What is going on here? Picture inside.

[thecajunone]

So I have my two "carboys" filled but when I filled the extra into a body it came out a completely different color...

(Yeah I wasn't expecting the extra, I don't know why I didn't take into account the juice from the strawberries, as if it was going to come out at 2 gallons because I put 2 gallons water in it, facepalm. I have a sanitized napkin over it for the time being but I'm thinking of just shutting the lid and having that bottle carbonated, like sparkling wine.)

I had originally put it all together in a bottling bucket so wouldn't it have been mixed up? How did one bottle come out a different color. I forgot to put a campden pellet crushed into that bottle, could that have affected the color? This is a strawberry wine btw.

Taste okay, a little bitter like too much tannin. Can I add sugar to sweeten while it's sitting in the secondary or should conditioning it for several months change that. Also will it clear up over time or should I opt for a clearing agent? I don't mind the unfiltered look, I like it in my beer making at least, but for wine does it matter?

Sorry for all the questions guys, first time wine making.

 

[Arne]

Could be the campden or lack of it. I did a strawberry once that was a nice lite red color. Racked it after it cleared some, picked up a little of the lees when I got to the bottom. It all stayed red til I disturbed the lees and got a little of them in the recieving carboy. Turned the whole works yellow and never went back red. Tasted fine, just changed color. You can add a little sugar to try a taste or two. Do not add it to the carboys unless you sorbate it too. If you add it without stabalizing it will keep on fermenting the new sugar. Probably will ferment to dry and you will wind up with a strong alcohol wine that covers the strawberry flavor. It should eventually clear with time. If you get in a hurry, you can use some clarifiers. I have had strawberry take a long time to clear, then when bottled throw some sediment. Good luck with it. Arne.

 

[Arne]

By the way, welcome to the forum. Somebody will usually come along to help you out if you just ask. Arne.

 

[Rocky]

Cajun, it looks to me like the last bottle contains more sediment and other solids from the fruit. When it settles ouit, the color should lighten some. In any case, once it clears, you can blend it all together. I would replace the napkin with a baloon with one small pin hole in it. As far as back sweetening is concerned, do not do so until all fermentation has stopped and the wine has been stabilized with potassium metabisulfite (a scant 1/8 t for your batch) and potassium sorbate (1/4 t per gallon).

 

[roadwarriorsvt]

I just had the same thing happen to me. It was actually just the gallon jug has a slightly different tinted glass than the other bottle you're using. False alarm! Haha! The balloon suggestion is a good one. If you don't have a balloon handy, pulle a latex glove (choose a finger) over the bottle. Same concept.

 

[Duster]

is the smaller bottle under airlock?
am I wrong in thinking it could be oxidation?

 

[juventude]

is the smaller bottle under airlock?
am I wrong in thinking it could be oxidation?

Imo, it could be, but if the batch is recently made could be that co2 is still being produced in large quantities and the wine is still safe, ... Is the color that bugs me, my strawberry wine , lets say it like this, it had a wonderful red color when i racked it in my 5 gal carboy a month ago... I just hope that i will find it still intact now

 

[thecajunone]

Thanks for the help guys. Interestingly enough Arne, I added a campden pellet crushed to that bottle, waited and the colors reversed! Now my gallon carboys are pinker in color and the bottle has turned peachy color. I'm like WTF?

Besides clarifiers, is there another way to clear the wine...in regards to the left over sediments, can I just pour the wine through a coffee filter?

 

[juventude]

Thanks for the help guys. Interestingly enough Arne, I added a campden pellet crushed to that bottle, waited and the colors reversed! Now my gallon carboys are pinker in color and the bottle has turned peachy color. I'm like WTF?

Besides clarifiers, is there another way to clear the wine...in regards to the left over sediments, can I just pour the wine through a coffee filter?

IMO in filtering some of the flavours will got lost in the process, the best way i found for the wine to clear out is the time and patience method

 

[Deezil]

Since you're only dealing with single-gallon-sized bottles, you could consider something like a Vacuvin for degassing, which will help get the co2 out of the way allowing the sediment to fall to the bottom faster.... Helps with clearing & getting closer to seeing the true color of the wine you've made because as you've noticed, the size of the vessel / amount of sediment in the wine / amount of so2 in the wine, all change things a bit

 

[dangerdave]

Ugh! Why does everyone want to make strawberry?

Out of the forty (or so) batches of wine I have made, the two batches of strawberry were the most problematic. Like some of you have noted, the sediments were hard to handle efficiently. One batch came out like strawberry jet fuels, and the other turned into pink champaign and blew the corks!

 

[dralarms]

Ugh! Why does everyone want to make strawberry?

Out of the forty (or so) batches of wine I have made, the two batches of strawberry were the most problematic. Like some of you have noted, the sediments were hard to handle efficiently. One batch came out like strawberry jet fuels, and the other turned into pink champaign and blew the corks!

I've made 4 strawberry wines this year.

1 was a "juice" wine from an online source. It was stout. Good flavor though
2 was from sweet charlies. It is real good.
3 is made from chandlers. The best so far
4 is also from sweet charlies, its not been in the bottle long enough to judge.