Anybody with Loquat wine experience ?

[FlamingoEmporium]

Fermentation was originally pushing the fruit up high in a 2 inch thick slab. 4 days now and it’s down to 3/4 inch in thickness. Punch down with squishing with the slotted spoon and fermentation has reduced the fruit to what will hopefully be some yummy liquid. SG slowly dropping - smells really nice. I do believe the ec-1118 will ferment raw chicken . hmmm fried chicken wine ?

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

Cleaned the trees off. Loquat Season over. Got enough for a gallon more, maybe even 2

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

And I got a good look at the color of my must. You know the color of fresh squeezed cider ? Yup full baby diaper brown !

 

[Scooter68]

Ok That's a couple of good reasons. I was lucky when I picked them from our daughters trees in Irvine CA so I didn't have a problem with browning and once I de-seeded them we froze them for our trip back to NW Arkansas.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

Pitched the yeast on my Loquat wine on 3/10. EC 1118
starting SG was 1.088. has been dropping very slowly.
3/12 1.064 3/14 1.060 3/15 1.044. 3/16 1.034
today it was 1.032.
does it appear to be OK ? Seven days in I was expecting it to be a little lower.
it appears to be working but not as rapid as initially.
what do you experts think ?
it tasted fruity, maybe a little sharp.

 

[winemaker81]

How much nutrient. I've realized in recent years how much difference that makes. Also, what is the room temperature?

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

How much nutrient. I've realized in recent years how much difference that makes. Also, what is the room temperature?

2 gallon batch so I used 1 tsp of nutrient.
this is Florida it’s been warm lately, it’s in the coolest room in the house. It might get down to 72 on cool nights and probably hangs around 77° during the day. I’ve been stirring 3 times a day. Is that too much ? The must kept pushing up and browning, so I tried to keep it turned over. Next batch of loquats I might use a bag.

the ferment has eaten up at least 1/2 of the fruit.

 

[winemaker81]

2 gallon batch so I used 1 tsp of nutrient.
this is Florida it’s been warm lately, it’s in the coolest room in the house. It might get down to 72 on cool nights and probably hangs around 77° during the day. I’ve been stirring 3 times a day. Is that too much ? The must kept pushing up and browning, so I tried to keep it turned over. Next batch of loquats I might use a bag.

I'd be tempted to add another 1/2 tsp nutrient.

5 degree temperature changes don't appear to affect larger batches, IME, but for a 2 gallon batch it might. If you can move the batch to keep the temperature more stable, it might help. [This is a guess on my part.]

Stirring 3 times per day is fine IMO.

If it's tasting sharp, pH may be low and that can affect it.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

Thanks Bryan. I’ll add another 1/2 tsp
no ph meter. I’ll start budgeting (beg the appropriations manager) or maybe buy some strips in the meantime.
should I try to add acid somehow ?

 

[winemaker81]

Thanks Bryan. I’ll add another 1/2 tsp
no ph meter. I’ll start budgeting (beg the appropriations manager) or maybe buy some strips in the meantime.
should I try to add acid somehow ?

If it's tasting sharp, the pH is low, meaning the TA is probably high, so you don't want to add acid. You may want to reduce acid, but that's tough during fermentation.

I'm a dinosaur that uses pH strips to roughly gauge pH, does not use a pH meter, and adjusts by taste.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

Down to 1.022 with tonight’s punch down. It’s actively working. I mashed the loquat earlier, and what was about 9 pounds of fruit is now a thin maybe 1/4 inch think layer. Lots of yeasty lees in the bottom. I stir carefully now to avoid stirring them up too much. It looks like it might be a nice color when it goes into secondary. I anticipate moving it the middle of next week if all keeps going as is.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

And now down to 1.015
going To be out of town Tuesday an Wednesday so I think I will rack to secondary maybe tomorrow To get it under airlock. Should be close to 1.010 or. Slightly lower by then.
the only question I have is based on @winemaker81 ’s thread on Sur Lie and Bâttonage and how much of the fine lees to put in secondary. I could do one gallon with and one without.

