Starting with a SG of 1.19 too high???

[shawnhersh]

I'm brand new to the forum but have already learned a lot by reading through questions and answers.

I started my first batch of homemade concord grape wine last Wednesday, so it's been 4 days.

Couple questions:
1. I started with a SG of 1.19, kind of by accident, added too much sugar. Is this too high of a starting SG?
2. On the 4th day the SG is 1.10, is it fermenting ok?
3. Since things seem to be moving slower, when do I move to secondary carboy?

Thanks in advance to any/all who have replies. I look forward to being active on the forum!

Shawn

 

[Julie]

yes it is, you are going to have a high alcohol and a very extremely sweet wine. What are you making?

 

[shawnhersh]

I used juice concentrate, again this is my first time. I like sweet wine, and was planning to back sweeten, which may not be necessary now. So can I keep plugging along or do I need to start over?

 

[Abrnth3]

As Julie has said. You are going to have a wine like Mogan David (MD20/20). It will still be a wine and may make great wine coolers. If this is not what you want you could go out and get you more grape juice and cut your must still you get the SG your looking for.

 

[shawnhersh]

For next time, still with a sweet wine finish in mind, what should be my starting SG?

 

[chrisjw]

Looks like it is fermenting fine. If you let it go, SG will probably only get to 1.05-1.07 depending on your yeast's tolerance to alcohol. EC-1118 can go to 18% ABV according to Lalvin. But 18% is going to be very, very strong. You might want to stop the fermentation early (with sorbate + kmeta) but then it will be sweeter. In either case, if the result has a decent taste, you can always make another weaker and or less sweet batch and blend the two together.

editted 7/21: as loumik points out later, do not follow my suggestion to stop fermentation. Sorbate and kmeta should not be used to stop fermentation. It is used to stop re-fermentation once fermentation has already stopped.

I am interested to find out what yeast you used and what your SG is when fermentation stops.

 

[chrisjw]

For next time, still with a sweet wine finish in mind, what should be my starting SG?

1.09-1.10, ferment to dry SG < .996, add kmeta+sorbate, sweeten to taste.

 

[shawnhersh]

Perfect - thanks for all the replies. I think I'll let it dwindle down to the numbers you all mentioned.

Last question: since ferment is slower, when should I move to secondary?

 

[loumik]

Looks like it is fermenting fine. If you let it go, SG will probably only get to 1.05-1.07 depending on your yeast's tolerance to alcohol. EC-1118 can go to 18% ABV according to Lalvin. But 18% is going to be very, very strong. You might want to stop the fermentation early (with sorbate + kmeta) but then it will be sweeter. In either case, if the result has a decent taste, you can always make another weaker and or less sweet batch and blend the two together.

chrisjw,
As has been repeated on this forum thousands of times, trying to stop a fermentation is not a good idea. K-meta is used to protect wine from bacterial infections and oxidation. Sorbate is used to prevent fermentation from restarting after the wine is finished. The best thing to do is to let the fermentation finish and go from there.

LOUMIK

 

[Julie]

For next time, still with a sweet wine finish in mind, what should be my starting SG?

between 1.080 and 1.090. For a fruit going any higher and the alcohol bite will mask the fruit flavor. And when you backsweeten don't forget to add k-meta and sorbate first then add the sugar. Normally I take some wine out, warm that up and add my sugar for backsweetening. Backsweeten to about 1.006, taste to see if you need to go higher, actually I am thinking you will like 1.010. You need any more help post up.

 

[shawnhersh]

Thanks very much - I'll let you know how it turns out

 

[loumik]

Perfect - thanks for all the replies. I think I'll let it dwindle down to the numbers you all mentioned.

Last question: since ferment is slower, when should I move to secondary?

shawnhersh,
Generally I would rack to secondary when the SG reaches 1.020-1.010. But since your wine will never get that low I would recommend that you leave it in the primary, add an airlock and let it finish fermentation. When the SG has been unchanged for 2-3 consecutive days rack to a sanitized carboy and stabilize. Sample the wine and decide if you think the alcohol level is too high and/or if it is too sweet. As Abruth3 suggested above adding more juice will lower the Alc. level and may make it a little less sweet.
As for your question about starting SG I generally try for a starting SG of about 1.080-1.090. Ferment dry and back sweeten to taste. Of course if you want a higher alc. level you would bring the SG up by adding sugar.

