Brandon M
Winemaking Newbie since 2022
Not really a question - just exulting in something going right - 3 bottles of a really pretty rosé or blush wine.
I only harvested about 3/4 gal of grapes from my single front yard vine this year - that sounds tiny, but (a) it doubled last year's take, because I learned how to prune properly this year, and (b) I would have had twice that but the deer found the vine THE NIGHT BEFORE I PLANNED TO HARVEST IT. Grrrr. (Next year, the fence will be improved.)
Anyway, I just bottled tonight and I'm pretty pleased with the results. Already a great taste (I could drink it right now).
I calculated 13% ABV based on starting and ending Brix. SG was 0.985 before backsweetening. I added about 3/8 cup of sugar to reach 1.010 (by hygrometer) or 1.040 (refractometer). Ending pH was 3.7. (Start of fermentation was 1.085 SG and 3.5 pH; that required adding a cup of sugar and 2 cups water to the juice, plus a dash of acid blend.)
The toughest problem was the odd batch size (about 5 pints), which led to a challenge finding a suitable secondary fermentation container with minimal head space. I ended up using a 1/2 gal glass juice bottle that miraculously fit an airlock rubber stopper, plus another pint jar with an airlock lid. I mixed the two together tonight before stabilizing and backsweetening. Amazingly, after racking it off the sediment, I had EXACTLY enough for 3 750-ml bottles, plus a half oz to enjoy.
I wish I knew what kind of grapes these are - they're some vine I bought at Lowes a few years back before I really cared about winemaking. Maybe someone can look at the pic attached and tell me what I have. That was about a week before harvest.
It's SO satisfying to make something from fruit I grew. I can't wait to drink it.
I only harvested about 3/4 gal of grapes from my single front yard vine this year - that sounds tiny, but (a) it doubled last year's take, because I learned how to prune properly this year, and (b) I would have had twice that but the deer found the vine THE NIGHT BEFORE I PLANNED TO HARVEST IT. Grrrr. (Next year, the fence will be improved.)
Anyway, I just bottled tonight and I'm pretty pleased with the results. Already a great taste (I could drink it right now).
I calculated 13% ABV based on starting and ending Brix. SG was 0.985 before backsweetening. I added about 3/8 cup of sugar to reach 1.010 (by hygrometer) or 1.040 (refractometer). Ending pH was 3.7. (Start of fermentation was 1.085 SG and 3.5 pH; that required adding a cup of sugar and 2 cups water to the juice, plus a dash of acid blend.)
The toughest problem was the odd batch size (about 5 pints), which led to a challenge finding a suitable secondary fermentation container with minimal head space. I ended up using a 1/2 gal glass juice bottle that miraculously fit an airlock rubber stopper, plus another pint jar with an airlock lid. I mixed the two together tonight before stabilizing and backsweetening. Amazingly, after racking it off the sediment, I had EXACTLY enough for 3 750-ml bottles, plus a half oz to enjoy.
I wish I knew what kind of grapes these are - they're some vine I bought at Lowes a few years back before I really cared about winemaking. Maybe someone can look at the pic attached and tell me what I have. That was about a week before harvest.
It's SO satisfying to make something from fruit I grew. I can't wait to drink it.
