WineXpert help! watery wine

[mccollum_mac]

Ok, I'm a total newbie.
I started with a "winexpert, island mist" kit, for my first because it's fast and a fail safe right?
Well not really.
So when I was on my 3rd step of adding all the rest of the ingredients and clearing additives I noticed it was at a very low level and so wanting to do the right way and have no head space, I added a bottle of white wine and like a half gallon of water, (I now know this was what did it.)
So now my wine is clear and ready to bottle but it tastes like water and only a hint of the pear/apricot.
When I test it, if I'm reading this right according to the chart it has a percent of 3.3 alcohol!
Is there any way to fix this?
Or is this my hard lesson?

 

[cmason1957]

You are probably reading the chart not quite right. Take your starting sg (I think the Island Mist kids are at about 1.050) subtract you ending sg, which was probably about 0.994. That's the number before you added the potassium metabisulphite and sorbate. Multiply by 133. That should give about 7.5% abv. I am guessing you are taking the current number, after you added the fpac, that doesn't matter, since alcoholic fermentation didn't happen in that part.

 

[mccollum_mac]

Well, I didn't test it before my first step. At my second step after adding the yeast it was 1.000.
It does say it should have started at 1.048-1.052.
Now that I'm all done clear and ready to bottle, it tests at 1.025.
During all the steps it smelt like wine with a tiny yeasty smell, I felt good. Now I know it's cause I added that water to top off.
At this point I don't care where it tests at with alcohol percent, I can taste it and its like water. I want to know if I can fix this or do I have a $65 dollar topper for the next batch.

 

[cmason1957]

Well, there are two problems, first the ABV you say you have. You are calculating it incorrectly. The current sg doesn't matter, since you added an extra amount of sugar to it, that stuff you added, after fermentation was done and you added the potassium sorbate is mostly sugar, BUT it doesn't affect the ABV (well not much anyway). Your abv is probably something around 7%.

Second, that addition of water. A half gallon is a bunch, what can you do about it to help body and taste, maybe make another batch of the same, but only make it to 5 gallons and mix the two after the second is cleared and stabilized. Maybe nothing, use it for top up, but it will water down whatever you top up with it. I am not sure what I would do, but learn the lesson and move on. Part of the problem is the Island Mist kits are more like a wine cooler than a wine, they don't have much in the way of body as is. I am not sure what I would do.

 

[thruhike00]

A half gallon is a bunch, what can you do about it to help body and taste, maybe make another batch of the same, but only make it to 5 gallons and mix the two after the second is cleared and stabilized.

Do This Above. I have done this twice in the past. Once when I was a newbie and once when I made a kit late at night after several bottles of wine. The first batch we drank the "water to wine" as we called it.

Second kit, I filled the primary with too much water and knew I had screwed up when I went to stir it in the morning. Made a second batch of same kit of 5gal right away and mixed the two together. It turned out not watered down at all and a good wine.

Other option is to make sangria out of it and add a little rum or triple sec and nobody will be the wiser. Do this and you have a great excuse to have a party.

And top all carboys with wine and not water in the future.

 

[mccollum_mac]

If I turned it into sangria, could I mix it and then still bottle it normal like wine or do I have to process it a different way.

 

[thruhike00]

If I turned it into sangria, could I mix it and then still bottle it normal like wine or do I have to process it a different way.

Bottle like normal wine and put a sangria sticker on it. If its super watery I would add just a touch of rum to boost the alcohol and finish with some soda water with the fruit. Try and mix it and test yourself before you serve at a party to know how much mix you need.