question about wine bucket

[askins3097]

This is my first post, and first problem I have ran into, and its a long one, I apologize. This past October I picked up two juice buckets from consumers produce in Pittsburgh. The brand was Home wine maker, or something along those lines. One was a white chardonnay and the other called mixed black. The chardonnay finished ok, although a little dry. Now here is the problem with the mixed black. I didn't notice any signs of fermentation for a few days, checked it with the hydrometer, and it was really low, below what is said finished wine should be. I didn't write down the exact number. So I added my sorbate and campden and set it in my wine room thats around 50 degrees to settle for a week or so before I bottled it. Well I tasted it and it tastes good initially but has a very strong alocohol after taste. I was told by a few people that sweet wines in buckets are tricky because all the sugar will work out if your not careful. This obviously isn't a problem for a merlot or another dry wine, but for me it killed my wine's taste. I should of checked it earlier and stopped the fermentation sooner. LIve and learn I guess. Any one have any idea what I could add to boost the flavor on this? I'm not sure what mixed black is even supposed to be, grape wise. I was thinking about adding some Lambrusco to it? Thanks any help appreciated.

 

[Julie]

Hi askins3097,

Welcome to winemakingtalk, especially another PA'er,

You should never try and stop a fermentation, you should let if ferment to dry then backsweeten. Yes I agree there are some wines that need to be sweeten to pull out their flavors, especially a fruit wine. Take a reading and wait a few days and then take another reading, do this another time and if the reading has not moved your wine has stopped fermenting, you can add sugar to bring back the flavor. You can also do this with the chardonnay as well.

 

[ffemt128]

This is my first post, and first problem I have ran into, and its a long one, I apologize. This past October I picked up two juice buckets from consumers produce in Pittsburgh. The brand was Home wine maker, or something along those lines. One was a white chardonnay and the other called mixed black. The chardonnay finished ok, although a little dry. Now here is the problem with the mixed black. I didn't notice any signs of fermentation for a few days, checked it with the hydrometer, and it was really low, below what is said finished wine should be. I didn't write down the exact number. So I added my sorbate and campden and set it in my wine room thats around 50 degrees to settle for a week or so before I bottled it. Well I tasted it and it tastes good initially but has a very strong alocohol after taste. I was told by a few people that sweet wines in buckets are tricky because all the sugar will work out if your not careful. This obviously isn't a problem for a merlot or another dry wine, but for me it killed my wine's taste. I should of checked it earlier and stopped the fermentation sooner. LIve and learn I guess. Any one have any idea what I could add to boost the flavor on this? I'm not sure what mixed black is even supposed to be, grape wise. I was thinking about adding some Lambrusco to it? Thanks any help appreciated.

If you are sure that you have stabilized this, you can backsweeten the wine with a simple sugar. This should bring back some flavors. What is the sg reading now? Is it still in the carboy or have you bottled it already? I would backsweeten a little at a time with samples until you find a sg where you like it. I have heard that the mixed black is supposed to be good.

 

[Runningwolf]

Hey askins3097 welcome to the forum. Glad you found us and keep asking the questions. I can't help you on this one but there's lots of folks that can. Consumers is a pretty cool place, I stopped there this past fall.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I've used Premiere Produce in the strip, also great. They carry the Regina line. Top quality juices.

Ferment completely dry then stabilize and clear. Age then back sweeten with inverted sugar in some wine. My Chardonnay I brought back to @ .998 Never did a mixed black, I'll have to add that to my list.

Adding just a small amount of inverted sugar to your wines can really boost the taste. We can help you here with this.

Welcome to the forum, I know you are gonna enjoy your time on here and learn a lot. We all do.

