How about Sparkling Watermelon Merlot?

[jobe05]

Ever since I have been thinking about a sparkling wine, I have been collecting champaign bottles, but all I have collected are green ones...... No clear ones. So my wife and I are at the store the other day and I find a Brut, Freixenet, Ros'e type sparkling wine. It was excellent (in the hot tub), so we decided that this is what we want, soft, fruitful and an easy drinker. OH Yea........ it came in the clear bottle that I needed, so I now have one.

We were thinking of turning the Watermelon Merlot into a sparkling wine.

I have fermented the White Merlot, and tonight I racked it and just added the clearing agent, nothing else, just the clearing agent.

I'm thinking, when this clears, but it in a primary and add 1/2 to 2/3 of the F pack (which is rather large with this kit), add a packet of yeast and put in champaign bottles. Put the remainder of the f pack in the fridge.

After a few months, and I finish and disgorge the wine (now sparkling, Sweeten back with the remaining F Pack.

Question: When I add the remaining F Pack to help sweeten back, do I add the Sorbate and sulfite? Im thinking it would get added to the F Pack and added to each bottle.

Then Age for 6 months............. well....... OK.. 6 weeks.

Edited by: jobe05

 

[NorthernWinos]

DO NOT add any Sorbate...that will not let the yeast ferment.


I don't know anything about the F Packs and such...so can't comment on that. Others have made some Sparkling Wine kits...so they can help you with that question.


Most Sparkling Wine instructions say not to use a clearing agent....When I made the Pineapple/Rhubarb Wine I had used SuperKleer K-C to clarify the wine as I hadn't thought about Sparkling any of it at that point...That was my first failure with SuperKeer K-C...I then added some Isinglass and it cleared in hours....I had wondered if the wine would still Sparkle after all of that....It has awesome bubbles.....


As for making a sweeter Sparkling Wine...I hope you figure it out and share your experience as others have asked that question.

 

[Wade E]

Jobe, I havent tried this method but copied it from somewhere and will try it with both my crab apple and plum wine that has been bulk aging for about 6 months. I would add ascorbic acid in your wine to protect it from oxidising before sparkling. her is what I copied for a sweeter sparkling wine.



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This method is a bit
more troublesome, but yields a sweet, sparkling wine without sediment.</span>

Make a basic dry table
wine, 10 - 11.5% alcohol by volume, finished, clear and stable.</span>

Take two ounces of
sugar for each gallon of wine and make it into a syrup with a little water.
Thoroughly mix the wine and syrup. (DO NOT try adding more sugar to get more
sparkle!).</span>

Be sure of a good
second fermentation, add one packet of Champagne Yeast or good all-purpose wine
yeast to the mixture and 1/4 teaspoon per gallon (NO MORE) of yeast energizer.</span>

Siphon the sweetened
wine into <st1lace wt="on">Champagne</st1lace> bottles and cap with crown
caps. Store at 65º to 70ºF. Once a month pick up each bottle, turn upside down
and then put back upright. After three months all the sugar should be converted
to Carbon Dioxide and alcohol. Yeast deposited on the bottom will show you that
the sparkle is there. When you think the wine is ready, taste one bottle. Cool
it in the refrigerator, open it and see if the wine really sparkles. If so,
proceed as follows, ( by the way, this test is a delightful excuse for sampling
your wine early).</span>

Next, place your
bottles in a freezer and chill the wine to about 25ºF. This usually takes two
to three hours. You may see a little ice within the bottles when they are
ready. Now get an equal number of champagne bottles. Put into each of these
bottles one ounce standard sugar syrup and one tablet of wine stabilizer
(Crushed and dissolved potassium sorbate), and put these bottles into the
freezer along with the wine. The stabilizer is essential to inhibit the yeast
and prevent a third fermentation and possible explosions.</span>

When the wine is cold
enough, bring out one bottle of wine and one champagne bottle. Uncap the wine
and siphon it gently into the cold <st1lace wt="on">Champagne</st1lace>
bottle, taking care to leave the sediment behind. Since the wine is cold, it
will loose very little gas. Now insert the plastic stopper and wire it down.
Then invert the bottle several times to mix the syrup and wine.</span>

This wine will be very
palatable almost immediately after bottling. Note, that one ounce of syrup
gives brut (Slightly Sweet) wine. If you want a Sweet wine, use two ounces of
syrup per bottle, plus the wine stabilizer tablet.</span>

* Sugar Syrup 2 cups of
sugar per one quart water yields five cups of syrup.</span>

 

[jobe05]

So it's pretty much what I thought I would have to do, except to figure out how much Sugar per oz. is in it.................

2 oz of sugar in a gallon doesn't seem like a lot. What I could do is use sugar, as they recommend in 1 gallon of the wine, then take an SG reading.

Add the F-Pack in measured amounts to a gallon till I get the same SG reading, and that measured amount is what I will add the the remaining 4 gallons. Then sweeten back with the remaining F-pack, mixed with sorbate and sulfites to sweeten back and stabilize the final product...........

Edited by: jobe05

 

[Wade E]

Have you started this Watermelon kit yet, if not you use the F pack in primary to up the abv where it should be and then sweeten with the sugar syrup, this way you will have all the flavor and a good abv.

 

[jobe05]

I thought about that because I have already finished the White Merlot part. It will clear till next weekend, then I will do whatever needed to make sparkling wine.

I also added the needed 5 # of sugar to bump up the ABV also...........

Should be 11.5 % right now, but will know for sure by next weekend. A 12% +- ABV sparkling wine won't bother me though if thats what it turns out to be.

Although I won't add the whole F-Pack to this after words, because I don't want it that sweet, but I hope it doesn't lose the Watermelon flavor........ I don't think it will if I just use 2/3 the bag, I think it will be fine.

