!st time ever

[rognet]

Trying to make star fruit wine. 4 lb fruit, sugar, campden, strained, fermented etc, after 30 days I did my first rack. tried a sip, very slight vinegar taste, not horrible. but not pleasant. Is this what is referred to as "young" taste? or has the batch gone bad?

 

[LoneStarLori]

I have made several 'different' fruit wines and at one month, they have very little taste of the original fruit. But it does develop over time. However, I have not detected any vinegar flavor even when young.
I'm sure others will weigh in with a good answer. Don't toss it just yet.

 

[Julie]

if i was getting a vinegar taste, I would probably throw the wine out. What was your starting sg? and what is it now? And how did you make this and what other ingredients did you add?

 

[jswordy]

I wondered how much you are making cuz 4 pounds of any fruit is not a very great amount even for just 1 gallon. A vinegar taste could be contamination or even oxidation.

Important in any wine to have lots of fruit (8-10 pounds plus per gallon is not unusual) and to be sure you have enough sugar (SG 1.080 or more) plus the nutrients needed to get a fresh yeast packet going quickly. You want those yeasties to outcompete everything else in short order.

Did you sterilize all equipment? Did you dose the must with k meta and wait 24 hours before pitching yeast? Both are important in fresh fruit wines.

You really don't include a lot of info on your yeast and fermentation. I am assuming it was packet yeast and not a "natural fermentation."

 

[rognet]

I have followed this recipe to where I have waited 30 days in the glass carboy and racked. This is where I had a small sip and wasn't sure if was good or not. I did not take the first couple SG readings, darn it!

RECIPE FOR CARAMBOLA (STAR FRUIT) WINE - (makes 1 gallon)

6-3/4 pts. distilled water (8 pints in a gallon)
2-1/2 to 4 lbs. star fruit
1 large lemon, juiced, or 1 tsp. acid blend
11-oz. can Welch's 100% White Grape Juice Frozen Concentrate
10 oz. very fine granulated sugar (regular white sugar)
1 crushed and dissolved Campden tablet
1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
Sauterne, Hock or Champagne wine yeast
1/2 tsp. ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

Clean everything with acid wash, (instructions on bottle - .25 oz per 1.25 gal water)

Slice fruit thinly, place fruit and lemon in nylon straining bag and tie the bag closed.

Place in primary: water, bag with fruit, grape juice concentrate, sugar, 1 crushed Campden tablet. Read and record specific gravity (didn't do)

Wait 12 hours, add pectic enzyme into primary. Record specific gravity (didn't do)

Wait 12 hours, add activated yeast and again cover primary. Record specific gravity (didn't do again)

After fermentation becomes apparent, squeeze bag gently daily. Record specific gravity (1.045, next morning 1.01)

When specific gravity drops to 1.020 to 1.010, drip drain bag and transfer all liquid to glass carboy secondary. Top up with distilled water if necessary. Attach airlock.

Wait for fermentation to almost stop. Could be 2-3 days. Rack, top up with distilled water and refit airlock.

Wait 30 days and rack again. (Here is where I am)

Rack every 45-60 days until wine is clear and goes 30 days without dropping even a fine dusting of sediment.

Add another crushed and dissolved Campden tablet and the ascorbic acid, wait another 30 days and rack again.

Stabilize wine and sweeten to taste with sugar.

Even if you like your wine dry, sweeten a little and taste it. Sugar really brings up the flavor of camabola.

Wait 10-14 days and bottle.

 

[turkeylipz]

Interesting. I like star fruit! Sounds expensive though....and acidic. Without a SG it's hard to tell but that isn't too much sugar. You also mention a Carboy. Did you do a 1 gallon jug or up the amount to a 3 or 6 Carboy?


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

 

[rognet]

1 Gallon batch

1 gallon batch. Not too expensive.... I have a tree in my back yard