Good luck, and if you have more questions ask away there will usually be someone here to answer them.

LOUMIK

 

[Loner]

Just out of curiosity what yeast did you use. Regardless of what type you used it would be interesting to know how low it ferments for you. Please share with us your hydrometer reading when it stops fermenting. The reason the above posts predict you won't go below 1.020 is your alcohol level will be so high it will hinder/stop the ferment.

 

[chrisjw]

chrisjw,
As has been repeated on this forum thousands of times, trying to stop a fermentation is not a good idea. K-meta is used to protect wine from bacterial infections and oxidation. Sorbate is used to prevent fermentation from restarting after the wine is finished. The best thing to do is to let the fermentation finish and go from there.

LOUMIK

You are right. Sorry for even suggesting it.

 

[Thig]

You could end up with a port style wine if the yeast doesn't die too soon.

 

[cpfan]

I'm brand new to the forum but have already learned a lot by reading through questions and answers.

I started my first batch of homemade concord grape wine last Wednesday, so it's been 4 days.

Couple questions:
1. I started with a SG of 1.19, kind of by accident, added too much sugar. Is this too high of a starting SG?
2. On the 4th day the SG is 1.10, is it fermenting ok?
3. Since things seem to be moving slower, when do I move to secondary carboy?

Thanks in advance to any/all who have replies. I look forward to being active on the forum!

Shawn

1. My hydrometer only reads up to 1.150. Are you sure that your reading was 1.190?
2. Dropping to 1.100 in four days seems a little quick, but possible in ideal conditions.
3. Things are moving slower after 4 days? You move to secondary when the sg is below 1.010.

Steve

 

[jswordy]

1.) Yer fine for what you want. Don't fret. When you use high sugar to start, your ferment will get underway slower. Keep the liquid at about 75 degrees minimum and let it go on.

2.) You will end up with a wine like the Welch's Concord the Super Sugar Way recipe that is below my sig here. I wish I had a dollar for every forum member who has used that recipe and PMed me about it but would not admit it publicly here.

3.) The way you will end up with that style wine is, the yeast will go until they make enough alcohol to kill themselves. That will leave residual sugar.

4.) When fermentation slows down, to where you have not seen any sign of fermenting for a month, please add k meta and potassium sorbate to stabilize the wine. Degas, let it settle and wait another month or more (racking as needed) before thinking about bottling.

5.) Despite the fact that so many people here seem to think stopping a fermentation is impossible, difficult or will destroy your wine, wineries do it all the time. But you are not technically stopping this one, it is stopping itself.

6.) I drink GALLONS of this wine, using Welch's Grape Concentrate as the base. Drank some every night for the past 2 weeks. People will beg you for this wine at parties when they turn their noses up at your "correct" wines. No worries.

7.) Be very patient.

 

[wineforfun]

jswordy is all over it. As I like to call him, "King of Welchs". I will proudly admit I make Jim's recipe and he is right, all the places/parties I have taken it too, the people love it.

shawnhersh,
let it roll and I think you will be happy with the results. You won't need to backsweeten it, it should have enough residual sugar left from the starting SG.

 

[chrisjw]

1.)
5.) Despite the fact that so many people here seem to think stopping a fermentation is impossible, difficult or will destroy your wine, wineries do it all the time. But you are not technically stopping this one, it is stopping itself.
.

The comments against stopping fermentation in this thread deal with stopping it with sorbate and kmeta which is not very effective on its own. Of course, fermentation can be stopped. Some ways that fermentation can be stopped prematurely is by removing the yeast with filtration, or killing the yeast with pasteurization (heat or UV) or by adding alcohol. Some if not all of these methods will change the taste of the product. Yeasts have different tolerances to each so one must know their yeast. Are there other methods?...I do not know.

Lalvin EC-1118 goes to 18%. I wish that the original poster would indicate the type of yeast used and what the final FG is at some point.

 

[Loner]

I wish I had Jim's recipe ...