Newbie makes big mistake!

[Kozzie]

sour_grapes - that makes perfect sense. I just can't find that juice anywhere near where I live. I went to 5 different grocery stores and none carry it. The ones I found had preservative in it (which I definitely don't need, lol). So I went the sugar water option. If I can find the juice concentrate I think that would be the way to go. I'm going to keep looking but right now I can't even find it on line. Wal-mart is no longer carrying it....

So if I go the sugar water route, I would follow http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/YeastStarter.asp instructions.

Just a thought, I might be able to find apple juice frozen concentrate. Do you think that would work or would it flavor the wine too much and make it apple tasting?

 

[Kozzie]

sour_grapes, meadmaker - I should also add I did find Welch's white grape and peach frozen concentrate - what do you think of using that instead?

 

[sour_grapes]

The Jack Keller directions are to build up a healthy (but small) colony to pitch, under the assumption that this colony will be able to go on and replicate itself. You are dealing with a different situation, so you need to build up a large enough colony to complete the entire fermentation without the ability to reproduce.

Personally, liebfraumilch with a little peach sounds okay to me. Sounds better than dumping it!

 

[Kozzie]

sour-grapes - good point and I hate the idea of dumping it. I'll follow ecKraus and improvise the sugar requirements (last time the starter fermented wildly and most of the yeast died) and see what happens. Fingers crossed.

On a more positive note, last week I bottled wine from the grapes we grow and peach wine from our peach tree (pic attached). Both are still young but have good taste.

 

[meadmaker1]

I completely agree with sour grapes.
Ive never done a kit but I'm wondering if, just because it comes with the kit, it the correct amount of any included substance to add.
K sorbate package says 1/4 tsp per gallon to stabilize 1/2 tsp per gallon if back sweetening.
I have put together chemical packs for freinds and always add a little for spillage, waste, or gettong stuck in the package.
I dont even trust recipes. Read and research find the common ground make a plan, ifan ingredient seems out of sort ask here before committing.

 

[Kozzie]

good points meadmaker1. I wish I had kept the packet. It probably was more than 1 tsp. Anyway, I've begun another yeast starter and will keep you up to date.

 

[Kozzie]

An Update. I tried 3 times this past week to make a yeast starter (using sugar water 2x and once with apple juice) and didn't have any luck - my timing was bad I think with determining when the yeast was at its peak. I finally ordered the EC Kraus Quick Starter. Today, I made a great yeast starter and before I added it, i checked the must with my hydrometer. When I started the must last month, the SG was 1.0998. Today its was .998! What a surprise! Somehow, between then and now, the yeast started working. I tasted it and it was really pleasant. Needless to say I didn't add the Quick Starter, and actually racked the must into the carboy for secondary fermentation.

An interesting note - the wine instructions said for primary fermentation to securely put the bucket lid on and plug the hole with an airlock. EC Kraus blog said never do that as the yeast needs the oxygen, which makes sense.

A really big thank you Sour_Grapes and MeadMaker for all your support and advice and telling me to not give up. This is going to be a very good wine and I shall toast both of you! I'm very grateful. Let's hope the rest of fermentation goes well, if not I'm going to be back with more questions!

Thanks again!

 

[meadmaker1]

This will probably be the finest wine you have ever tasted.
And the fermentation prossess will never be repeatable

 

[sour_grapes]

Yay! I love a happy ending. (Too bad I don't go to enough massage parlors.) I agree with everything that @meadmaker1 (Keith) said.

 

[Kozzie]

Yep, one lesson I learned and will never repeat! @Meadmaker, lol

 

[Kozzie]

This will probably be the finest wine you have ever tasted.
And the fermentation prossess will never be repeatable

Yay! I love a happy ending. (Too bad I don't go to enough massage parlors.) I agree with everything that @meadmaker1 (Keith) said.

Thank you guys so much. Paul, glad you convinced me to not throw it out,

 

[Kozzie]

Sour_Grapes and Meadmaker 1 - I just wanted to share pics of the Liebraumilch that was bottled last month. It looks and tastes amazing. Thank you both. I'm so glad you talked me through it!

 

[sour_grapes]

Sour_Grapes and Meadmaker 1 - I just wanted to share pics of the Liebraumilch that was bottled last month. It looks and tastes amazing. Thank you both. I'm so glad you talked me through it!

Awesome. I am very happy about this! Prosit!