HELP! Hydrometer h

[Quacker]

I am making a new batch of wine. I purchased a hydrometer so I can know how much sugar is appropriate, but I don't know what numbers I should aim for. I have read stuff and watched the tutorials, but I am clueless. I don't really care how strong it is, so long as it is dry and won't spoil. What number should I be aiming for starting with?

 

[Chuck E]

I am making a new batch of wine. I purchased a hydrometer so I can know how much sugar is appropriate, but I don't know what numbers I should aim for. I have read stuff and watched the tutorials, but I am clueless. I don't really care how strong it is, so long as it is dry and won't spoil. What number should I be aiming for starting with?

Difficult to answer without knowing what kind of wine you are making; but I think most people shoot for a starting S.G. of between 1.075 and 1.100

 

[sour_grapes]

First of all, what kind of wine?

Most wines will fall (broadly) from 10% to 18%. More realistically, 11.5% to 15%.

The low end of that should have a SG of about 1.082, and the high end would be 1.110.

 

[Quacker]

Thanks very much for your replies. I am using mango pulp (which has been used for a previous batch but still smells very fruity and good, and adding pineapple juice. The yeast is an all-purpose wine-making yeast which gives a vigorous (to me) yet long-lasting fermentation. I wish to make a dry wine which will probably need some aging due to the tannin from the pulp. (Please correct me if that doesn't make sense, as I know nothing.) I don't really care about alcohol content, but I suppose I should aim on the high side so it keeps better during the aging process.

Does that answer your question about what type of wine?

 

[Scooter68]

Pineapple will overwhelm the Mango flavor and after a previous fermentation I don't know how much tannin will be left. As to alcohol content, there's no need to go high to protect it during aging. If you have the correct acidity and you add K-meta at the correct time and amounts any alcohol level above about 10% will be fine. If you get above about 14% the alcohol burn will cover the flavor a lot and since you don't want a sweet wine you probably ought to keep the ABV below 12% so you can still enjoy the pineapple flavor.

 

[Quacker]

Hi Scooter, thanks very much for that helpful post. Unfortunately I'd already added a carton of pineapple before posting, but the next time I try a mango wine, I'll stick to all mango to ensure that I get a better mango flavour. I checked the acidity with a PH strip and it's perfect. I started the batch at 1.090 (if I read the hydrometer correctly) so I think it will be OK, albeit possibly with less mango flavour than I'd have hoped.

 

[Scooter68]

Hey I've made Pineapple-Mango wine twice now and while both times I hoped it would be Mango-Pinaapple it's still great stuff. Your potential ABV of 13.13% is still good. Even though you like a dry wine, consider just a touch of back-sweetening - with fruits it brings the flavor out a lot and it doesn't ahve to make it sweet. You can get a good result and keep the SG under 1.000. You might try a bench trial with a cup of the wine before bottling to see what you think.