"Family Red" Question - Not Recipe Related

[tyfattori]

How long can you age "Family Red" for? Does it go bad? I'm new to wine making and this will be the first batch I'm going to be making off of Jack Kellers website..

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/request172.asp

 

[Julie]

Why do you think it will go bad? What is the recipe?

 

[tyfattori]

Why do you think it will go bad? What is the recipe?

I read somewhere about a family red recipe that went bad and turned into vinegar?? Not sure what they did, I just want to make sure that when I make this I can age it for however long I want without worrying about anything going bad. I'm new to winemaking so sorry for the newbie questions.

I'm also trying to figure out if when I crush the grapes do I add the must (juice, skins, seeds and stems) all to the primary or do I have to press it after I crush it and just add the juice. Or if I add the must with the juice, skins, seed and stems and then eventually siphon it out into the secondary from the primary.

Here is the recipe...

• 
  
  • 70 pounds of any black wine grape
  • 4 tsp pectic enzyme
  • 1/2 to 3/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite
  • 3 tsp yeast nutrient
  
  
  • 1 pkt red wine yeast

Wash and crush grapes, then move then into primary. Adjust acidity to 6.5 grams per liter and sweeten if necessary to bring specific gravity to 1.088 if necessary. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon potassium metabisulfite on grapes and stir in well. Cover primary and let sit 12 hours. Sprinkle pectic enzyme on grapes and stir in well. Recover primary and let sit another 12 hours. Add yeast nutrient, stir well, and add activated yeast. Cover the primary again and set aside. Punch down the cap daily, stirring juice as you do so. When vigorous fermentation subsides and specific gravity is below 1.020, press and transfer juice to secondary. Fit airlock and ferment to dryness. Rack, adding 1/4 teaspoon potassium metabisulfite stirred in well. Top up and refit airlock. After wine clears, wait 30-45 days and then rack again, top up and refit airlock. Wait additional three months, stabilize, sweeten to taste, wait ten days, and rack into bottles. Age three months before tasting. May require additional aging.

 

[tyfattori]

Sorry after I read it more I guess I had a few more questions than I thought lol

 

[Ajmassa]

Add all the juice and grapes together. The “cap” is all the skins floating at the top during fermentation.
After you press is when the juice will separate.
There is no 1 way to make this wine tho. “Family Red” as ive referenced it here (the D word has been controversial here in the past I’ve come to learn) is all encompassing. It’s any red grape fermented to make table wine. There is no wrong way to make it!

 

[tyfattori]

Add all the juice and grapes together. The “cap” is all the skins floating at the top during fermentation.
After you press is when the juice will separate.
There is no 1 way to make this wine tho. “Family Red” as ive referenced it here (the D word has been controversial here in the past I’ve come to learn) is all encompassing. It’s any red grape fermented to make table wine. There is no wrong way to make it!

First sorry for using the D word, I'm Italian myself and I don't mean to offend anybody. I'll refrain from using it in the future and refer it from now on as "Family Red". Thank you for your response and answering my question I really appreciate it.

 

[Julie]

As long as you add potassium metabisulfite every 3 months while it is in the carboy it won't go bad.

 

[Ajmassa]

Just what I was told when i used the word before. I never thought of it as offensive either and neither did my family.
I’d like to suggest a few alterations to the recipe.
1. No need to wash the grapes. It just waters them down.
2. wait at least 8 HRs after adding sulphites before adding enzymes is important.
3. They tell you to adjust acidity but no acid included in items needed. If you test your TA and want to adjust make sure to use tartaric acid.
4. Sugar or simple syrup to bump up the SG. Add a little at a time checking with hydrometer. But Don’t go over 1.100
5. Punch the cap multiple x daily- morning noon and night if you can’t.
6. Add an extra racking a couple days after 1st transfer into glass. It will be clear why. Lots of sediments will drop out at that point.

 

[tyfattori]

As long as you add potassium metabisulfite every 3 months while it is in the carboy it won't go bad.

Sounds good thank you! And when I bottle it I'm assuming like any other wine I can age it for as long as I'd like without adding anything more to it?

 

[tyfattori]

Just what I was told when i used the word before. I never thought of it as offensive either and neither did my family.
I’d like to suggest a few alterations to the recipe.
1. No need to wash the grapes. It just waters them down.
2. wait at least 8 HRs after adding sulphites before adding enzymes is important.
3. They tell you to adjust acidity but no acid included in items needed. If you test your TA and want to adjust make sure to use tartaric acid.
4. Sugar or simple syrup to bump up the SG. Add a little at a time checking with hydrometer. But Don’t go over 1.100
5. Punch the cap multiple x daily- morning noon and night if you can’t.
6. Add an extra racking a couple days after 1st transfer into glass. It will be clear why. Lots of sediments will drop out at that point.

Noted, I added your modifications to the word document I saved the recipe in! I will definitely do what you suggested.

 

[Ajmassa]

Just suggestions. Remember there’s no definitive “right way”. And even with the best laid plans something will throw you a curveball leave you scratching your head. That’s when this forum can really help.
This is my bible. If unsure about anything this Manual is detailed and also explains the reasons behind the steps.
http://morewinemaking.com/public/pdf/wredw.pdf

 

[Julie]

Sounds good thank you! And when I bottle it I'm assuming like any other wine I can age it for as long as I'd like without adding anything more to it?

That is correct.

And to let you know, we had one person who complained about the "word" and we had to blank it out, lol, but since we have gone to a new website that doesn't seem to be on the naughty list anymore!!! And that person who complained has stopped visiting the quite awhile ago.

 

[ibglowin]

Lets still not use it. I have updated the thread and edited it.

 

[Stressbaby]

That Keller recipe is basically "abbreviated generic red wine recipe without MLF." TBH you're probably better off just following the morewinemaking pdf posted by @Ajmassa5983.

 

[Ajmassa]

That Keller recipe is basically "abbreviated generic red wine recipe without MLF." TBH you're probably better off just following the morewinemaking pdf posted by @Ajmassa5983.

Agreed. But it all depends on what you wanna get out of it. I figure the whole point of the “family red” is to make some homemade wine without stressing over too much. It has a simplicity that is appealing to someone new to winemaking.
It won’t make the best homemade wine you’ve ever tasted. But it will make wine. Jumping right into acid adjustments and MLF requires a fair share of research. That can add to the fun for some or take the fun out of it for others.