Started: First Quad Berry DB

[Tess]

Your choice, Tess. It will be good either way. This recipe is very versatile. Some folks don't add any lemon juice. I don't think the 8 oz will make much difference. If it doesn't bother you, just let it be.

It's going to be great!

Thanks, I will just leave it be. Its starting to do something down there. I just laid the lid on top didn't bother to seal it and Im starting to see vapor seeping out. Like waves you see lifting from a hot road in summer. Im excited

 

[damudman]

I just mixed another batch, this time I added bananas and raisins.
It goes to quick, I am so glad my son started to make his own.

 

[FTC Wines]

Started my first batch of DB yesterday, pitching yeast today. Used 5 lbs. of triple berry & 1 lb. of blackberries, 62 oz. of lemon juice, and only did a 5 gal. batch. No 6 gal. carboy's available. Time will tell! Roy

 

[Tess]

I have a hydrometer question. I pitched my yeast yesterday. Went down today to take temp, gravity reading, squeeze bag and stir. Temp was 74 Gravity 1.065 does that sound right. Im still getting the hang of this hydrometer thing. I think Im understanding it better now. May have even misread my fist reading. Its was around 1.070

 

[wineforfun]

That sounds about right. If I follow the directions to a T, mine is usually 1.070 -1.075 to start with.

 

[Tess]

I did. Except I added a little lesson Lemon juice. So it s continues to go down? Its not doing much right now. I do see and smells vapors coming off of it. I expected it to boil I think

 

[dangerdave]

Now you're makin' wine! Sounds like it's fermenting nicely, Tess. Remember, "Visual signs of fermentation are highly overrated." Use your hydrometer daily. It's your friend. The SG will drop steadily until it levels off somewhere just under 1.000.

This is a learning process, so take lots of notes that you can refer to later. I keep a wine journal, using a page or two for each batch, noting dates, times, SG's, temps, ingredients, impressions, tastes and smells. When a certain wine turns out great, I can refer back to my journal notes and make it exactly the same way later. That book is like the Bible in my Lab.

Can I get an "AMEN!"? ::

<oh, and thanks, Rob, for letting us temperarily hijack your thread>

 

[Tess]

Mine is going good. Sounding like Rice Crispies here too. I was thinking when I do the first racking, to do it into a bucket and then degass. Seems it would do better degassing in a bucket. More surface for the gas to escape. Then cover and let set a few days then rack into a carboy. Or should I rack into the carboy right away?

 

[dangerdave]

If you are being careful, and want to be absolutely sure it's done fermenting, leave it in the primary until you get three consecutive days of SG readings with no change (below 1.000). After that, if you want to degas in a bucket, rack it off the lees to a clean one and have at it. When you're done degassing, rack it to a carboy for clearing. Some people do it that way. I degas mine with my handy allinonewinepump, so I use a carboy.

Rice Crispies are good!

 

[Tess]

The allinonewinepump is definitely on my list of future buys

 

[ShepherdQ]

Bottled! Got the approval of the main customer, my wife. See the main DB thread for a Q I have about a leftover haze, not sure if you can see it in the pic.




I know t that's not a proper cork, this is an extra bottle that we'll drink right away

 

[Phador]

I started a batch thursday! Quad berry like many of you! I sneak a taste when I check the sg etc...this stuff is going to be great! Thanks again Dave!

 

[ckvchestnut]

I started my Dragons Blood yesterday. Pitched my yeast this afternoon. I just realized I only put in 40 oz of real lemon juice yesterday instead of the 48. Should I go ahead and add 8 more oz or just forget about it

Sorry I know this is an old thread! Tess I noticed you said you used less lemon juice an then I came across this post. How did that batch taste? Do you use the 40oz or did you further reduce after that batch? I used 40oz just because I know my tastes, however have no idea what the orig recipe tastes like with the 48oz anyway. I like to have something crisp and fruity with a bit of zing on the tongue but I do react to highly acidic drinks like Mikes lemonade just too acidic to me.

With my 20 cups of sugar I ended up with an SG reading of 1.060 so I upped the sugar with a lb of sultana raisins and a banana (all I had on hand) and came out to 1.082. Sure hope it will turn out nice. I may add a bit of sugar near the end to up my abv.