Racking problem

[eazzo]

Yesterday I rack for the first time some fruit wine, as it's the first time for me I have some concerns about it. As the wine was made about 4 weeks ago at the moment of racking the smell is slightly that of a medicinal and on racking the taste is completely off that of for example grape wine…. Is this normal or I’m doing something not correct…..

 

[greyday]

What fruit did you use? I'd suggest adding an f-pack (see the guide in this forum) and/or backsweetening. Medicinal in my experience has meant that I let the fermentation go on too long so there's very little sugar left, and while dry wines are great, overly dry fruit wines are, more often than not, bad.

Before backsweetening or adding an f-pack (if you haven't already) add campden tablets or metabisulfite, degas, then (I usually wait 12-24 hours, but you can do it immediately) add potassium sorbate. These stun any active yeast (metabisulfite) then prevent future fermentation from starting (sorbate). Degassing just helps it clear later.

Good luck!

 

[eazzo]

the wines (or I hope that they are), are as follow....

carob
• Carob – 500 grams.
• Sugar – 1 ¼ Kg.
• Water – 3 Liters.
• Nutrient, Citric acid, Pectic enzyme – 5 grams.
• High alcohol yeast – ½ sachet.

pomegranates

• Pomegranates – 10.
• Barley – 250 grams.
• Sugar – 1.5 Kg.
• Citric acid – 2 tea spoons.
• Nutrient – 1 tea spoon.
• Water – 4.5 Liters.
• High alcohol yeast – ½ sachet.

orange


• Oranges – juice of 20
• Banana – 450 grams.
• Sugar – 1.5Kg.
• Yeast Nutrient – 1 tea spoon.
• High alcohol yeast – ½ sachet.
• Water – 3.5 liters.

I used exactly the quantities as indicated....

about the campden tablets shall crush it and put in jar or I shall dilute it first...

 

[djrockinsteve]

Camden tablets should be crushed then disolved in a small amount of water or now, your wine. Then blend it through the wine.