Martin1986
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- Nov 9, 2018
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Ok, I've done my research, sat many a night reading, got my 1st Apple wines and elderberry wines going. I have 3 1st ferment going well and 1 clearing that seems to taste ok but I've realised I'm still not 100% why my recipes ask for
1. So much sugar (I will explain more in a moment)
2. 2 stages of adding sugar (ditto)
So, I have a recipe which says 2kg apples, 1.3kg sugar. In the recipe it instructs 2kg apples chopped up, adding 1 litre of near boiler water. Then pectolase 1 hour, no dramas yet....
Now 400g sugar and your yeast/nutrient. Leave wort to ferment a week. Then add another litre of water and remaining sugar (so in this case 900g).
1st attempt worked, finishing wine was sweet but I then on second attempt bought a hydrometre and tried to be more scientific. If following same recipes but now for elderberry (same approach but this one 800g sugar) the hydrometre was off the scale bobbing super high out surface.
So my question (sorry took so long!) 1. Why is this recipe asking for such off scale amount or am I missing something?
2. If I do it in two stages how on earth can I calculat starting and finishing gravity as I'm changing it halfway through? I appreciate this is to allow yeast to ferment without too much sugar stalling it but how do I calculate % and 'correct amount' of sugar??
3. Last note, I did the 400g and it read 70points on my scale which on my hydrometre is around 12% so surely it doesn't need the extra 400g of sugar? Again I did 2nd batch Apple today added 500g and measured at 17% around 106 which again on my hydrometre says too high to start fermentation.
Sorry I'm such a beginner but really enjoying educating myself and trying but I figured I'd join your wonderful community and beg for clarification and assistance! Please help!
1. So much sugar (I will explain more in a moment)
2. 2 stages of adding sugar (ditto)
So, I have a recipe which says 2kg apples, 1.3kg sugar. In the recipe it instructs 2kg apples chopped up, adding 1 litre of near boiler water. Then pectolase 1 hour, no dramas yet....
Now 400g sugar and your yeast/nutrient. Leave wort to ferment a week. Then add another litre of water and remaining sugar (so in this case 900g).
1st attempt worked, finishing wine was sweet but I then on second attempt bought a hydrometre and tried to be more scientific. If following same recipes but now for elderberry (same approach but this one 800g sugar) the hydrometre was off the scale bobbing super high out surface.
So my question (sorry took so long!) 1. Why is this recipe asking for such off scale amount or am I missing something?
2. If I do it in two stages how on earth can I calculat starting and finishing gravity as I'm changing it halfway through? I appreciate this is to allow yeast to ferment without too much sugar stalling it but how do I calculate % and 'correct amount' of sugar??
3. Last note, I did the 400g and it read 70points on my scale which on my hydrometre is around 12% so surely it doesn't need the extra 400g of sugar? Again I did 2nd batch Apple today added 500g and measured at 17% around 106 which again on my hydrometre says too high to start fermentation.
Sorry I'm such a beginner but really enjoying educating myself and trying but I figured I'd join your wonderful community and beg for clarification and assistance! Please help!