Skittle Wine

[Angelina]

LOL then it would be appropriate to put a Pic of Skittles on the Skittles wine label perhaps

 

[tjbryner]

So I think my skittle is stuck, actually; I started it at around 1.13 and a week later it's at 1.10ish. I'm planning on adding some more yeast nutrient tomorrow if there's no real change in the next 24 (unless someone has a better idea). Samples are amazingly good, though!

What yeast did you use?
Make sure your temp is up around 72, and give it a good stirring. If that doesn't get it going, then I'd add the nutrient.

 

[Runningwolf]

From what I am reading it sounds like the skittles was difficult to clear. Would filtering it help? I just need one good excuse to buy a filter pump I was thinking of only using the reds, yellow and orange so it wouldn't look as muddy.

How did you over work your candy cane wine?

I found a recipe here http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2688&highlight=candy+cane

Angelina, filtering helped out immensely. I always filter my wine. This is just my preference. It does not really help segregating out different colors as you can see mine came out clear using all colors.

The Candy Cane wine takes nearly a year to finish so yes, buy your canes on sale after the holidays and make it. I over worked mine by trying different things, different extracts (too Much), chocolate and more extracts. Many other folks have made this and were very happy with it. This was the first wine I dumped.

 

[arcticsid]

Angel, I had a quick talk with her and she said being on a label would be great, labling her as an alcohloic might piss her off!! LOL

 

[arcticsid]

On a similar note, I wondering this Halloween what a wine would be like with those candy corns we all know and love, and hate so much, would taste like.

 

[Angelina]

Thanks runningwolf, that is just the information I needed to know. Keep it simple and let it age.

arcticsid, if she was a dog... she would lap it up to get a chance to sport a wine label. LOL

 

[arcticsid]

The only sport she knows is killing voles and birds and the only thing she laps up is their blood!!!!!!

Plus she licks my hand when I give her skitckies!

AWWWWW! LMAO!

 

[greyday]

What yeast did you use?
Make sure your temp is up around 72, and give it a good stirring. If that doesn't get it going, then I'd add the nutrient.

EC-1118, two packets for 7 gallons. I debated using three (I'm usually a fan of overkill on yeast) but didn't want to go back to the store. I'm going to wrap a heating blanket around it tonight as it's been at room temp (68-70) and I was thinking a little warmth might go a long way, so thanks for the tip!

Also I use Wyeast Nutrient Blend which is supposed to have both nutrient and energizer in it and is added WITH the yeast, which I did. I'm going to check it tonight and possibly put the airlock back on the see if there's any increase in activity.

 

[mrzazz]

I put 2lbs of skittles in my 5 gallon batch as a fp. How long should I leave them in there? I would think the flavor is in the colorful outside. So once all the color is off I should rack? Or maybe just let it sit and see if it drops out?

 

[Runningwolf]

Well I was not too impressed by this sweet wine a week after bottling. Today I tried another sample from the same bottle thats been sitting in the refrigerator. It really came around and is quiet tasty. Definitely needs to be served chilled.

 

[Angelina]

I found Skittles on clearance at CVS yesterday but the interesting part was they now come in three varieties so I got them all.
The originals I will do all together but one seems promising called Blenders (yellow bag) each piece has multiple flavors : Cherry Tropicolada, Melon Berry Burst, Strawberry Lime Blast, Watermelon Green Apple Freeze, and Mango Lemonade Freeze. They all sounds so good I don't know if I should do them together or separate them.
The other variety was Crazy Core (Orange bag) and each piece has two flavors : strawberry/watermelon, blue raspberry/lemon, melon/berry, Cherry/lemonade

 

[Angelina]

Dan did you f-pak or backsweeten yours?

Well I was not too impressed by this sweet wine a week after bottling. Today I tried another sample from the same bottle thats been sitting in the refrigerator. It really came around and is quiet tasty. Definitely needs to be served chilled.

 

[Runningwolf]

I did backsweeten a bit but I did not need an f pack

 

[LJPelletier]

I found this place online selling bulk skittles, 40lbs for only $99

One could make about 50 Gallons of Skittle wine!

http://www.candymachines.com/Skittles-Candy-40-lbs-P1182.aspx

 

[greyday]

Ok, so mine is now, after what? 4 weeks? still only at 1.09 sg. I put it in a room with a space heater set to 77 and stirred up the lees, crossing my finger this restarts it. If not, two options: 1) dump the lot or 2) get more ec-1118 and try to hit my target of 15-18%. I figure another day or two to see if it restarts, but really I'm nervous about it having been in the primary this long. Starting SG was in the 1.12 range (unless my notes are wrong; if it started at 1.2, for example, then it's at 14% right now, but I think I'm right). Thoughts?

Second thought--would, after two days, transferring it to a secondary help?

 

[tjbryner]

If I was going to try and get that high of an ABV% I would have done it by multiple feedings, instead of starting with a high SG.

What is your temp? How much yeast nutrient did you use?

 

[SarahRides]

That does sound like a very high SG to start with, depending on the yeast you used, your yeast may have died of alcohol poisoning (some yeasts have higher tolerance than others). I agree, I would have started lower and fed slowly, maybe used a yeast with a higher tolerance to a higher ABV like the EC 1118 if you wanted to make rocket fuel.

 

[LJPelletier]

EC-1118 is great stuff... are there even any downsides to it? lol

 

[greyday]

If I was going to try and get that high of an ABV% I would have done it by multiple feedings, instead of starting with a high SG.

What is your temp? How much yeast nutrient did you use?

I used twice the 5gallon recommendation on the container, and added another 5gallon amount a few days ago.

EDIT: the temp has ranged a bit, but the first two weeks it was kept in a room at around 72, and then moved to a room where the ambient temp was around 69. Two weeks ago I wrapped a heating blanket around it. Last night I moved it into a room with a space heater, stirred up the lees, and set the heater's temp to 77.

I'm thinking I'll get another packet of yeast or two, as it still doesn't taste bad, and there's plenty of sugar...

 

[greyday]

That does sound like a very high SG to start with, depending on the yeast you used, your yeast may have died of alcohol poisoning (some yeasts have higher tolerance than others). I agree, I would have started lower and fed slowly, maybe used a yeast with a higher tolerance to a higher ABV like the EC 1118 if you wanted to make rocket fuel.

I used EC-1118. Two packets.

By my calculations (again, unless I recorded incorrectly) the current ABV is around 4%. The starting SG was too high because I didn't compensate well enough for the sugar in the Syrah concentrate. Glad I didn't follow the recipe to a t!