Procedure Question

[Winepig]

We had some leftover Concord grapes from jelly making today. I'm going to try this recipe from a recent thread:


Homemade Dry Concord Grape Wine Recipe

1 gallon water
10 lbs Concord grapes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
1 package wine yeast

Bring water and sugar to boil in a large pot. Separate grapes from stems and place in primary fermentation container. Crush grapes and pour water into container. Let cool until room temperature. Stir in yeast nutrient and yeast. Cover and let sit for 1 day. Ferment for 3 weeks stirring once a day. Strain through mesh bag into secondary fermentation container. Let rest for 1 month. Rack and let sit for 2 months. Rack into bottles and let rest for at least 9 months before serving.

Do I really want to leave this in the primary with yeast added for 3 weeks?? I was always told once you add yeast, you want it under an airlock to keep it from spoiling. Isn't fermentation in a covered primary going to result in rot??

I'm only doing a gallon but I don't want to ruin it.

Back in the day, making wine with my dad, we used a cider press to press the grapes so we could put it under the airlock right away. I realize I have to steep all the good stuff out of the grapes, but 3 weeks in the open air seems extreme..... should I just follow the recipe and quit worrying??

Thanks,

Tim

 

[Julie]

I won't let it in an open container for three weeks and I won't let the wine ferment on the skins that long. Once it gets down to 1.010 - 1.000, either transfer it to a carboy or take the skins out and snap down the lid and add an airlock.

 

[BobF]

+1 to what Julie said ... also that recipe seems suspicious to me. Why dilute so much? I doubt 10# of grapes would give even 1 gal of juice, so you're diluting to less than 50%.

I would crush the grapes and test the TA of the juice and only dilute as necessary to get the acid down to an acceptable level. And this is only if TA high to begin with.

If you'll be topping with water along the way the situation will only get worse. In fact, if you're going to top with water when racking, I would leave the TA high and not dilute at all.

YMMV

 

[winemaker_3352]

+1 to what Julie said ... also that recipe seems suspicious to me. Why dilute so much? I doubt 10# of grapes would give even 1 gal of juice, so you're diluting to less than 50%.

I would crush the grapes and test the TA of the juice and only dilute as necessary to get the acid down to an acceptable level. And this is only if TA high to begin with.

If you'll be topping with water along the way the situation will only get worse. In fact, if you're going to top with water when racking, I would leave the TA high and not dilute at all.

YMMV

I totally agree..

 

[OldCanalBrewing]

I am doing same recipe with 21lbs of grapes though. I think ill check the gravity then rack like you said. If its too "thin/flavorless", could one add a fpac made with frozen grape juice concentrate to add to carboy to get rid of airspace? Or would that just mess up the gravity again? Plenty more grapes to pick, so if it doesn't turn out great, oh well.

 

[Winepig]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm an old fashioned (redneck) winemaker, so I don't have the instruments it takes for SG's & TA's.

Your answers reinforced my thinking the 3 week soak was too long. I also talked to an old neighbor who said they threw grapes and all into the keg and let 'er sit till it was done....... he said sometimes they had to blow into the tap to clear a grape that lodged in it.

I split the difference.... after 24 hrs, I pored the whole soaking mess into a large carboy and added yeast. We'll see what comes out the other end. If smell/taste are an early indication, it should be good stuff.

Thanks again for the replies,

Tim