Making Concord Grape Wine - 1st batch tips?

[coboll2921]

I'm making my first batch of Concord grape wine. I was going to use the below recipe. I have 107 lbs for 2 - 6 gal batches. The grapes are frozen now but I want to start one batch this weekend.

How does the recipe look and any tips would be helpful.

Concord Wine Recipe
Yield: 6 gallons
Ingredients:
• 52 lbs. Concord grapes – test PH - aim for 3.3
• Pectic enzyme
• 7 gallons water
• 10 lbs sugar? Bring to 1.090 SG
• 1 can grape concentrate per batch
• 6 tsp. complete yeast nutrient
• 6 Campden tablets
• 1 package yeast (Lalvin 71B or KIV-1116
• Sparkalloid for clarifying

Thanks,
Connie

 

[Arne]

52 pounds of grapes is going to give you at least 2 1/2 to3 gal. of juice. Add 7 gal. water and 10 lbs. sugar and you are going to go over 10 gal. Think I would get most of the juice out of the grapes, measure the ph if you have the capability and you can add water to adjust it down if you need to. Add your concentrate (not sure why you are using it, but it is fine if you want to) and check the s.g. Now you can add enough sugar to get up to 1.090 if you like. Put the campden tabs in crushed about 12 hrs before the pectic enzime. Get the pectic enzime in with the juice and the skins. Wait 12 hrs or so and pitch your yeast. 4 or 5 days later, remove the skins and press what juice is in them back into the must. let it finish, then you can clear it if you like. Cold stabalize it, bet you will get wine diamonds off it. Let it sit, stabalize and sweeten if you like, but add another campden tab before you let it sit whether adding sorbate or not. After a few months, drink away. Arne.

 

[coboll2921]

Thanks, the water amount did sound high. I have a 6.5 gal carboy and would like to have a gallon on the side for topping off. Should I add about 5 gallons water to have enough for topping off? I can eliminate the grape concentrate. What is cold stabalization? What PH do you recommend?

 

[Turock]

Don't use water on concords. It is absolutely not necessary and will make a blah wine. Concords will come in a little on the high side as far as acid goes, so use calcium carbonate pre-ferment to bring the PH to about 3.4 Not necessary to cold stabilize with calcium carb--the tartatric acid crystals will drop out at room temp.

No need for sparkaloid--reds clarify just fine on their own. We usually bulk age concord for 1 to 1 1/2 years so the flavor comes forward.

 

[salcoco]

107 lbs of grapes will give you 6-7 galloons of wine if grapes are crushed and pressed after fermentation. If adding water you will get very yuck wine. If you insist on adding water add about 2 lb raisins for each five gallons of water in order to get body back into wine.

 

[coboll2921]

It sounds like adding too much water is not the way to go. I'm going to try to bring acid down with calcium carbonate.

 

[Turock]

Sounds good. Be careful with the carbonate, especially if the beginning PH is not far from 3.4 because it's easy to over shoot the target. Use 1/8 or1/4 tsp at a time depending on beginning PH---stir very well and let it sit before retesting. Do this before pitching culture.

 

[coboll2921]

Ok, I have instructions all spelled out and will be starting this weekend.
My grapes are frozen with the stems on and I hope they will pull off before they thaw out.
Otherwise, my second approach would be to thaw them out mash them and then pull out stems.
I enlisted my husband's help, I hope he shows up for the party.

 

[Turock]

A few stems are not a problem as they will add some tannin. Concords are very low on tannin so you could add some to the primary if you desire. Tannin will add some structure and also stabilize the color. Add 1/3 tsp per gallon to the primary, but add it when you do the first punchdown of the must--any earlier and it will inactivate the pectic enzyme.

 

[Arne]

Tannin will add some structure and also stabilize the color. Add 1/3 tsp per gallon to the primary, but add it when you do the first punchdown of the must--any earlier and it will inactivate the pectic enzyme.[/QUOTE]

I didn't know that. Thanks, Turock. Arne.