RJ Spagnols Orchard Breezin Green Apple Gewurztraminer

[DirtyDawg10]

I'm planning to start my second wine kit tonight. The OB Green Apple. I wanted to boost the starting SG for a bit more ABV because I have heard others mention that they do that. I'm not really sure what to do though. I know I need to add sugar but do I blend it with water or just add it? Not really sure how much sugar to add either. Hoping you guys can help me.

 

[Wade E]

Sent pm but will post it here also, I add about 2.5 lbs in primary which should bring the starting sg to about 1.080

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Do I just add sugar to the juice or should I dissolve it in warm water or something first?

 

[SarahRides]

I usually make a simple syrup, 2 parts sugar to one part water and a splash of lemon juice (the same way it's done in the skeeter pee recipe). Warming it up to the point where it's steaming, but not boiling, then I let it cool off before adding it. It's much easier than trying to dissolve straight sugar into the juice, and you are adding minimal water to it (and therefore watering it down more). I've been tempted to buy that same kit, those tend to be sweeter than what I like, but my in-laws love those wines!

 

[Runningwolf]

Hey Dawg, I made this kit quite a while ago and for what is suppose to be a 6 week kit, it is much better a year later. I also add 1/2 of the fpack in the beginning. This way your still capturing the flavor and sugar in the beginning but adding only half in the end it's is not overly sweet.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

I bought this one because I think my wife will enjoy it. A bit sweet for my taste but I'm hoping to enjoy it as well. Thanks for the answer on the sugar. I'm gonna try it out.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Hey Dawg, I made this kit quite a while ago and for what is suppose to be a 6 week kit, it is much better a year later. I also add 1/2 of the fpack in the beginning. This way your still capturing the flavor and sugar in the beginning but adding only half in the end it's is not overly sweet.

Thanks...I was wondering about the f-pack. I have read on here about the sweetness and that being a way to cut back a bit. Did you have any issues with the fermentation by adding the f-pack early?

 

[Runningwolf]

No none at all. It's just additional sugar.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Cool...I'll try adding some of the f-pack. If I need to I can always add more sugar to get the SG where I want it.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

My second kit is in the primary I added a portion of the f-pack (probably 1/3 to 1/2) which brought the SG up to 1.070. Then I diluted some sugar into a slightly heated must and brought the SG up to around 1.078.

My first kit was a sauvignon blanc/pinot gris blend which I want to let age properly. This kit is being made so that I hopefully have some earlier drinking wine. The idea is that if I have this I'll keep more bottles of the first kit around longer. That remains to be seen.

 

[Bartman]

I had the same questions as you a couple years ago, because the sweet wine kits (Orchard Breezin' line, for example) were too much like Kool-Aid - low acohol and very sweet. epending on your tastes and the type of kit, some add the 1/2 the f-pack like Dan suggested, and others will simply add sugar up front (as I did with the Banana Pineapple Viognier). I did a little research on 'chaptilization' (which was/is done with some WE port kits) and learned about the difference between dextrose and sucrose (corn sugar vs. table sugar). Oversimplified, sucrose is a more complex sugar molecule than dextrose, so the theory goes that it is more difficult to break down in the wine. Essentially, if you are adding it at the outset, a vigorous yeast fermentation will easily break down either one, so sucrose is usually used because most have it home, unlike dextrose, and it will simply increase the alcohol without changing the flavor. If you are back-sweetening, without a fermentation to break it down, sucrose may not fully dissolve, so dextrose is used, but both will add sweetness without changing the alcohol level (since it never gets fermented, and you add sorbate to stabilize the sweetened wine).

So, if you want higher alcohol, add sugar at the primary fermentation stage (watching the SG level rise as you mix in the sugar to desired level); but if you want less sweetness in the final product, use some of the f-pack (which you have done). Too much sugar can lead to a phenomenon known colloquially as 'rocket fuel' - you can probably guess why.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

So I guess I'm set because I want higher ABV and lower sweetness. The fermentation is going nicely for at least the last 30hrs or so. My wife is beginning to get used to the fermentation smell It's not in the basement this time.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Getting close...SG is down to 1.004 or so. The kit says to stabilize at .998 or lower SG.

 

[tonyandkory]

we just bottled an OB Green apple Riesling. it is pretty good but still real new. going to have to wait like 6 months to drink it I think. Has a little yeasty smell to it still.
We also added sugar up front to bring up the SG. next time I think I will try 1/2 the F-pack.
Hope it goes well.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Thanks! Good luck with yours too.

I just racked this to a carboy on Friday and it is stabilized and clearing.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Bottled this one tonight and it turned out EXCELLENT!!! Glad I added 1/2 the F-Pack during primary because it would have been way too sweet for me. The extra ABV is nice too and the wife loves it so that's an added bonus.

My LHBS offers a rental program for their Portuguese floor corkers. $10 for a 10 day rental and after you rent it 6 times you own the corker. I have decided to rent mine 5 more times over the next 50 days because I'm not giving this thing back

I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow after I label and put on the capsules. G-Nite!

 

[Rocky]

DD, that is a great deal on the corker. That is right at the normal retail for the corker and if you get a new one from him as a rental it is like paying it off over time with no carrying charge.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Yes it is a good deal. The corker is like new although it appears it has been used at least once. The Owner of the shop said that a lot of people end up keeping them so I'm sure they don't get used much.

Here's a pic of the completed wine with my helpers...

 

[DirtyDawg10]

I decided not to make the name in French. This one is called "Sweetest Thing" for those who haven't seen my label post I decided to name my wines with U2 song titles or parts thereof.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

DD, that is a great deal on the corker. That is right at the normal retail for the corker and if you get a new one from him as a rental it is like paying it off over time with no carrying charge.

Well she's all mine after today!