Is this normal & ok

[Tomy]

Started with White grape juice & 2 cans conc. Added raisins & one very ripe banana, Cote des Blancs yeast & SG 1090. Its really foaming & sounds like bacon frying after 3 days of ferminting.

 

[NorthernWinos]

That looks like dessert....bet it smells good.

 

[grapeman]

Normally you would start it in a primary bucket oversized to your batch size so it wouldn't overflow. Other than that it is just a good active fermentation. Looks delicious.

 

[lockdude]

Just keep a close eye on it.All that fruit can clog up your airlock and blow it out.If it does,you will have lots of cleaning to do.Been there,done that.

 

[Tomy]

Thanks guys, I had never seen this before being a rookie. I put in the raisins & banana to give the wine some body, as my 1st batch is pretty thin. This is my 4th batch, and its in a one gal jug. I see why one should have done this in a pail, as getting the fruit out ought to be fun when it's done fermenting.

 

[Tomy]

Today I checked the SG and it was 1010, so I am going to rack it into a secondary and stop the fermintation with Campden & Pot. Sorbate so there is a bit of sweetness left in the must. Am going to add some french oak med toast as soon as my order from Geroge shows up today or tomorrow. I also ordered a 2 gal ferminting bucket from George as those frozen black berries in the grocery store are calling my name. "Hey Tomy take me home I want to be wine"

 

[PolishWineP]

Or, you can rack it, let it finish fermenting and back sweeten it. Or you can let it finish fermenting, rack it, rack it and stablize and sweeten it back again.

 

[Wade E]

I dont think that is going to stop the fementation. It is very hard to stop a fermentation in progress except with 2 methods. 1 being with an Enolmatic filter which is called sterile filtration and the other being with very cold temps and that is called cold stabilization.

 

[Tomy]

Thanks for the info, I did use an old pair of my wifes panty hose to filter the small gunk from grapes & banana, and she has been sterile sence '97. I will try the cold stabilization and put the must out in the unheated sun porch. How long do I leave it out there 30 days? Tomy

Edited by: Tomy

 

[Wade E]

To be honest i have never tried this as Im afraid to have carboy breakage from temp changes but it should be around 40* and would imagine tat 30 days would be about right but it must stay around this temp. Once it is stable you must add the k-meta and sorbate to keep it from re fermenting. I myself chose to let it finish and back sweeten as you are able to adjust sweetness exactly were you want it and not have to worry about refermentation and the risks involved with that and must say that is the much safer way to go.

 

[Tomy]

I added the Campden Tab, crushed of course, & the Pot. Sorbate when I racked to the secondary. I received my med toast French Oak, and am soaking 15 pieces for 12 hours per instructions before they go in the wine/mustthis afternoon, maybe I should have used 30 pieces, I need to dig out that oldoz postal scale we use to use in the 60's to weigh out herbs so i can add the correct amount by weight from the large bag, you know the one, its hand held at the topwith the little roach clip on the bottom

The cold stabilization is working as there is no activity. Yehaa

Edited by: Tomy

 

[Tomy]

Here is what 6 weeks will do, the picture does not do the White Grape Wine justice. It tasts good, and do for the 2nd racking in another week.

Edited by: Tomy

 

[Wade E]

I like the color of it Tomy!