Pasteurized OJ for top up?

[jagreek]

I have a batch of Orange wine which just finished primary ferment, racked it into a carboy and I have a lot of headspace. Curious if anyone knows if I can use Pasteurized OJ at this point since its done fermenting. I know you can't use it in the beginning but I'm not sure about after the ferment is complete.

 

[seth8530]

Well that depends on a few things...

First off you could try and displace the volume with something like sanitized marbles.. ( carefully)

Or you could try and top it off with something. But first we need to figure out if that is a bad idea or not for your wine..

Do you know what the current ABV is? How about the current sg? I am asking because we do not want to dilute your wine too much.

 

[jagreek]

Well that depends on a few things...

First off you could try and displace the volume with something like sanitized marbles.. ( carefully)

Or you could try and top it off with something. But first we need to figure out if that is a bad idea or not for your wine..

Do you know what the current ABV is? How about the current sg? I am asking because we do not want to dilute your wine too much.

The abv is currently about +/- 4.6 or 1.035 sg, it started out on the 22nd at 17.5 abv or 1.128 sg.
I'd just like to know how it may affect the taste of the wine or if it may cause some kind of other negative effect.

 

[Deezil]

(Am I the only one worried about the table?)

 

[saramc]

I have a batch of Orange wine which just finished primary ferment, racked it into a carboy and I have a lot of headspace. Curious if anyone knows if I can use Pasteurized OJ at this point since its done fermenting. I know you can't use it in the beginning but I'm not sure about after the ferment is complete.

Confused...why can't you use pasteurized juice in the beginning? I have used pasteurized juice many times with no issue, and know hundreds of others who have done the same. It is juice with benzoate added that you want to avoid.
(I see the table issue also. Safety first...full glass carboy on unstable table is an accident just waiting to happen.)
Out of curiosity, what yeast are you using? I saw the high O.G. and my inquiring mind well, wants to know.

 

[jagreek]

Confused...why can't you use pasteurized juice in the beginning? I have used pasteurized juice many times with no issue, and know hundreds of others who have done the same. It is juice with benzoate added that you want to avoid.
(I see the table issue also. Safety first...full glass carboy on unstable table is an accident just waiting to happen.)
Out of curiosity, what yeast are you using? I saw the high O.G. and my inquiring mind well, wants to know.

I have heard that it can inhibit the yeast and not allow it to reach its full effectiveness. I'm using Epernay II by the way.

(Yeah I hate the table as well unfortunately its the only space in my apt. that's available for all my wine gear. It's usually off to the side where it's flatter, but it was in a dip for the pic.)

 

[jagreek]

I have been searching the net and it seems I mixed up "pasteurized" with "preservatives"

[Much more stable on the side of the table ]

 

[Arne]

The juice should help bump the flavor, but it is going to dilute the a.b.v. Think I would reduce the juice some to concentrate it a little, just simmer not boil on the stove til you loose some of the juice volume. If it is still fermenting, don''t believe I would add anything til it is done. If you add the juice while fermenting it is going to try and ferment the sugars in the juice unless the yeasts have died off from too high a abv. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[Rocky]

From the looks of your 6 gallon carboy and the amount of sediment at the bottom, I suggest that you are going to need a 5 gallon carboy when you rack. That should solve your "top off" problem.

 

[seth8530]

The abv is currently about +/- 4.6 or 1.035 sg, it started out on the 22nd at 17.5 abv or 1.128 sg.
I'd just like to know how it may affect the taste of the wine or if it may cause some kind of other negative effect.

Good on you for taking measurements. But let me help you help yourself

I believe you mean your current SG is at 1.035 and your starting gravity was at 1.128. Your abv is or never was 4.6 or 17.5, you had an approximate potential alcohol of that much but those numbers where never your abv.

If you took the differences between those ABV potentials you would get a rough estimate of your abv being at 12.9% abv.

The preferred method to express the progress of a fermentation is with Specific gravity. It is a much more precise method of charting and talking about the progress of a fermentation.

So using this equation

ABV = (Starting SG – Final SG) * 131

You get an abv of 12.18% ( Their are many different equations expressing the relationship between the SG drop and ABV)

You currently have a LOT of residual sugar in your wine. How long has the SG been at 1.035?

If you were to add a gallon of orange juice ( looks like you need about a gallon) it might help dilute down all that residual sugar as well as cool down your wine a bit.. But I am worried it could drop your ABV low enough so that it could spoil if you are not careful.

So anyways, its important to know.. how long have you been at 1.035 for?

 

[jrvernon]

From the looks of your 6 gallon carboy and the amount of sediment at the bottom, I suggest that you are going to need a 5 gallon carboy when you rack. That should solve your "top off" problem.

Thank you Rocky for saying what I was thinking!

 

[JerryF]

I have a batch of Orange wine which just finished primary ferment, racked it into a carboy and I have a lot of headspace. Curious if anyone knows if I can use Pasteurized OJ at this point since its done fermenting. I know you can't use it in the beginning but I'm not sure about after the ferment is complete.

