Starting first batch - 2 gal. peach

[UglyBhamGuy]

awesome.

i was kinda throwing it out there (hoping i was right), so i added that question mark, hoping he would let us know if he had. Good to know that some of the stuff i have learned here has "stuck".

i am just getting used to answering peoples questions. Trying to help. Let me know, if something i say is wrong or isn't clearly worded (it could happen, even though my wife calls me the "human recorder". BTW- It doesn't help the situation if your wife asks if you've been listening to her and you play the entire conversation back word-for-word, 'specially if she doesn't like your impersonation of her voice.)

Also, i wouldn't K-Meta every time if i was racking every 3 weeks, maybe every other. Actually, i would stretch the time out to at least 2 months between rackings. The less air that gets in contact with the wine at this point, the better.

 

[UglyBhamGuy]

Dang, i'm long-winded. (since it's typing, would it be long-fingered?)

 

[nblatchley]

Keep the K-meta up

THe recipe I was using made no reference to K-meta or sorbate. So how much for 2.5 gallons and when should I add it? More info would be appreciated.

 

[Tom]

Meta is 1/4tsp for 6 gallons
or
1 campton tab per gallon

sorbate is 1/2 tsp per gal

post the recipe.. where did you get it that they did not mention meta or sorbate.

 

[kegmeister]

I would say your peach wine won't take as long as you think it will. I have a batch of apricot I started on July 30, it went through vigorous ferment in 5 days or so, secondary in another ten or twelve. (done meaning SG of .997). I just racked a few days ago, added some additional campden tabs and its starting to clear.

The point being I would watch it more than just weekly. I usually have the opposite problem and must resist the urge to mess with it too much.

 

[Old Philosopher]

My first 2 gal batch of peach was finished and cleared in 38 days. It was gone by day 45. Hahaha. Wonder what aged wine tastes like.

 

[kegmeister]

you don't have a drinking problem, you run out of wine, then you have a problem

 

[Old Philosopher]

Yeah... The only problem I have with drinking is when there's nothing left to drink.

 

[nblatchley]

Meta is 1/4tsp for 6 gallons
or
1 campton tab per gallon

sorbate is 1/2 tsp per gal

post the recipe.. where did you get it that they did not mention meta or sorbate.

I posted recipe at the front of the thread. I put 2 camton tabs at the beginning of the process before adding yeast. The recipe didn't have sorbate in it and it was based on a recipe from the book "The joy of winemaking"

 

[nblatchley]

I would say your peach wine won't take as long as you think it will. I have a batch of apricot I started on July 30, it went through vigorous ferment in 5 days or so, secondary in another ten or twelve. (done meaning SG of .997). I just racked a few days ago, added some additional campden tabs and its starting to clear.

The point being I would watch it more than just weekly. I usually have the opposite problem and must resist the urge to mess with it too much.

I put 2 campden tabs at the beginning, how many more did you add at racking?

 

[nblatchley]

Update - just racked second time

Well, due to a bunch of stuff coming up I didn't get to do my second racking (first was from must to 5 gallon best bottle).

So its still a little cloudy, and it tastes very strong alcohol taste on the front side. Even so it was smooth with a light peachy taste that lingers on the tongue after its swallowed. It tasted like its got good potential if the front end "woh!" alcohol taste becomes less pronounced with age. Can I expect that to happen?

I'll leave it another month or so before another rack (around the 1st of the year), and then leave it until Feb or march to bottle. Does that seem like the right time line?

As to clarity, its peach colored but I can't see through it in bulk except at the top inch or so. The small taste I poured was light and see through with a little bit of distortion. Is this as clear as it gets or should I expect more over the next month or so?

I used pectin enzyme at the front end of the fermentation process, but I'm not sure if it will need more clearing efforts.

 

[Old Philosopher]

I'm getting virtually no more sediment after 3 months. I have mine stored in 1 gal jugs for clearing, but translucent is about where it's at. That's about the same clarity I found in some store bought stuff.
I did a flavor pack along with the last racking, and the flavor more than makes up for any cloudiness.
My guests rave about it, and clarity doesn't seem to distract them.

 

[nblatchley]

I'm getting virtually no more sediment after 3 months. I have mine stored in 1 gal jugs for clearing, but translucent is about where it's at. That's about the same clarity I found in some store bought stuff.
I did a flavor pack along with the last racking, and the flavor more than makes up for any cloudiness.
My guests rave about it, and clarity doesn't seem to distract them.

Good to know.

Since its been 3 months do people think that the harsh initial alcohol taste will lesson with another month, will it happen over a longer period or will it stay there regardless of how long I bulk age it?

 

[Old Philosopher]

From my limited experience, that "dry" (harsh?) alcohol taste will be how it is until you back sweeten, and/or add a flavor pack to it.
My wife likes a drier wine than I do. We try to hit a balance.
I did some experimenting, and found that if I ferment to .990 SG, and then sweeten with a simple syrup made out of the batch itself until I hit 1.010 SG, the flavor is back, and it's not too sweet.
Whenever you're back sweetening something, DO IT IN SLOW STEPS! You can't go backwards if you get it too sweet. Making a syrup, rather than throwing raw sugar into your batch, helps to insure it's dissolved.
I tried dissolving sugar in the batch once, and it wasn't dissolved when I tested it, so I added more. It ended up waaaay too sweet.

