Concord from grapes

[Turock]

If you are using calcium carbonate for the acid adjustment pre-ferment, you don't need to cold stabilize---the tartaric crystals will drop out at room temp. It's interesting to note that calcium carb works the best on chilled must.

It is the use of potassium carb post ferment where you have to cold stabilize.

 

[Turock]

You can rack it to the carboy even if the SG is 1.000 as long as you don't have a lot of activity in the primary. If it still seems pretty active, it's best to wait a day or two or all the CO2 will blow the airlock off the secondary. But if the ferment seems very quiet, it might be good to get it under airlock because once you lose the positive pressure of the CO2, your next concern is oxidation.

 

[reefman]

My SpG was 1.002 last night, so I suspect I'll be racking to secondary by the weekend.

I'm going to look for a sulfite test kit this week. I over sulfited a batch of Niagara last year at bottling, and I'll be giving away some of this concord, so I don't want a repeat performance.

 

[Turock]

Testing is always the way to go. Accurate SO2 testing is somewhat expensive but if you are going to stay with this hobby, it's money well spent. The titration method is inexpensive, but be aware that the error range is 20PPM.

 

[reefman]

Stopping by the HBS tonight. All they have in stock is a Titration kit. Will have to live with it for now.
SpG was 0.990 last night. Cap sank to the bottom, and no visible fermenting at all Will rack tonight, then out it on the shelf for a few months.

 

[reefman]

ok, racked to carboy, and on the shelf. Only got about 3-1/2 gallons, and still lots of sediment in there. Squeezed as much juice as possible from the bag. I need to buy a press if I do this again. Squeezing is not efficient.
Will add stabilizer this weekend, and let it age a few months to clear.

 

[fabrictodyefor]

Thanks for your continued posts, reefman. My concords are still frozen, I'm waiting on a Titration Kit...I'm out in the middle of almost no where with wine making shop at least 100 miles away, so I have to order everything in. I can't really afford a PH tester right now, so opted for the kit. I'll be coming back to this post when I get ready to start mine! Keep the info coming!

 

[Turock]

reefman---by stabilizer, are you talking sorbate???? DO NOT sorbate a cloudy wine. Use sorbate only if you backsweeten and do it right before bottling.

 

[reefman]

Sorry for the late response, but no, I did not add the sorbate. I will wait till clear and when ready to back sweeten.

 

[Turock]

We allow our concord to bulk age for 1 to 1 1/2 years. The flavor is much better at that time. We do a lot of things with our concord. We make a vanilla concord, anise concord, concord burgundy, oaked elderberry concord, and a 50/50 blend of concord and Niagara. We also do a blend with oaked concord,elderberry, and blackberry that is really good. A very versatile wine.

 

[reefman]

Niagara and Concord are two of my wife's favorites. I'll have to do some blending with these, and try some of those flavor additions.

 

[Turock]

Then be sure to try the 50/50 blend of the two---since we started blending them, our friends ask for this one ALOT.

I really,really like Niagara too. We do a blend with this that you might want to try. Especially if you like the flavor of lime. We add 2 cans of limeaide--concentrate from the grocery store--to 5 gallons of Niagara. The wine will be dirty (cloudy) after the limeaide addition. Just ignore it--don't strain the pieces out because that knocks down the lime flavor. After you bottle it--and just before you pull the cork--shake it up to get the lime pieces in suspension and then pour. This is one of our all-time favorites with many of our friends. Especially sitting on the deck in the summer!!!

We make our own vanilla extract--so much better than what you buy in the stores.