First Brew

Alright just as a disclaimer, I understand some of my practices were incorrect and just generally wrong.

I decided to make lemon wine following this recipe, Here. I also decided to use Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast which had been opened for a few years not refrigerated. (I understand this was my first mistake. I am trying to save my batch all the while understand what I can do to optimally make this recipe again.)

Long story short, I started fermenting and left it sit for a month due to forgetting about it. Filtered out the raisins via a cheesecloth and proceeded to filter 4 more times. Each time I was getting a decent brown material. As of now its still a cloudy brownish yellow. I decided to separate my batch into two test groups. The first group was tested with a hydrometer(after fermentation) and I got 0.990 on the hydrometer. The first group was put to a taste test, initially the taste test came back as sour/bitter. After some testing I determined that a 2:1 ratio (wine to sugar-water) produced a sweet lemony flavor. At this point the drink is somewhat tolerable to drink. Is there anyway to improve this test group beyond what adding sugar? After adding the sugar, should I also remeasure with the hydrometer to get the ABV?

Test group 2 was stuck in the freezer to separate the water/alcohol. After getting 150ml of alcohol, I decided to do the 2:1 ratio with sugar and it generally tastes nasty. It does not have a sweet flavor at all. The alcohol is definitely more potent. How can I improve test group 2? Since I concentrated the alcohol, should I concentrate the sugar to match?

Believe it or not, what you did with test group #2 is not legal to do in the US. As such, we are not allowed to discuss it on this forum at all. That is the last thing I will ever say about test group #2.

I do not have any suggestions for improving the flavor of test group #1. I hope others may have some ideas for you. I can tell you a little about your ABV question.

Measuring it now with a hydrometer will not really help. Did you take a hydrometer reading before starting the fermentation? If you did, you can determine the ABV of test group #1 before you diluted it. The formula is (starting_SG - final_SG)*131.
Then you diluted with a 2:1 ratio. Thus, you would take the result from above and multiply by 2/3. For example, if your starting SG was 1.090, your pre-dilution ABV would be (1.090 - 0.990)*131=13.1%. After you diluted it, it would be 13.1%*2/3 = 8.7%.

Oh, and I forgot to say, welcome to the forum!!

sour_grapes said:

Believe it or not, what you did with test group #2 is not legal to do in the US. As such, we are not allowed to discuss it on this forum at all. That is the last thing I will ever say about test group #2.

I do not have any suggestions for improving the flavor of test group #1. I hope others may have some ideas for you. I can tell you a little about your ABV question.

Measuring it now with a hydrometer will not really help. Did you take a hydrometer reading before starting the fermentation? If you did, you can determine the ABV of test group #1 before you diluted it. The formula is (starting_SG - final_SG)*131.
Then you diluted with a 2:1 ratio. Thus, you would take the result from above and multiply by 2/3. For example, if your starting SG was 1.090, your pre-dilution ABV would be (1.090 - 0.990)*131=13.1%. After you diluted it, it would be 13.1%*2/3 = 8.7%.

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Tried not to dabble in on it on this forum but I had to explain I did the method. Quick question: Its still illegal when in my state you can own a distill for making moonshine? If so that makes for some weird laws but things happen. Edit: Just fyi, No i do not want to distill anything, I just wanted to figure out a way to save my batch and get the best flavor. As such I have done more digging and you appear to be correct; It appears the wording for my states law allowed you to distill but it was later amended. Will proceed to research some more. Sorry for bringing it up before.

As with test group 1, I did not measure it before fermentation. I did get 0.990 "Final SG" before adding sugar. I was thinking about using egg whites for clearing my wine.

ttyler333 said:

Tried not to dabble in on it on this forum but I had to explain I did the method. Quick question: Its still illegal when in my state you can own a distill for making moonshine? If so that makes for some weird laws but things happen. Edit: Just fyi, No i do not want to distill anything, I just wanted to figure out a way to save my batch and get the best flavor. As such I have done more digging and you appear to be correct; It appears the wording for my states law allowed you to distill but it was later amended. Will proceed to research some more. Sorry for bringing it up before.

As with test group 1, I did not measure it before fermentation. I did get 0.990 "Final SG" before adding sugar. I was thinking about using egg whites for clearing my wine.

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I do not know of any state (in the US) that allows you to own a still without the proper licensing. What state do you live in??

Guys, he did not say he used a still. He simply said he put it in the freezer. I do not know of any U.S. laws forbidding putting wine in a freezer. There are, however, laws against using a still to separate ethanol, methanol, and water. A freezer is not a still.

brottman said:

Guys, he did not say he used a still. He simply said he put it in the freezer. I do not know of any U.S. laws forbidding putting wine in a freezer. There are, however, laws against using a still to separate ethanol, methanol, and water. A freezer is not a still.

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Hate to break it to you, but this is not the case. This is why I said "Believe it or not." The TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau) classifies ANY process that concentrates the alcohol content as "distillation." And, it goes without saying, they prohibit non-licensed parties from doing that.

See a discussion here:

wine and cider may not be frozen for the express purpose of increasing the alcohol content. TTB has previously held that freezing a mixture of alcohol and aqueous fermented material, like wine, causes some water to freeze and separate from the alcohol mixture. The resultant mixture has higher alcohol content than the original and is called a “high alcohol content wine fraction” and any person who separates alcoholic spirits from any fermented substance is known as a distiller. Because Federal law requires a permit to operate as a distiller and prohibits the operation of a distillery in a residence, in order to freeze wine or cider you will have to file an application with TTB and follow our regulations regarding the manufacturing processes approved for making distilled spirits.

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(I am sorry that I cannot cite you the precise TTB ruling. I looked for it, but cannot find it.)

Fair enough

brottman said:

Fair enough

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Hmmmm, if you do carry this process out, and someone drops a dime on you, and the Revenooers bust down your door, with guns drawn, what command will they bark at you? They can't, for example, yell "FREEZE!"

Pun

Now that was funny too me!

Hi ttyler333, and welcome. Even if you did not take an hydrometer reading before you added (pitched) the yeast a good rule of thumb is that 1 lb of sugar dissolved to make 1 US gallon will give you a gravity reading of 1.040. 1.25Kg is equivalent to 2.75 lbs of sugar and that would give you a reading of 1.110 - assuming that your volume was 1 gallon. A reading of 1.110 means that potentially you are making a wine that will be more than 14% alcohol by volume (ABV).
If you are adding sugar with the intention of making the wine sweeter then unless you have removed or killed any active yeast cells those cells will continue to ferment the sugar so you won't get any sweetness you will get an increase in alcohol - an increase that is until the yeast die of alcohol poisoning. Fourteen percent alcohol for a lemon wine would seem to me to be a little excessive in that lemons (in my opinion) are a one note song (they don't have a great deal of complexity when it comes to flavor) but to each their own.
Hope this helps.