 

[nblatchley]

From my limited experience, that "dry" (harsh?) alcohol taste will be how it is until you back sweeten, and/or add a flavor pack to it.
My wife likes a drier wine than I do. We try to hit a balance.
I did some experimenting, and found that if I ferment to .990 SG, and then sweeten with a simple syrup made out of the batch itself until I hit 1.010 SG, the flavor is back, and it's not too sweet.
Whenever you're back sweetening something, DO IT IN SLOW STEPS! You can't go backwards if you get it too sweet. Making a syrup, rather than throwing raw sugar into your batch, helps to insure it's dissolved.
I tried dissolving sugar in the batch once, and it wasn't dissolved when I tested it, so I added more. It ended up waaaay too sweet.

Thanks for the info.

The taste isn't so much dry as it is harsh along the lines of vodka. I'm not sure if that will soften over time, as I had to add water to the original mix to lower the potential alcohol content. I like dryer wines but this slams into the mouth more so than a really dry wine so I"m hoping that this is something that changes with age.

Maybe what it needs is oak or something to add to the complexity. As is it tastes like a very strong white (Reisling maybe) with a peachy taste.

 

[Old Philosopher]

Thanks for the info.

The taste isn't so much dry as it is harsh along the lines of vodka. I'm not sure if that will soften over time, as I had to add water to the original mix to lower the potential alcohol content. I like dryer wines but this slams into the mouth more so than a really dry wine so I"m hoping that this is something that changes with age.

Maybe what it needs is oak or something to add to the complexity. As is it tastes like a very strong white (Reisling maybe) with a peachy taste.

Have you calculated the ABV of this brew? Maybe it IS really high. My peach comes out about 12%-14% and needs sweetening. To me, "dry" means less fruity, more "alcohol taste".
I barely know what I'm doing, but my method is to determine how much ABV I want, and aim for about 1% over that initially. When fermenting stops in the secondary, then I go about increasing the sweetness (syrup), and flavor (homemade flavor pack, or in the case of cider, concentrated apple juice if needed). These additions lower the final ABV.

 

[nblatchley]

Have you calculated the ABV of this brew? Maybe it IS really high. My peach comes out about 12%-14% and needs sweetening. To me, "dry" means less fruity, more "alcohol taste".
I barely know what I'm doing, but my method is to determine how much ABV I want, and aim for about 1% over that initially. When fermenting stops in the secondary, then I go about increasing the sweetness (syrup), and flavor (homemade flavor pack, or in the case of cider, concentrated apple juice if needed). These additions lower the final ABV.

How do you calculate ABV (Alcohol By Volume right?)

 

[Old Philosopher]

How do you calculate ABV (Alcohol By Volume right?)

Not sure where you are on this journey, but the most critical piece of equipment is an hydrometer.
You test the Specific Gravity (SG) of your batch after combining juice, water (if you're adding any), and sugar. The more sugar you add, the higher the SG will go. That gives you your starting point. Most people start out around 1.085-1.090 for wine. Add your yeast and let it convert the sugars into alcohol. Plain water has an SG of 1.000. Wine will usually ferment to around .990 SG, the lowest number on the hydrometer scale.
When you have your high starting figure, and low finished figure you can calculate the alcohol by volume with this formula:

Starting SG - Ending SG x 133.2 = Alcohol by Volume. (I use 133.2 as a multiplier because that is the average of the two numbers most often used.)

So...if you don't know the Specific Gravity when you started, and you don't know what it was when the bubbles stopped, you're pretty much shooting in the dark as to alcohol content.

 

[n2tazmania]

Here we are a little over 3 months from the time you started. How is it on cloudiness?

I started a 3 gal batch of peach tonight. It has a S.G. of 1.06. Is that a high enough S.G. or do I need to add more sugar?

I have some Muscadine that is about 5 weeks old and it is clearing fine but has the harsh taste you described earlier. My wife made the comment it tasted like Vodka. It finished out at a S.G. of .991.

 

[Old Philosopher]

Here we are a little over 3 months from the time you started. How is it on cloudiness?

I started a 3 gal batch of peach tonight. It has a S.G. of 1.06. Is that a high enough S.G. or do I need to add more sugar?

I have some Muscadine that is about 5 weeks old and it is clearing fine but has the harsh taste you described earlier. My wife made the comment it tasted like Vodka. It finished out at a S.G. of .991.

Starting at 1.06, and going all the way to SG .990, you're looking at 9% abv.
Y'all have to remember that when you get down below SG 1.000 (tap water), ALL the sugar has been converted to alcohol. If it tastes like alcohol, and not fruit, that's to be expected. That's where back sweetening and adding flavor comes in. So far, all you did was make alcohol.
You can make alcohol with plain water, sugar and yeast.