If I use the F pack to sweeten back, will that cloud the finished product?

Edited by: jobe05

 

[Wade E]

Both RJS and Winexpert say to add f-pack before clearing. Mosti's port had me add it after clearing. that being said, if its something that will fall out you should be fine as your going to riddle and degorge anyway, youll just need more to top up these bottles and we'll just have to hope that it dont stay cloudy I guess. I will be starting my sparkling wines as soon as it starts to warm up again. I should have done these last year butbetween getting my basement done for the cellar and wine room, i got lazy towards the end and then it was just to chilly in the house. I didnt want to take a chance as the temps in the house are typically 64* and in my opinion are just a little to cold for re fermentation. Just watch out for leaker's as I had few , a couple of them when I had them in the cellar when i laid them on their sides and had a tiny little sprayer.

 

[jobe05]

Here's what I did Wade:

Took an SG reading of the must: 75 degrees = SG of 1.000 (How Lucky)

Took an SG Reading of Water : 75 degrees = SG of 1.000

Since the must and the water are the same, I measured out 2 ounces of sugar, added to water to dilute, then added to the gallon jug (after removing some water). I floated the gallon jug in a sink of water to adjust the temp just right at 75, so it would be the same as the must. Then took a SG reading, 1.005 ....... Thats 0.68% ABV........ Now I will take a gallon of the must, and add in measured amounts (perhaps liquid oz) of the F Pack, till I get an SG reading of 1.005. Or I could just pour all the must into a primary bucket, and add the F Pack till I get to the proper SG.

Waddya think?

 

[Wade E]

That sounds like a good idea but I was just wondering if there is any sorbate in a F-Pack. I know people have fermented this in addition to a must but that was also with an abundance of sugar to eat. Im a little concerned about this factor. Hope all goes well and this is an experiment.

 

[joeswine]

F/PACS consist of the base wine and sorbate,this then gives you the flavor the kit mfg. wants to impart and the assurance of freshness the wine needs,

 

[NorthernWinos]

Wade...have you made your riddling rack yet????

 

[Wade E]

no, I havent touched a piece of wood out of work in awhile and just bought the lumber to start finishing our bedroom in the basement. I will need to do this soon as I plan on sparkling the Plum and crab apple as soon as it warms up.

 

[jobe05]

Hey Wade, I have green champaign bottles much like the one that you sent me, How full do I fill these, I have read between 1 and 2" below the cork for fermenting, would that be right?

 

[Wade E]

That would be right buddy, I stay right in the middle. Did you ever try that bottle yet and what did you think. I think I can do a better job with any of my fruit or kit wines. That wine was nasty as a still wine, and I mean nasty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The kit gave directions for both sparkling and still, if I made it a still wine I would be asking for my money back. OH YEAH, I didnt pay for it!

 

[jobe05]

Thanks Wade, I did up three bottles to see how it's going to work. I kept one about 1", one at 1 1/2" and one at about 2 inches to see how it would work at each level.

I also added a wee bit more......... OK, twice as much of the F pack as I needed to get the SG to 1.010, to see if there were sulfite's in the F pack. and if so, would the yeast start under those conditions.

Also.......... How will I know that the fermentation started?

Yes Wade, We rang in the New Year with your sparkling champaign................. it sucked!

We drank it, but as you know...... it's almost sour tasting or very dry tasting, as I would think any wine that finishes dry would be. Thats why I was asking about sweetening back (and probably why you know the answer).

OH yea........ I didn't really mean it sucked...... Figured that would get your attention.... we did drink it all. I'm just glad that you shared it with me to allow me to understand the changes that I would want to make in a sparkling wine. That one of the reasons I like to share my wines as much as I do with some of the newer people............... NO WALDO!!!!!! That was not an offer!

And your right, you could make a better fresh fruit of kit sparkling wine.

 

[Wade E]

As far as knowing when fermentation started i had the same problem of not knowing. In the article I posted earlier it specifies - Be sure of a good
second fermentation - so I guess they say to wait for signs like sizzling. Glad your not shy to say it pretty much sucked, you should have tasted this stuff before it was sparkled. </span>
Edited by: wade

 

[jobe05]

Can they be opened at all during the process? I would imagine if you open it during the process, you would have to wait a few days longer to have pressure build back up......... so would that mean I only open the one with 1" of head space?............... OH CRAP!!!!! I didn't use the clear bottle!

OH well............. I'll save that for when I do the rest of them.........

 

[jobe05]

Glad your not shy to say it pretty much sucked, you should have tasted this stuff before it was sparkled. </span>

Well........ You know I want and expect complete honesty, I just wanted to reciprocate........... NO....... I said I was just kidding. It wasn't great however, but it was drinkable, really, just not on that sweeter side that I was expecting, or would want.

By the way, Not being great is based on my taste, it very well may be very good......... My palate didn't get that from my Mason Jar...........

But, I am very sincere about being grateful for the opportunity to try it, so I could start right out of the gate knowing what I would like and what I would need to change in a kit to get there.

 

[Wade E]

I would open it as youll lose some of the carbonation and it may never recover from that and that is why you put in a certain amount of sugar so as not to over carbonate but have plenty for sparkling. I guess since this is just a specimen for checking you could see what happens but I wouldnt expect to much from that bottle. thats the purpose of freezing them to degorge. At close to freezing temps very little gas is lost kind of like trying to degas a wine at colder temps, the wine retains its gas.

 

[jobe05]

Will the wires get tighter as the pressure builds and the corks move up? I remember someone having a problem with that, I think it was Joan that had to put a double wire on a cap or 2. Will the tighter wires be a good indication of fermentation?