WineXpert Green Apple Riesling

[vcasey]

Tiffany what kind of meads has your husband started?
VPC

 

[Tiffany]

One is just a simple spiced honey mead, one is the Joe's Ancient Orange Mead and The other is a grape cyser.

 

[Tiffany]

Very awesome Wade. I really don't ever want my husband to see that.

He is already talking about plumbing the basement for a sink and closing in some rooms. Seriously, it is a very nice place you have.

 

[Wade E]

Thanks, I dont have sinks down there but that sure would make life much easier, someday Ill get a big tub sink down there when i move the laundry room upstairs.

 

[grapeman]

good morning Tiffany and welcome.

13 cups of sugar is approximately 5 pounds, so about 2.6 cups makes a pound of sugar. So you used about 3 pounds of sugar in your recipe

I will give one note of caution here. Sugar is derived from several sources here in the USand can come in several forms, refinements snd granual size. To be totally accurate then be sure to weigh out your sugar additions. If you want take one of your graduated measures such as a cup or quart measuring cup and weigh how much it holds. Then you can convert your required amount to that measure.


Gaudet's statement about a cup of sugar being 2.6 cups per pound is correct for his instance, but may vary considerably with yours. Around here ther is 2.25 cups per pound so the 7.5 cups is closer to 4 pounds than three.

 

[gaudet]

So far I exclusively use table sugar for my additions, except when making a mead. I have a recipe that I use for making pepper jelly that calls for 13 cups of sugar. When measuring out 13 cups its an entire 5 pound bag of sugar. Thats where I got the 2.6 cups/pound

 

[grapeman]

What I was trying to say gaudet is that everybody should check it at least once for the type of sugar common to your area - which you have done. I had somebody recently question this so I figured I would respond to where they questioned it- your post! You are right. I am right. John Doe is right. Like I said, just weigh your type of sugar and go from there.

 

[gaudet]

No problems mate.....

I appreciate your guidance

 

[WhineMaker]

Moved onto the next step.. Sorbate, K-Meta, F-Pack, and clarifier all added to carboy.. SG was 0.992, and after the addition of my F-Pack I was at 1.008.. Wondering if I should add simple syrup to up the sweetness since my secondary ferment ended up so low.. According to directions, the target should be 1.010-1.018..Wine had alot of gas in it, much more than my MM VN Cab kit.. I was still pulling some out this morning with my winesaver..

 

[Wade E]

Only add sugar if you feel that it is not sweet enough for your taste and not because the instructions say it should be in a certain range.

 

[WhineMaker]

Only add sugar if you feel that it is not sweet enough for your taste and not because the instructions say it should be in a certain range.

So if I decide it needs to be sweeter when the time comes for bottling(2 weeks), can I just add some simple syrup at that time??? Will the sorbate already in the wine prevent further fermentation or should I add more..


Or should I taste it now and decide... I just don't want to stir something in right now as the wine has cleared substantially already.. I plan on transferring to a bottling bucket on the day I bottle...


Thankyou!

 

[Wade E]

You could add it later but make it a few weeks before bottling t make sure it doesnt start fermenting again and also to make sure it doesnt cloud up your wine again. The sorbate you already have in there is enough.

 

[WhineMaker]

After a week of clearing this wine is crystal clear! Took a sample over the weekend and we loved it.. Just right on sweetness, and did not detect a jet fuel type taste... Going to bottle this weekend and get another kit coming, probably the Cabernet.. Thankyou for the tip on the quick twist to get the lees off the sides!! Worked perfect..

 

[Waldo]

whacha talkin bout, quick twist to get her knee off your shide??

I bedder have anuder glash of dat whine, sheems like the drunker I sit here thuh longer i get

 

[Runningwolf]

Ok, I did not want to start a new thread and repeat everything here, but I have a question on tweaking. I have added five pounds of sugar to the last six or so Island Mist kits I have made. The results have been good. I must admit though that some are rather sweet. I am getting ready to do a white cranberry next. I am going to take the advice of using half the f-pack in the primary and the other half during step three. My question is, should I be reducing the amount of sugar I use with the addition of half the f-pack?

 

[Wade E]

Yes, add 1/2 the pack and about 2 1/2 lbs of sugar and check the sg to see if its where you want.

 

[Bert]

I would shoot for a starting SG of about 1.080....This will perk it up a bit without getting to much alcohol making it too hot and needing some age time on it...

 

[Wade E]

Always add sugar in increments so as not to over shoot a desired sg. Berts advise on sg is great and I personally would not go above 1.090. as itwuld most likely throw this flavor way out of balance.

 

[Runningwolf]

Thanks Wade and Bert, I knew I could count on you guys. This entire forum ROCKS!!

 

[WhineMaker]

Bottled this last night and all I can say is wow!! This is one tasty wine.. Glad I did not sweeten it up anymore.. Bottled, the SG is 1.008, and the sweetness is perfect for our taste! I am working today, but am going to pick up some Tilapia on the way home, grill it on some cedar planks, and enjoy a nice glass (or 2) of this wine.. This is really good stuff!! Doing the new Pomegrante Zinfandel next...