 

[askins3097]

The mixed black is still in the carboy. I just went and checked it for you guys, its right between .980 and .970. The same as it was before I stabilized it, give or take a little. I know I didn't write down the exact number, my hydrometer has a finished wine line at .990 and I remembered it being a line or two above. My chardonnay was right at .980 too, but I already bottled it. It was cleared nice, had a good taste, so I bottled it hoping it would loose a little of the dry harshness over time. Now back to the mixed black. Would adding the sweet table wine, plain sugar, or a sugar syrup mix be best? And what would be a good target hydrometer reading? This wine had an amazing taste when I racked it back in the beginning of November, I just want that back. THanks for all the help. I've made a few batches of fruit wine in the past, but this is my first run with the juice buckets, or "real" wine for that matter.

 

[Julie]

The chardonnay will lose some of it's harshness over time. Everyone seems to have their preference on how they backsweeten but this is what I do. I pull some wine out of the carboy, add sugar and heat up, do not boil just warm and stirr to disolve the sugar. I would start with 2 cups, add that back in and taste, if it is to your liking take a reading and write it down so the next time you make this you will know where to backsweeten it to. If you still need add more sugar, just repeat the process until you get to where the wine is to your liking. Also, the wine will sweeten slightly more after it has been bottled and aged so it is best to try and stop slightly less than what you would want.

 

[Duster]

askins3097 Welcome aboard, the folks here have helped me through some nail bitting situations before so I'm sure they can help you out as well. What Julie says about back sweetening is the same method I follow and now that I have that figured out my wines have been much better. When reading this one question comes to mind to throw out to the Forum,
I have never done juice buckets before but is it possible to add an F-PAC to a bucket wine? IMO this is a must for fruit wines. I would not even know what to suggest you make it out of other than grape juice, maybe someone else may be more familiar with this "mixed black" and have a better suggestion.

 

[askins3097]

askins3097 Welcome aboard, the folks here have helped me through some nail bitting situations before so I'm sure they can help you out as well. What Julie says about back sweetening is the same method I follow and now that I have that figured out my wines have been much better. When reading this one question comes to mind to throw out to the Forum,
I have never done juice buckets before but is it possible to add an F-PAC to a bucket wine? IMO this is a must for fruit wines. I would not even know what to suggest you make it out of other than grape juice, maybe someone else may be more familiar with this "mixed black" and have a better suggestion.

This was the same question/problem I was at in a round about way. When I have made fruit wines, it's easy, get the same type of juice, add some extra sugar to taste and done. That's how I was always taught anyways... I was lost on this one.
As a little update on my situation, I took Julie's advice. I siphoned out a large kitchen glass worth, added just a cup of sugar though, and put it back. I'm going to taste it tomorrow and go from there.

 

[Julie]

Let us know how the backsweetening goes. I have only done 3 juice buckets and they are still in carboys, so I can't tell you about f-packs but I don't think they will be neeed. Mine are very strong in flavor and I won't be adding any water to water them down. I think once you have it backsweetened to where you like it you are going to be very happ with the flavor.

 

[ffemt128]

You should not need to add a f-pac to the juice buckets. It will have plenty of flavor. I would check your SG, which you did, then make up a simple syrup and add that until it gets to a sweetness you like. I too do what Julie explained, I'll take a cup of wine from the carboy and disolve 2 cups of sugar in that on the stove and slowly add until I'm at my target sg.

You can do a search and download winecalc, it will let you know the varous amounts of sugar needed to get from your existing sg to your target sg. Don't add sugar blindly without sampling, remember, once it's in, you cant take it back out but you can alway add more if needed.

 

[askins3097]

I ended up adding close to another cup of sugar, should of just listened the first time, haha. Well it has a pretty good taste, a lot smoother now, or less dry tasting. I'm going to let it sit in my wine cellar for a few weeks to see if it drops anymore sediment, and then bottle it. Thanks for all the help.

 

[sly22guy]

Welcome another fellow Pa'er! If you have the room i would def bulk age both of your wine's for min 6 months. then bottle age min of another 6 months. it will really mellow and come out nice. Most recommend 1-1.5yrs on whites and 1.5-2 years on reds.