just really confused

[blackpage]

Ok so I am failing horribly and I'm not sure how to make it better in the future. It seems that I lucked out with my first batch but all the following batches have been iffy if not just bad! Here is where I'm at now:

I have two separate gallon batches of Strawberry (1 Strawberry and 1 Strawberry lemonade). It is ready to sweeten and bottle...but neither one tastes very good. I kind of expected this because I found out (after I started them) that the recipe I had followed told me to put in about half as much fruit as should be added; so I expect it to have little taste but it can still be good and not be bursting with flavor...or so I thought.

I stabilized each gallon last Sunday and I sweetened them today. I ended up adding 7 oz of sugar to the Strawberry and 6 oz to the Strawberry Lemonade. My husband thinks that they both kind of taste like rubber which I can't lie they have that smell but I figured it was just from the stopper so I went on. After adding the 2 parts sugar/1 part water mixtures they still don't taste very good. I decided to check their ph levels (which I just got my ph meter in the mail not long ago) and I'm not sure my ph tester is working because I don't have the stuff to calibrate it and it says that my wine has about the same ph as coca-cola...both at 7.02-7.05?!? That doesn't seem right to me so I'm confused about that too. Even if it is not calibrated it should be able to tell somewhat of a difference between the two.

I also don't really know if testing the pH would have really done anything anyways. When should the acid be tested and adjusted? Right before bottling? Right after primary before secondary? I'm just so confused on so many things. It just seems the more I try to do things more correctly I just get more confused.

I know I only asked one real question but I am confused about a lot so any help suggestions or help would be WONDERFUL!!!

Thanks so much (sorry about the long post)

 

[lloyd]

Hi welcome, try the tutorials there is some really helpful info there. You can print it if you like. I'm sure that others will add more help with some of your Questions.

 

[Wade E]

OK, as far as the ph meter goes you really need the calibration reagents to calibrate it and condition the probe. As far as your wine goes you need to post the recipe! Strawberry is a tough one IMO and requires a lot of fruit for any flavor to come through, IMO you need at least 12lbs per gallon minimum and it needs to age at least 6 months after clearing. Also, with the recipe can you post the starting and finished sg?

 

[closetwine]

On another note, if you're rubber bung was touching the wine and gave it those rubber flavors.... I don't think you can get rid of it. I had to dump some when that happened to me. Sounds like you used too little fruit... and need to F-pak it.

 

[blackpage]

Here is the recipe that I used:

3 1/2 quarts of water
2.5 lbs of sugar
4 lbs of strawberries (I used fresh)
1 tsp acid blend
1/8 tsp tannin
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 Campden tablet
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 packet of Montrachet yeast

The only difference for the Strawberry lemonade was I put 6 oz of Minute Maid lemonade instead of the acid blend in.

This was all before I really started asking a whole lot of questions on here...well I guess it was before I started figuring out the correct questions to ask. Starting SG for both was 1.08 and finishing SG was right around 1.0, I didn't write those down but I didn't finish the primary until the SG was down close to 1.0

 

[Wade E]

Everything looks ok with the exception of way too little fruit!!! Thats why it doesnt taste good, it must taste like colored alc only. You really need to dble that amount of fruit minimum with strawberries. 8 lbs per gallon pretty much works with most fruit but there are some fruits that just dont have much flavor and are made up of primarily water lke this and require mre frut per gallon.

 

[Julie]

Hi Blackpage,

Wade is right on the fruit. You could do two things, either make an fpac or make another wine that has more strawberries in it and blend the two.

To answer your other question about acid, I usually check my acid level before fermentation and again before bottling. I check before to ensure a good fermentation and the acid will change once it goes through fermentation so I check it then and adjust according. I would also suggest you get a acid titration test kit. There cost about $10 and is well worth the money. Very simple to use.

 

[blackpage]

Thanks so much Wade and Julie! Both posts were very helpful. I'm glad I'm not completely doing things wrong!! And now that you say it...the flavor pretty much is alcohol. I guess before I start my next recipe I will be on here asking advice and through every step...maybe I'll have a chance then!

Getting an idea as to when to test and adjust the acid helps a lot! I've heard to do it at several different times but I like the way you do it Julie! Keep track of things a little better!

