Dryer Wines

[homebrew62]

I've brewed a couple of batches of wine, but they are turning out a little sweet for my taste...does anyone have tips on how to make homebrewed wine a little dryer??? I am partial to a pinot noir myself.

 

[Racer]

Welcome Homebrew! What kinds of wine have you made so far? kits,fruit, grape? Are you letting your wine ferment all the way and checking it with a hydrometer to make sure it is completly fermented?

 

[Chateau Joe]

You need to give us some more information.

Was this wine from a kit?
What was your starting and finishing S.G.?
What yeast were you using?

 

[homebrew62]

so far, i've got a strawberry and an apple wine. they were both made with fresh squeezed fruits (no kits). started the strawberry mead with about 35 lbs of berries and maybe 10 lbs of honey, i don't have the specific ingredients in front of me, but the apple had about 4 gallons of apple juice and 8 lbs of sugar. Does letting it ferment longer make it dryer, or by using less sugar? i don't want too much alcohol. The strawberry was about 12% and the apple was about 14%

 

[bein_bein]

... Does letting it ferment longer make it dryer, or by using less sugar? i don't want too much alcohol. The strawberry was about 12% and the apple was about 14%

Well, the longer it ferments the dryer it will be, but that will also increase your ABV. That why it's important to know what your SG readings are before you begin fermentation. That way you can approximate what your final ABV will be when done. I think most folks will let their wines fully ferment to dry then back sweeten to their specific taste before bottling..

 

[Wade E]

You need to start off with an sglow enough for the yeast strain you are using to be able to ferment it out. Most fruit wines work best with a starting sg of around 1.085 and almost every wine yeast out there can ferment that dry given the right temp and some added nutrient and or yeast energizer. You also need to ensure that you are not racking off too much viable yeast and leaving whats still fermenting in the carboy with a low yeast supply.