Other Kenridge Super Tuscan SG...going up?

[jimmyjames23]

Bought a Super Tuscan ultra premium kit with "Harvest Crush@ grape pack on Saturday.
Starting SG was 1.092 Saturday night.
Woke up Sunday morning, stirred and retested SG to see how fermentation was going. Was very surprised to see it WENT UP to 1.102.
So I added 2 liters of 70 degree water, stirred and remeasured SG back to 1.092.
Just woke up this morning, stirred retested and guess what?
SG 1.109.

Now I've experienced this with grapes in a primary but never a kit. I'm assuming that I can either
A) Keep adding water to keep my starting gravity until fermentation starts
Or
B) do nothing and end up with a high alcohol Tuscan that won't ferment dry.

Suggestions?

 

[Boatboy24]

I wouldn't touch it. Grape pack kits will usually have an increasing SG before fermentation really kicks in, as the sugars blend/dissolve.

 

[jimmyjames23]

What am I to do about the rising SG? At this rate my SG will go up to 1.200.
I want a dry Tuscan not Sangiovese port.

Thinking of transferring it to my 8 gallon glass Carboy. My 25 L primary bucket is already at 24 liters. I can physically fit anymore water in there.

 

[jimmyjames23]

*can't fit anymore water

 

[jimmyjames23]

Solved it.
Pressed the grape pack and added everything to my glass primary. A little messy but it's bubbling away with a SG of 1.098.

Not a fan of bucket fermentation anyway.

 

[DoctorCAD]

The SG number was probably not the best indication of true SG (in winemaking terms) when there are a lot of solids. Remember, SG is only a measure of stuff in solution, that stuff can be anything, dirt, ants, sugar, grape solids, chemicals etc. As winemakers, we use that numbner to represent ONLY sugar in water, that is not really the case when grape solids enter the soultion. Your initial number is closer to this "winemakers SG" that we all looK for. I've learned not to even check it until there is a really good fermentation going.

I wouldn't have added water, that might really mess up the resulting wines character.

Oh, and I am a HUGE fan of bucket fermenting, I don't like to clean grape juice off walls and floors!

 

[jimmyjames23]

We'll I'm not new at this. But I believe the juice that came in the harvest crush pack was unusually sweet. As it was in a cheese cloth sock I think the must I was pulling of the top was sweeter than the juice on the bottom as the sock seems to float.
I removed the sock and pressed the grapes (smallest pressing ever).
SG was 1.096 around 5 am. Testing it now came out to 1.090. Lots of bubbling in the airlock so I think everything is ok.
I've only had one (or two) go volatile and shoot out the airlock. Both caused from nucleation points when adding oak dust after fermentation had started. Lesson learned with that one.

 

[tonyt]

I had a similar experience with a Wine Expert Eclipse Nebbliolo with grape pack. I thought the SG was low when I first pitched the yeast so I added sugar bo get it back up to 1.090. As the syrup of the grape pack desolved into the juice over the next 25-30 hours my SG jumped up considerably. Then I read on another forum that WE had posted a comment saying NOT to add sugar, that the grape pack would bring the SG up to 1.09? on it's own. So I have a high octane Nebb clearing right now.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Hope it's good.
I actually added less water than the 23 liter mark. Started juice at 1.09+. Before I added the fruit pack. So the additions of 2 liters won't bother me.
I already have tons of port around here (10 gallons) and I don't need anymore. Worst case scenario is I end up with a 12.5% wine instead of a 13.5 as intended. But 18% is way too much.

It's fermenting furiously right now. Gonna take a reading in the morning ad see how many points it's dropped since the transfer to glass.

Gonna be a great time griping those oak cubes and grape skins out of the Carboy in a few days.
Yay!

 

[Boatboy24]

Seems like you're well on your way.

Grape packs can do some funky things in the first day or so. I usually take 3 or 4 readings in the first 24 hours and just use the highest reading as my starting point.

 

[jimmyjames23]

I hope so.
Doing 200+ liters of Ontario Merlot from grapes. Made less this year as I seem to get better quality wine from the Premium kits. Usually I do 400 liters but with the time/cost/mess of grapes I find it easier just to buy 1 or 2 kits a month.
I get better quality faster with the kits.

 

[jimmyjames23]

For example. My 4 month old wine Expert Barolo taste far superior to my 2 year Merlot from grapes.
Hard to get that True robust Italian flavor from Ontario vineyards.

 

[Boatboy24]

For example. My 4 month old wine Expert Barolo taste far superior to my 2 year Merlot from grapes.
Hard to get that True robust Italian flavor from Ontario vineyards.

That's nice to hear. I have that kit waiting in the wings. I'll be starting it in a couple weeks.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Keep this kits coming.
Heed my results after 48 hrs in primary. Starting at 1.100 (ish)

 

[DoctorCAD]

That looks just about right!!! Nice color, too.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Thanks doc.

 

[jimmyjames23]

1.041 now.
Only 36 hours into fermentation.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Day 3 an SG is 1.010. Gonna have to rack it off these skins soon and give it a light pressing. Fermentation is going way faster than usual.

 

[tonyt]

Looking good. Really fast though. Must be a warm room.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Fermenting room is usually kept at 75 degrees. But it's been a little warm for October in Canada.