Starting SG and ending SG

[Madriver Wines]

My hydrometer's booklet says to achieve a medium sweet wine I should start with a SG of 1.12 to 1.14. Won't this just make the alcohol content higher or do I stop the fermentation at some point?

 

[arcticsid]

Depending on what type of yeast you use. Some yeasts will die at 12% some will go higher. There is always an option to "back sweeten" later. What is it you are trying to make and what is the SG now?

 

[Wade E]

Those instructions really are old and not recommendable for anyone as yeast can do what it wants. ive seen yeast strains with tolerances of 13% make it all the way to 15.5% which made the wine dry and and way to high an abv for that specific wine. I recommend most wines starting with an sg of around 1.085 and then sweeten when done by either making a simple syrup or making a flavor pack with fruit. What kind of wine are you wanting to make?

 

[Madriver Wines]

I am making a 1 gallon batch of strawberry and though I would make the wife happy and make it sweeter. I had just seen the instructions to make it sweet but thought it would only come out high in abv. I have made a mixture of the berries, tannin, acid blend, pectic enzyme and the campden solution. I am to let that sit 24hrs. then add water, sugar, yeast nutrient and yeast . I wanted to slowly add the sugar to get close to 1.081 hoping for 10 - 11% apv. Will I get close?

 

[cpfan]

My hydrometer's booklet says to achieve a medium sweet wine I should start with a SG of 1.12 to 1.14. Won't this just make the alcohol content higher or do I stop the fermentation at some point?

Reading the hydrometer booklet is probably a good idea. But hopefully there are more instructions present than on the hydrometer pages that I've seen.

Steve

 

[Wade E]

You should be adding everything but the pectic enzyme and yeast at this point. After 12 hours you add the pectic enzyme and wait another 12 hours to add the yeast.

 

[Tom]

After you follow Wades comments you can check back and look into How to Backsweeten and adding F-pac's
Welcome aboard !

 

[smurfe]

If you really want a sweetened wine you really should target your Starting SG to the alcohol level you want, ferment to dry and then back sweeten. I have yet to make a wine using lower tolerance yeasts that did not ferment to dry. This allows you to have full control of the taste you wish with your wine.

 

[arcticsid]

Using frozen concentrate to backsweeten

I remeber someone in here, and I think it was Wade, that suggested using undiluted frozen concentrate juice, simmering it to reduce it and adding this as a sweetener as opposed to a simple syrup. Has anyone else done this with the frozen concentrate?
Troy
(I realize now I should have posted this as a new thread, sorry, I quess we all forget forum etiquette sometimes)

 

[St Allie]

you lot are gonna give me crap for this opinion...

Come on guys?

Every now and then..just make up the recipe and hope for the best..Do a gallon recipe... Don't hate me in 3 months time ok?

.. winks

acidic wines or insipid wines.. blended...

can make spectacular wines.. esp if you have a friend that's a know it all..

trust me .. we all know one of those

Allie xxx

 

[arcticsid]

Some like a sweet wine, and if I understand correctly, it's pretty hard to accomplish without backsweetening. I too hope for the best, but if it isn't what I set out to accomplish it, than it's not really the best. You could paint my house fantastic, but if I don't like the color, than although it is great, doesn't mean it is for me. Silly analogy, but the best I could come up with on the "fly"HeeHee
Troy

 

[Wade E]

I will admit to doing it the wrong way a few times and it worked but most people who followed me with the same recipe(and I warned them not to) tried it and the abv went way past where it should have stopped. I still had to sweeten afterwards though so gained nothing and the risk was not worth anything!

 

[arcticsid]

So in conclusion, if you were to wanted to sweeten go with the simple syrup method?

 

[Wade E]

Depends on what you are making, almost all fruit wines need tuning up IMO. If it is a white grape wine then mostly just use a simple syrup, fruits get the juice method or even better the simmered fruit pack.

 

[St Allie]

yes..so far all my fruit wines need fine tuning..I'm forming a habit for blending them..

am enjoying fiddling though.. my outlook so far is..the more fruits in the wine.. the more interesting is the finish..

I'm definately moving away from wines made with just one type of fruit.

Allie

 

[Tom]

I haven't met a fruit wine that did NOT need backsweetening and I make ALOT. Nor, Have I seen one that did NOT need a f-pac.

 

[Madriver Wines]

Ok, I will follow you guy's suggestions. One more question. What is a f-pac? I am new at this you know. Thanks for all the help so far. Today I will add sugar to reach 1.081 to 1.085 and go with it.

 

[Wade E]

An F-Pac is what some of us call it when we make a flavor pack from either juices concentrated on stove top or by simmering some fruit with just a little bit of water on stove top. I usually take approx. 1/3 the amount of fruit used to make the actual batch of wine and freeze this and then thaw it out when ready to sweeten the wine. I will add just a bit of water to a pot so that the fruit is not burning in the pot and simmer thios extracting all the juice I can out of this fruit and add a little sugar to this also.
Sometimes I have to use juice when I can not find the fruit I want, I will usually take 2 quarts for a 6 gallon batch and condense them down on stove top till 1/3 its original size and add about 1 lb or more of sugar to this and let it cool and add either of these mixes to the wine slowly till Im happy with both flavor and sweetnees. Do not over sweeten your wine!

 

[Madriver Wines]

Thanks Wade. I joined this site because of guys like you and others who take time to help newbies like myself. I'll definately try the f-pac . I prefer dry wines but my wife only likes sweet wines. I am shooting for somewhere is the middle. I hope ha ha

 

[Madriver Wines]

I just finished up adding 2lbs of sugar the yeast nutrien and the yeast. My starting SG is 1.083. All the pulp is at the top, is this normal? Will it settle?