1st batch - probably need help...please

[djboocher]

Hello to all. Just bought a beginners kit and decided to give it a go. 12 cans of thawed frozen concentrate and 8lbs of diluted sugar into a 6 gallon bucket. Filled rest of the way with water. Initially reading on hydrometer was 1.240. Added yeast. Sealed bucket with air lock.

Is this right? Reading too high? If so, what can I do?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you greatly in advance.

 

[jimmyjames23]

1.2 anything is wayyyy to high.

What type of frozen concentrate is this?

 

[jimmyjames23]

You can add more water but I'd try diluting it with Welches unsweetened grape juice.
Your yeast will die around 12-18% alcohol leaving a residual sweetness.
What yeast did you use?

 

[djboocher]

Dumb dumb

I just figured out how to read the hydrometer...it is 1.024. Sorry.

I used Welch's grape frozen concentrate.
Is the reading still good? High/low?
Used fleischmann's active dry yeast.

Thank you for your help and time!

 

[Phador]

Your reading is too low. You need to add sugar and bring it up. A good rule of thumb is somewhere around 1.090 to yield a high enough alcohol content to keep your wine preserved if you plan on aging it for awhile. You can keep it lower to have less alcohol of course, but it may not keep as long. More experienced members will chime in, but you need to bring it up that's for sure.

 

[djboocher]

I'm an idiot.

I get worked up way to easily. I also need to learn how to read.

Once again, I apologize for late night/ first time jitters.

Double checked reading again because I am all over the place.

I promise - hydrometer is at 1.114.

 

[Phador]

well that reading should be ok, but did you use bread yeast? How long ago did you start, any drop in readings on your hydrometer? any visible signs of fermentation?

 

[1tonmama]

Fleischmann is a bread yeast. I use it all the time for baking.
You've already pitched the yeast so not much you can do about it now. You should use wine/champagne yeast in the future. Bread yeast can 1) have trouble fermenting and 2) add off flavour to your wine. But there have been people on this forum claiming to successfully have used bread yeast and claim to do so regularly.

Welcome to WMT.

 

[jimmyjames23]

You can still add wine yeast. The dominant yeast usually wins. Lalvin EC-1118 is a good one for Welches.

 

[djboocher]

Will do immediately. Thank you greatly for your help!