 

[mmadmikes1]

I just started strawberry last week and used 8 pounds per gallon. I still have 8 pounds in freezer to add after most of fermentation is complete. It is not a true f-pak because I add during final fermentaion, but the flavor does come though completing the wine the way i like it to finish. Now for the news, in last 2 years I have made 6 batches of strawberry before I got to this method. Now that is a hobby and playing. Have fun with mistakes and learn. Try things no one has mention just to see what happens. I feed the mistakes to people in town and tell them if they don't like it, pour it out, its free. Have a blast. Get your neighbors all drunk

 

[Eyeguy]

I am a newbie so I wont try and speak much about wine as a whole; but I know a little about chemistry. And there is no way that ANY wine could test over ph7 even if you use highly treated water with a PH near that. A ph meter without calibration is like a ship without a sail; it will be all over the map without any reason. As for the rubber taste I am pretty sensitive to that "rubber/plastic" flavor myself(I can't even drink bottled water if the bottle got warm b/c of it and can taste when things are cooked on those "sil-pads") so I have been really careful on only use all glass equipment and not letting the rubber bungs touch my liquids for long (I even thought about getting cork bungs but read some reviews and decided not to). One thing I did (I read this online, not really sure if it worked I did not want to test fate) was soaked my rubber bungs in VERY salty (room temp) water for 24 hrs...the site claimed that will drive off some of that "new rubber" smell and taste. not sure it work b/c they still smell like rubber. GOOD LUCK

 

[sly22guy]

You could look for some strawberry syrup to add, it might bump up the sweetness alittle but it should def give you some nice color and help with the flavor.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

If you want the "fast-track" to good wine, I'd suggest making your next batch using a wine ingredient kit. The experts at these companies have sourced good grapes and have made all the necessary adjustments for you. If you follow the instructions, you'll get good tasting wine from a kit and you'll learn about the wine making process as you go. Once you have some good wine in your cellar, you can "experiment" with scratch batches that sometimes turn out and sometimes not so much.

 

[mmadmikes1]

If you want the "fast-track" to good wine, I'd suggest making your next batch using a wine ingredient kit. The experts at these companies have sourced good grapes and have made all the necessary adjustments for you. If you follow the instructions, you'll get good tasting wine from a kit and you'll learn about the wine making process as you go. Once you have some good wine in your cellar, you can "experiment" with scratch batches that sometimes turn out and sometimes not so much.

Wine makes it to your cellar????? We heard you drank it all

 

[1ChuckGauthier]

Mike, I read your post on the strawberrys added just before fermentation ended. I have only f-paked one wine, a santa rosa plum, added after all fermentation was done and sorbated etc, set aside to clear, came out great ECXCEPT the last gal of the five was three quarter full of something suspended. Added pectic enzyme, did nothing for it. So the question is have you added plums to a wine at the end of fermentation and if so how did it come out. I have 2 gals of yellow plums left in the freezer and the yeller plum is ready for final treatment, clear as a bell, just don't want to screw it up. After typing all this I just remembered that I have already done k-meta and sorbate.

 

[Tom]

Hi Blackpage,

Wade is right on the fruit. You could do two things, either make an fpac or make another wine that has more strawberries in it and blend the two.

To answer your other question about acid, I usually check my acid level before fermentation and again before bottling. I check before to ensure a good fermentation and the acid will change once it goes through fermentation so I check it then and adjust according. I would also suggest you get a acid titration test kit. There cost about $10 and is well worth the money. Very simple to use.

Ditto with Wade and Julie!
I make alot of strawberry. I always add a strong f-pac and backsweeten.

 

[Tom]

I just started strawberry last week and used 8 pounds per gallon. I still have 8 pounds in freezer to add after most of fermentation is complete. It is not a true f-pak because I add during final fermentaion, but the flavor does come though completing the wine the way i like it to finish. Now for the news, in last 2 years I have made 6 batches of strawberry before I got to this method. Now that is a hobby and playing. Have fun with mistakes and learn. Try things no one has mention just to see what happens. I feed the mistakes to people in town and tell them if they don't like it, pour it out, its free. Have a blast. Get your neighbors all drunk

If you are adding the "extra" strawberry before stabilizing the only thing your doing is adding more fermentables.
I suggest you stabilize 1st (meta & sorbate). Then add a f-pac & back sweeten to your taste.

 

[blackpage]

so here is the next crucial question...how exactly do i go about making an f-pak? And how do I use it?

Also what about backsweetening? I am fairly certain that backsweetening is the 2 parts sugar/1 part water (or wine) mixture that you add to sweeten the wine after stabilization but I really don't wanna assume anymore!

 

[Tom]

Look for stickies in each topic.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7547

 

[Tom]

Back sweetening is adding simple syrup to your taste.

2 parts sugar to 1 part water.

Heat water, add sugar, whisk over heat till clear. add to sanitized jar.

 

[blackpage]

Thanks again Tom!

I didn't even think to look in the "Fruit Wine" Section...I was only looking in Beginners Area. Duh!

Thanks