Astringent Plum Wine

[dbeck]

I made plum wine a couple of months ago. Its been aging in a carboy. The recipe called for adding acid blend and stupid me followed the recipe and didn't check the acid level before adding the acid blend. This was my first attempt at making wine and I've learned a lot since then.

Anyway,we were racking wines yesterday and I tasted the plum wine (hasn't been back-sweetened) and it was so severely astringent it made my tongue pucker. Is that normal for a plum wine that hasn't aged long? Will that astringency get better with age? Its not a matter of adding sugar. Its just plain really nasty right now.

Thanks!

 

[dralarms]

Plum will do that, mine did. But 8 months in the bottle tamed it. Not sure why it does but this year's batch did the very same thing.

 

[Stressbaby]

I had a 3 gal batch of wild plum wine that was perfectly clear and pink but so bitter that it was undrinkable. The acid was fine, it was just bitter. After 18 months I gave up and dumped it. Then a year later I found a bottle I had stashed in the fridge. You guessed it...it was a delicious dry rosé wine. Lesson learned.

 

[salcoco]

the astringency is possible excessive tannins. try some gelatin fining on a small batch and see if it improves it. other wise long term aging.

 

[dbeck]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'll wait it out and see if time improves it.

If you age in carboys, do you have to check the free SO2 level every few months and add metabisulfite every so often?

 

[dralarms]

I add 1/8 tsp every other racking.

 

[fivebk]

My plum wine tasted awful and was barely drinkable after 1year, but after 2years it was great! This wine was still great at the 5year Mark. Don't ask me why, but it aged very slowly.......it took a long time to come around, but it lasted a long time too! Don't give up on a wine too early!!!!!

BOB

 

[dbeck]

I add 1/8 tsp every other racking.

I think we're done with racking. We've racked about 4 times. I was thinking I'd let it age in the carboys, then right before bottling I'd make adjustments to the wine. Back-sweeten, etc. Since I'm not planning on racking (but if I should continue racking please let me know) I was wondering if I ought to be checking the SO2 levels as it ages?

 

[dbeck]

My plum wine tasted awful and was barely drinkable after 1year, but after 2years it was great! This wine was still great at the 5year Mark. Don't ask me why, but it aged very slowly.......it took a long time to come around, but it lasted a long time too! Don't give up on a wine too early!!!!!

BOB

Hi Bob,

That's good to know. I was worried I had messed up bad on the wine but it sounds about normal for plum!

 

[barbiek]

Some wine just takes its time to come around! I just leave it in the carboy and let it chill in the basement and treat with kmeta every 3 months and do my taste test before that.

 

[vernsgal]

Thanks everyone for your inputs.I have a plum that I've been aging since last Oct.and it still brings the pucker.I just racked and k-meta'd last month hoping to bottle soon but I think I'll just leave it sit a few months...