One last question about 1 gallon Welch's batches

[pierce652]

I just made another gallon batch of white grape and peach. Looking at other posts I used 3 cans of the frozen this time and thawed it in 2 cups of simple syrup. When I topped it up to a gallon the SG was still way high so I added water till the sg was 1.085 and ended up with a gallon and a half.


Question is when using 3 cans, or even 2, do you just mix them in water without sugar or cut back on the sugar and bring it up to the target sg with simple syrup. Kinda defeated the purpose of using 3 cans when I ended up with 1.5 gallons. I used 3 cans for a stronger grape/peach flavor. I will put the extra in a half gallon glass jug.


Also, does anyone bother with bentonite with this or all the other fancy finings with these batches? If so how much.


Thanks.

 

[Scott]

Can't help you on the bentonite part, I just let it clear on it's own so far no problem. 3 cans is good for flavor may even add raisins or a banana for a little body. Add cans then with sugar water to get totarget sg.


Nothing wrong with some extra to top up with later.


Good luck

 

[pelican]

Hi Pierce -


I (would) cut back on the sugar when adding more cans of welches -- the frozen juice concentrate is full of sugar!


When I use frozen concentrate, I start with the concentrates, some water to the neighborhood of approaching the volume needed by guess or by golly, take the SG and see if I need now more sugar syrup or more water, or a bit of both.


I do end up with more than a gallon as well, but that's intentional on my part. I try to getbetween a gallon & 1qt and1.5 gallons to start with because you WILL have racking losses and I do like to end up with something close to a gallon at the end, without having to dilute by topping up with water.


I go from Primary Bucket with the not quite or just about 1.5 gallons, into a 4 Liter jug (a bit more than 1 gallon) with a small bottle on the side for the extra. Rack the next time into 4 Liter and top up with the small bottle, then next time into the 1 gallon jug. That's the plan at least and it works out pretty close to that for me.


The thing there is have both 4 liter and 1 gallon jug(s) and some side bottles - I have a 1 liter jug, some 1.5 liter wine bottles, and the standard 750ml wine bottles and pop/beer bottles for the "side bottle" plus the various size drilled rubber stoppers for the airlocks. I've even resorted to seran wrap over the top of the beer bottle for a few days at a time in the absence of proper sized bung.


You can get the 1 gallon jugs from the LHBS (or FineVineWines) and the 4 Liter jugs come from the liquor store and even come filled with wine which can be used for top up, emergency rescue blending, or even for drinking. (Works out to about the cost of an empty gallon jug + shipping! )




Finings - on my white grape peach which was part welches white grape and part jumex peach nectar, I finally used Sparkalloid to get it clear. I've only started using Bentonite on some of my batches, and don't see why you couldn't or wouldn't use it if you have it.


Or just let time have it's way -- and add finings only when you really have to. I reached utter desperation (but I'm not hugely patient either), and the sparkalloid did a fantastic job.


Ok then, well I think in word volume my reply has scott beat by 4:1... (or is it 40:1, I have aproblem with multiples of 10..)I'd better quit while I am ahead! (not that it was a contest, I'm about as terse as I am patient so... ok.. yeah. Good Luck with the White Grape Peach!

and if I missed you when you joined the Forum, welcome !


Mrs. Pelican

 

[Scott]

Umm yea what she said