Corrective Actions: Raspberry Wine from VH Fruit Wine Base

[NoSnob]

For some time I have been wanting to make a raspberry wine from VH canned concentrate (fruit wine base) enhanced with fresh raspberries. Finally I found fresh Oregon raspberries at Costco for $2.49 for 12 oz. so I bought 10 pounds. (Yes, I know I should have bought 50 lbs at that price.)

I decided to make 3 gallons. I froze 8 lbs of the raspberries to add to the must and saved back 2 lbs for an F-pac. So I followed the VH can directions closely until I got to adding K-Meta to the must. Then my brain went into idle gear.

It said to add 5 tsp of K-Meta to 1 cup of water and use 1 tsp of that solution for each Campden tablet it called for. The 3 gal recipe called for 3 Campden tablets. But instead of adding 3 tsp of the SOLUTION, I added ALL THE SOLUTION WITH 5 TSP OF K-META IN IT. When writing up my detailed steps in my log I discovered my error. What was I thinking? I think my wine would have been very stinky and undrinkable.
Best I can tell, I over-sulfited my must by a factor of about 40!!

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I discarded all the must, kept the solids in the straining bag, bought another can of VH raspberry fruit wine base at the LHBS and added it and my remaining 2 lbs of raspberries in the straining bag. I added the water and also all the original additives (pectin enzyme, yeast nutrient and acid blend) EXCEPT the K-Meta -- I think it has plenty of that. Then I added another 7 lbs of sugar or so to bring SG up to 1.085 and covered it with damp fabric overnight. Tomorrow I pitch the yeast.

Think this correction will work out OK?

NS

 

[saramc]

NS,
You should be okay. If the yeast does not activate when added to must then you still have far too much SO2 on board. I would recommend making a good starter with your yeast and step feed the must to the starter, 1 cup every 15 minutes until you have at least 8 cups and then add the large starter to the primary container--you will find out quickly if you have a SO2 problem if the starter does not take off.

To confirm, for your 3 gallon batch you have 10# berries and a can of VH wine base (usually 96oz)?

Are you sure your starting gravity is only 1.085 with 7# or so of sugar, not counting the sugar from your fruit? Because my calculations indicate the 7# granulated sugar used to make a 3-gallon batch will provide a SG of 1.105 (2.26 cups/lb, x7lbs equals 15.82 cups total, divided by 3 gallons equals 5.27 cups sugar/gallon, and each cup contributes a SG of 0.020/ gallon, for total of 0.105. Added to 1.000 of water and you have 1.105 from added sugar).

 

[NoSnob]

Thanks Sara. I have not yet pitched the yeast and will step feed it now. Thanks for explaining how to do that.

Yes, my straining bag in the primary now has 10 lbs of raspberries (8 from the initial batch and 2 more added later) plus all the solids from the first can plus solids from the new 96 oz can. I could have started over from scratch but really hated to discard all those beautiful fresh raspberries! (And, they are no longer on sale at Costco.)

I will double check the SG reading. The VH recipe called for 7 lbs of sugar for the 3 gal and that is about what I added.

A reassessment of my over-sulfiting indicates that it was probably more like 15 times that required, not 40.

NS

 

[saramc]

NS,
All is fine though, you should have a great wine especially with the addition of more fruit. You may have taken your reading before the sugar was thoroughly dissolved.

 

[NoSnob]

I step fed the yeast over a 2 hr period. During that time I thought I smelled some sulfur from the container with the 8 cups of must. That was a bummer. I will be looking out for sulfurous fumes from the fermenter but none so far.

It has been less than 24 hrs and there are signs of beginning fermentation, though not exuberant. My wife, under close questioning (interrogation?), says that maybe she did not put the entire 7 lbs in there, which would account for SG of less than you would have predicted for 7 lbs. The SG of 1.085 was my target though. I will be very satisfied to have a good fermentation going.

Thanks again for your help. I'll give a status report in a few days if/when the SG really begins to drop.

NS

 

[saramc]

Raspberry can kick out sulphur, stir well twice daily. Report in if you get rotten egg funk, we will fix you right up.

 

[NoSnob]

Sarah,
It's been 4 days now and the SG is down to 1.034 from 1.085. The directions' target was 1.040 to remove straining bag & rack. I have removed the straining bag. I have stirred the must and punched down the solids once or twice daily. The sulfur smell is mostly gone. I wouldn't call it rotten egg funk, but some sulfur smell remains. Tomorrow I'll vacuum rack to glass. Maybe that will eliminate any residual odors.


NS

 

[saramc]

NS...sounds great!! If you have a piece of copper (tubing, flashing, kitchen scrubby, old copper pennies) just make sure it is clean/sanitized and splash rack over/on the copper. You can contain the copper in nylon hose-cheesecloth, etc. That will do the trick with any sulphur odor.

 

[NoSnob]

Good to know that these are available if I need to. I have also heard of stirring with a length of 1/2" hollow copper pipe. So far it looks like I will not have to take these measures.

Splash racked today with my allinone into a 3 gal carboy and a 1 gal jug. It continues both to throw off a lot of lees and to de-gas a lot. Sampled it for the first time -- quite yeasty but not at all tart, sharp, or harsh and just the right amount of sweetness. I was pleasantly surprised. Depending how dry it ferments to I may later need to back-sweeten a bit.

The VH instructions said to immediately top up the secondary. It seems premature to do that now but I will do it when it is stabilized. One thing for sure, it shouldn't need any more sulfites!

Thanks for taking time to walk me through this. I really thought my batch was gone.

NS

 

[MilesDavis]

NS...sounds great!! If you have a piece of copper (tubing, flashing, kitchen scrubby, old copper pennies) just make sure it is clean/sanitized and splash rack over/on the copper. You can contain the copper in nylon hose-cheesecloth, etc. That will do the trick with any sulphur odor.

So, do you leave the pennies in the secondary or take them out right away?