cheeselady
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- Jun 20, 2015
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So let me preface this with that this is my very first foray into wine making. I have two big mulberry trees in my yard and I can only make some many jars of jelly!
I'm going to describe exactly what I did and any input on what to do (don't worry about it, how to fix it, just dump it, mocking me for my mistakes, etc.)
I bought the master vintner 1 gal fruit wine kit and sort of followed several recipes I found:
Day 1
Mashed 12 cups of mullberries directly in primary fermenter. Add 4 cups of water dissolved in some bottled spring water (my tap is chloriney). Add 1 tsp of pectin, 1 tsp of yeast nutrient, 1 tsp of acid blend, 1 campden tab dissolved in more spring water, add more water up to 1.25 gallons.
Day 2
Add yeast (I didn't hydrate properly added yeast to warm juice mix let sit for 15 mins then added mix to mulberry mush) I used red star montrachet yeast that came with the kit. I covered the primary fermenter with a cloth.
**I neglected to check SG here because I couldn't find a tall enough vessel**
Day 2 morning (about 12 hours after adding yeast)
thick layer of mullberry mush on top - I stir it is and I hear fizzing
Day 2 midday
same as above
Day 2 evening
same as above - I smell a surfer odor - I get concerned that the pulp layer is causing issues so I move the pulp to mesh bag that can with kit - I also check the temp of the juice and found it to be around 80 (outside temp ~75)
I found a way to measure SG it was 1.07
Day 3 morning
juice is fizzing like soda - stir it and mush jucie out of pulp
find a video about the kit I bought - see that they used the air lock at the very beginning so i seal primary fermenter and add airlock. It releases gas every few seconds.
Day 3 evening
Gas release slower but still a bit fizzy I check SG is equals 1.03 (what!! how is that possible!) I stir it up.
Day 4 evening
sulfur smell stronger - afraid that pulp is the issue so I remove it. I stir vigorously to drive off sulfur smell.
Day 5 midday ( today)
sulfur smell still there I stir vigorously again - smell *might* not be as strong.
Sooooo what to do now - let it rest with out doing anything to it so it can settle then rack to secondary? Just rack it now? just dump it out? Can it be saved? Am I fretting over nothing?
Any input is greatly appreciated!
I'm going to describe exactly what I did and any input on what to do (don't worry about it, how to fix it, just dump it, mocking me for my mistakes, etc.)
I bought the master vintner 1 gal fruit wine kit and sort of followed several recipes I found:
Day 1
Mashed 12 cups of mullberries directly in primary fermenter. Add 4 cups of water dissolved in some bottled spring water (my tap is chloriney). Add 1 tsp of pectin, 1 tsp of yeast nutrient, 1 tsp of acid blend, 1 campden tab dissolved in more spring water, add more water up to 1.25 gallons.
Day 2
Add yeast (I didn't hydrate properly added yeast to warm juice mix let sit for 15 mins then added mix to mulberry mush) I used red star montrachet yeast that came with the kit. I covered the primary fermenter with a cloth.
**I neglected to check SG here because I couldn't find a tall enough vessel**
Day 2 morning (about 12 hours after adding yeast)
thick layer of mullberry mush on top - I stir it is and I hear fizzing
Day 2 midday
same as above
Day 2 evening
same as above - I smell a surfer odor - I get concerned that the pulp layer is causing issues so I move the pulp to mesh bag that can with kit - I also check the temp of the juice and found it to be around 80 (outside temp ~75)
I found a way to measure SG it was 1.07
Day 3 morning
juice is fizzing like soda - stir it and mush jucie out of pulp
find a video about the kit I bought - see that they used the air lock at the very beginning so i seal primary fermenter and add airlock. It releases gas every few seconds.
Day 3 evening
Gas release slower but still a bit fizzy I check SG is equals 1.03 (what!! how is that possible!) I stir it up.
Day 4 evening
sulfur smell stronger - afraid that pulp is the issue so I remove it. I stir vigorously to drive off sulfur smell.
Day 5 midday ( today)
sulfur smell still there I stir vigorously again - smell *might* not be as strong.
Sooooo what to do now - let it rest with out doing anything to it so it can settle then rack to secondary? Just rack it now? just dump it out? Can it be saved? Am I fretting over nothing?
Any input is greatly appreciated!
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