Wow! I've been following the helpful replies you've been getting but it suddenly dawns on me; Orange is my absolute most favorite flavor (I'm a staunch supporter of Saykllys orange cream candies) and I never thought it was possible to make a wine from oranges (or orange juice), even though I see many references to lemon wine (skeeter pee?). Is your recipe on here anywhere that I could have a look at? Jerry

 

[jagreek]

Wow! I've been following the helpful replies you've been getting but it suddenly dawns on me; Orange is my absolute most favorite flavor (I'm a staunch supporter of Saykllys orange cream candies) and I never thought it was possible to make a wine from oranges (or orange juice), even though I see many references to lemon wine (skeeter pee?). Is your recipe on here anywhere that I could have a look at? Jerry

I used the Recipe from Jack Keller's website its the Orange wine #2 on the requested recipes page. Orange Wine
Its turning out great and based on what I read this is a much better recipe as the bananas give a great body to the wine.

Orange Wine (2)​

8 medium-sized oranges
1 lb chopped or minced golden raisins or sultanas
1 lb 7 oz ripe bananas
3 lbs finely granulated sugar
water to make up one gallon
1/4 tsp grape tannin
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
wine yeast
Put two quarts of water on to boil. Meanwhile, peel the oranges and remove all the white pith (it is bitter and will ruin the wine). Break the oranges into sections and remove all seeds. Drop them in a juicer or a blender and liquefy (you may have to add a cup of water to the blender). Peel and slice bananas and simmer in one pint of water for 20 minutes. In a primary, add chopped or minced raisins (or sultanas), 2-1/2 lbs of the sugar, the orange juice or liquefied orange pulp, and two quarts of boiling water. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Over primary, pour simmering banana slices into nylon straining bag and allow to drip until cool enough to squeeze. Squeeze lightly and then discard banana flesh. Stir in tannin and yeast nutrient and enough water to make up one gallon total. Cover with cloth and set aside to cool. When cooled to room temperature, add pectic enzyme, recover and wait 12 hours. Add wine yeast. Ferment 7 days, add remaining sugar, stir to dissolve, and ferment another 3 days. Rack off sediments into secondary and fit airlock. Rack every 30 days for 3 months. Stabilize and sweeten to taste. After additional 10 days, rack into bottles and set aside one year to age. [Adapted from Brian Leverett's "Winemaking Month by Month"]​

 

[jagreek]

From the looks of your 6 gallon carboy and the amount of sediment at the bottom, I suggest that you are going to need a 5 gallon carboy when you rack. That should solve your "top off" problem.

Thanks Rocky. I was hoping I wouldn't have to buy another carboy as I'm tight with funds right now, but your right it's definitely something good to have around. I'll probably go ahead and spend the money to pick one up today.

 

[jswordy]

Good on you for taking measurements. But let me help you help yourself

I believe you mean your current SG is at 1.035 and your starting gravity was at 1.128. Your abv is or never was 4.6 or 17.5, you had an approximate potential alcohol of that much but those numbers where never your abv.

If you took the differences between those ABV potentials you would get a rough estimate of your abv being at 12.9% abv.

The preferred method to express the progress of a fermentation is with Specific gravity. It is a much more precise method of charting and talking about the progress of a fermentation.

So using this equation

ABV = (Starting SG – Final SG) * 131

You get an abv of 12.18% ( Their are many different equations expressing the relationship between the SG drop and ABV)

You currently have a LOT of residual sugar in your wine. How long has the SG been at 1.035?

If you were to add a gallon of orange juice ( looks like you need about a gallon) it might help dilute down all that residual sugar as well as cool down your wine a bit.. But I am worried it could drop your ABV low enough so that it could spoil if you are not careful.

So anyways, its important to know.. how long have you been at 1.035 for?

Let's go farther.

12.2% of a gallon is .489 (rounded) of a quart

So a guesstimated 5.5 gallons now in the carboy is 2.689 quarts of alcohol.

By experience, I'd say he'll add about half a gallon of juice to top up to 6.

So 6 diluted gallons after the addition contains 2.25 quarts of alcohol.

If my calculations are correct, that is roughly 9.4% ABV.

Generally, wine should be 10% or above for preservative effect, so it may be better to add a similar wine or a juice and grain alcohol mixture to top off. On the other hand, it is so close that if k meta is to be added prior to bottling, it will probably keep just fine.

 

[seth8530]

Let's go farther.

12.2% of a gallon is .489 (rounded) of a quart

So a guesstimated 5.5 gallons now in the carboy is 2.689 quarts of alcohol.

By experience, I'd say he'll add about half a gallon of juice to top up to 6.

So 6 diluted gallons after the addition contains 2.25 quarts of alcohol.

If my calculations are correct, that is roughly 9.4% ABV.



Generally, wine should be 10% or above for preservative effect, so it may be better to add a similar wine or a juice and grain alcohol mixture to top off. On the other hand, it is so close that if k meta is to be added prior to bottling, it will probably keep just fine.

jswordy, I just followed through with your calculation and you did fine except at the end you substituted in 2.25 quarts of alcohol instead of the 2.689 that you originally calculated.. Im getting 11.2% abv

BTW, you could of simplified the calculation by taking .122 (volume fraction of alcohol in the wine) IE percent abv ... and multiplied that by the volume, assumed 5.5 gallons and got .671 gallons of alcohol in 5.5 gallons of wine and then divided .671 gallons of alcohol by 6 gallons to get the new abv after topping off. which also comes out to around 11.2% abv.

Make sense?