how to salvage cough syrup?

[Paulc]

So I started a batch of "pomagranite nectar" wine which was really grape, pear, and apple juice labeled as pomagranite to which I added a bag of mixed berries and a can of frozen red raspberry concentrate. I can't tell you the specifics now as I am at work and my notes are at home. Anyway, it has a nice fruity start and then a nasty sour bite on the end. So I back sweetened with a cup of sugar last night in 1.5 gal of wine. It now tastes just slightly sweet but definitely suggestive of cough syrup.

Any advice on how to save it?

TIA, paulc

 

[Zwetschgen]

Sounds like there is absolutely no pomegranate in your nectar!
Here's what I would do: Rack it, get it off the lees, then leave it for a while, let it ferment or age or do whatever it's going to do, some times all it needs is some time to mellow. Then in a months time or so, however long you can possibly wait, you may want to dilute it with some plain old water. The most problems I have come into have a lot to do with the concentration of something (too much acid, too much SO2, too much whatever) diluting the nectar might help spur it to get over whatever is causing it to taste funny. Seeing your full notes might make it easier, but without really trying it, there's no way to deduce what the problem is.

 

[Julie]

PaulC,

did you taking any readings through your process, or take an acid test? You need to know what you have before you try to correct it. Find out what your abv is, did you add any sorbate before you backsweetened? What hydrometer reading did you backsweeten to?

Actually the recipe you followed would be a fantastic help. Without this knowledge, we would be giving you education guesses.

 

[Paulc]

Recipe added

Hey there, thanks for the replies. Below are my notes from this batch. It occurred to me this week that perhaps I am just being impatient? My original idea was that I was going to make a quick drinking fruit mead but switched gears while collecting supplies...maybe this stuff just needs to sit for a couple months so it can mature a little bit...? I hope....my wife says it is not bad, which also means it is not good She says the nose is more of a problem for her than the taste. Whatever thoughts you can offer would be great. I do not have an SG reading yet since I backsweetened, I realize that is important but I thought I would let it all sit till I bottled it and take the reading then.

Here is the recipe:

Pomegranate/Red Raspberry Wine

4-13-2011 1 bag (12oz) of mixed frozen berries Publix brand, ½ cup of pomegranate craisins, 64 oz of Blueberry and Pomegranate nectar from Knudsens. 1 tsp Pectic enzyme, ½ tsp grape tannin, ½ tsp acid blend, ½ tsp yeast energizer, ½ tsp yeast nutrient. Everything was mixed and left in fridge overnight.
4-14-2011 Added another 32oz of Pomegranate Nectar, 1 can of thawed Cran-Rasberry juice concentrate, 64 oz of Ocean Spray Cran-Pomegranate juice, and about 96 oz of H2O to get total volume to about 2.5 gal. Started SG at 1.035 so added about 6oz of honey and 2 cups of sugar. SG now at 1.056. Added 2 more cups of sugar and ½ cup of raisins, I believe SG is now at about 1.075. Must is now at about 3.0 gal. Add 3 crushed campden tablets. Pitched Cotes de Rhone yeast. Strong raspberry scent to must.
4-15-2011 Ferment has started.
4-16-19-2011 Stirred must every day and crushed berries floating on top by hand. A lot fizzing in must.
4-21-2011 Ferment has slowed a lot. Wine is sour.
4-22-2011 Racked off 2 gal of wine. SG is at 0.994
5-21-2011 A lot of yeast on bottom of gal jugs, some berry parts floating at top.
5-22-2011 Racked wine into a 1 gal jug and 1 3 liter bottle. Added a crushed campden tablet to each.
7-1-2011 Racked wine and added sorbate and bentonite treatment.
7-11-2011 Racked wine off bentonite dregs and back sweetened with 1 cup of sugar in 1.5 gal of wine. Wine tastes sweet but I have not gotten SG reading yet. Tastes of raspberry cough syrup.
7-16-2011 No signs of ferment restarting.

 

[Paulc]

btt

Anyone have any thoughts on the recipe? Am I just being impatient on drinkability or is there a problem with the recipe? TIA, paulc

 

[joeswine]

pom wine

what was the strength of the campton tables sounds to me like a lot for so Little juice,raspberry juice is predominant taste because no true pomegranate was used ,sour because,thats also the raspberry acid or more of a medicine taste,thats one unusual mix their partner,I don't think time will heal this batch..but I could be wrong...

 

[SBWs]

I'm thinking tannin and or seeds from the mixed fruit for the sour bite. Any time you use fruit with seeds it's a good idea to put them into something like a paint strainer so you can get them all out after a few days. That said, I'd clear it bottle it and put it off in a corner for about a year. I had a blackberry that was the same way. I kept tasting it every couple of months, the only problem was when it aged enough to be good it was all gone.

 

[Julie]

I agree with SBWs, let it age. Raspberry is a predominent flavor and would need time to mellow out some. Plus, the honey that you added would need to age as well.