Each can has 6 servings with 29g/serving. 3 cans = 18 ounces of sugar. Add that to 1# 13oz and you have almost 3# sugar per gallon.

 

[Julie]

James, 1.085 is not a weak wine. Just because you like your wines to have the alcohol as if it is one of your whiskey's does not mean that is the right way. You start to lose some of the fruit flavor when you have a fruit wine that goes higher than 12% ABV,. At this point you just may as well make a port. Anything added in the end does not drop the ABV that significantly that it is noticed.

 

[Pumpkinman]

I have to agree with Julie, I made an apple wine last season, I thought that i'd be clever and bump up the ABV, it was a poor choice, not only was the wine undrinkable for over a year, but the high ABV stripped almost all of the flavor.

 

[Mr_Detail]

Thanks everyone for your responses, I think.

There is a lot of info to digest. I just wish I had a step by step instructions list for this first try. I need to buy some equipment first.

 

[Julie]

Thanks everyone for your responses, I think.

There is a lot of info to digest. I just wish I had a step by step instructions list for this first try. I need to buy some equipment first.

You will be fine, it really isn't as hard as it sounds. Once you start things will start to click for you.

 

[cmason1957]

Thanks everyone for your responses, I think.

There is a lot of info to digest. I just wish I had a step by step instructions list for this first try. I need to buy some equipment first.

I always suggest that new winemakers start with a wine kit for just this reason.step by step directions, a company to call, and a real probability that if you follow the directions you will have a very drinkable wine. It really helps to learn the process first, then branch off to something else.

 

[jamesngalveston]

heres a few articles, that might be interesting for all.

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-...od-drink/alcohol-content-wine-00000000005947/

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/07/06/study-youre-drunker-than-that-wine-bottle-says-you-should-be/

 

[Mr_Detail]

Thanks much Julie for the encouragement!