just started my first batch

[Stormyabyss]

So i started my 1st batch of wine last night....I mixed everything up following the standard SP recipe except i didn't add the lemon juice....I'm going to add it in slowly as fermentation gets going.

Started with SG at 1.080. I followed the directions on the yeast and this morning i can see bubbles and my apt smells like I'm baking bread.....keeping the temp between 75-80 with a heating pad. Hopefully i can add some lemon juice tonight. BTW Sams club has two 48 ounce bottles of realemon for 6 bucks.

 

[Stormyabyss]

I just got home from work and had about a 1/4 inch of foam at the top....gave it a good stir, do you think the yeast is going well enough to add some realemon? and if so, how much? I was thinking maybe a half of a bottle, 24 ounces.

 

[Arne]

How big of a batch? If 5 gal. you should have no problems with a bottle. Arne.

 

[Stormyabyss]

yea, its a 5 gallon batch....adding the lemon juice now....

 

[Stormyabyss]

I added 48 ounces of realemon lastnight, about 24 hours after i pitched the yeast....lastnight before bed it had another 1/4 inch foam head, gave it another good stir. This morning it had about a 1/2 inch in foam...I know the org recipe calls for almost 100 ounces of realemon but alot around here use less....will it still have good lemon flavor with just 48 ounces?

 

[Stormyabyss]

Update.. When i tested the SG today it was down to 1.010 so I racked it to the 5 gallon carboy. I also had a full wine bottle left over. I put an air lock on both.

I get little to taste, the lemon flavor is just about right, deff can taste the alcohol...it looks like this is gonna turn out great.

Im going to keep 3 gallons as skeeterpee and back flavor the other 2 gallons with juice concentrate.....Im thinking one gallon with margarita mix and some lime juice..and the other with a berry blend.

 

[Stormyabyss]

Update. Checked on my SP tonight, its down to 1.000 and still bubbling away....starting to see sediment across the bottom of the carboy. Im ready to degass but the wine is not...........soon

 

[Stormyabyss]

Update....the SP has been at 0.992 for a few days now..the wine bottle was starting to clear, i could see a light from behind it....today racked to a new carboy and got to taste a glass that I back sweetened...its turning out great....the rest I degassed with my break bleader and stabilized. Then added sparkolloid.... I also added 24 ounces of realemon to bump up the flavor...now i got another week of waiting.

 

[Stormyabyss]

I backsweetend my pee tonight.....i now see why its pointless to make a gallon batch... We are gonna drink half a gallon tonight, lol.

Also want to say, this wine has changed alot in the last week..... last week it was very tart but its mellowed out.... i just hope i have some left at the 2 month mark.

 

[Arne]

Ha ha, guess you are going to have to buy a brute trash can so you can start a 15 gal. batch. Poof and its gone. Oh, and just wait for summer, it goes really fast then. Arne.

 

[Stormyabyss]

Yea i looked at the brute this weekend, its very tempting but i want to start a mead and a few others before my next pee.

 

[Arne]

Oh yeah, more primaries, more carboys and the beat goes on. LOL, Arne.

 

[Stormyabyss]

I bottled most of mine tonight....i ended up with 9 bottles of Sp and 6 bottles of berry Sp... In the berry one i added 2 cans of frozen berry with no back sweetening. Its very strong berry flavor. The gallon jug is my margarita pee, the frozen cans had alot of pulp in it so its not ready yet.