 

[winemaker81]

the only question I have is based on @winemaker81 ’s thread on Sue Lie and Bâttonage and how much of the fine lees to put in secondary. I could do one gallon with and one without.

I'm still figuring out the amount of fine lees for sur lie, but IMO this may be a different subject. If it was mine, I'd rack off the gross lees, and the racking would be a bit dirty. I'd not sweat sucking up a bit of sediment. Put the wine under airlock and check it next weekend.

My reasoning:

My mentors used the 1-3-3 rule -- 1 week for fermentation, 3 weeks for clearing, and 3 months for bulk aging. After pressing the wine sat for 3 weeks on the lees, which certainly contained fruit solids (gross lees).

Currently folks are doing EM -- wine gets to 1.010, then the fermenter is sealed and left for 1 to 8 weeks. If the gross lees was a real problem, why does this work???

Granted -- the wines we're discussing area typically red, and whites and light fruits are more sensitive. However, IME letting the wine complete fermentation over the next week will be fine.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

I'd rack off the gross lees, and the racking would be a bit dirty. I'd not sweat sucking up a bit of sediment.

well it’s racked into secondary. Dirty it is. Fine Strained as much of the pulp as I could. There is a lot of sediment (3 inches) in the bottom of the two one gallon carboys. 9 pounds of loquats turned into a lot of fine applesauce like pomace, and I assume some liquid. I started out with 2 full gallons of water, and I now have about 2 1/2 gallons in secondary. Should have plenty for topping off.

i will probably need a good bit of that, as I mentioned the lees are pretty deep. 3 inches or so right now. I’m sure it will settle some. Not really what I assume is gross lees, but wispy and light. Pictures will come eventually.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

Here’s what it looks like.
I will probably leave it be for 3 weeks then rack off the lees. It’s interesting, every now and then a small gas bubble will kick up a bit of the sediment like wispy clouds

 

[cmason1957]

Reminds me of when I have done pear or apple wine in the past, always lots of lees from those two. You might have to hit your wine with more pectic enzyme post fermentation to get it to clear. I read somewhere, but could never find again, add twice or three times as much once alcohol is present.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

I've never made pear wine but the texture of the loquats is extremely similar. It’s amazing how much they broke down into micro mush.
when should I try the pectin enzyme ? It’s only been in the carboys two days so far. I’ve got a small bottle of lees that i siphoned off cold crashing in the fridge. It’s about 50 % liquid 50% lees. It isn’t really any clearer than what’s in the carboys so I’m thinking I might have to eventually take steps to clear it.

that reminds me I’ve got to go update my notes.

 

[cmason1957]

You have plenty of time to wait. This is going to be a long term project, I would guess. Let it keep settling out, when you rack try not to get much of the lees, but don't worry if you get some. Once you add some Kmeta and let it sit and age for a bit will be the time to worry about clearing. I'm thinking two, three months down the road. My worst clearing pear took almost a full-year and triple pectic enzyme added twice to completely clear. My wife named the wine "Clearly Pear"

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

You have plenty of time to wait. This is going to be a long term project, I would guess. Let it keep settling out, when you rack try not to get much of the lees, but don't worry if you get some. Once you add some Kmeta and let it sit and age for a bit will be the time to worry about clearing. I'm thinking two, three months down the road. My worst clearing pear took almost a full-year and triple pectic enzyme added twice to completely clear. My wife named the wine "Clearly Pear"

Thanks. I’m prepared to wait on this one. I think it’s going to be good.
I’ve just got to empty some bottles now for when the time comes to bottle.

i have enough extra to top off with so I’ll be very careful when I rack to avoid lees, and then let the leftovers with the lees settle into my early drinker.

 

[winemaker81]

I agree with Craig, although I'd dose it with double-dose of pectic enzyme now, to get it started.

My guess is the lees is really find, so trying to strain the large chunks is a waste.