Sweetening using Welches white?

[smikes]

Have some fruit wines that I am going to stabilize and mabey backsweeten.Thinking of using Welches 100% white grape. Need your insight!


Do I reconstitute the frozen concentrate or use right out of can? Or is it better to buy the liquid ready to drink !00% juice?


Is it ok to add sorbate,kmeta and backsweeten at the same time?(I would adjust sugar first)


If I test and the Ph is a little weak, would it be OK to add acid blend also at the same time?(I would test that and TA before anything, if for no other reason than the practice).




Unfortunately, I have neen layed off of my job,which I have had for 20 years, so I have lots of wine time. So while I wait to see if the business picks back up, You may have to put up with all of my questions!!

 

[Bert]

I like to add my k-meta and sorbate first, give it a light stir and then backsweeten....just the way I like to do it...
I also add aicd blend after fermentation [testing it too], but add slowly and retest after about an hour...Sometime it changes as it is supposed too and other times not [can change faster or slower than expected].....


Sorry to hear about your job, hope things work out for the best for you...

 

[Tom]

You didn't say what kind of fruit wines you are making.
For fruit wines I make a F-PAC and simple syrup.
Add this after you add K-Met and sorbate. Make sure that is mixed well before you add any sugars.

 

[Wade E]

As others have said, add the k-meta and then the sorbate, stir well and then sweeten to taste making sure not t over sweeten. I like to use the same flavor for my wines as they are. In example, I will get some strawberry frozen concentrate or even a regular juice like Juicy juice and reduce it on a stove top in a pot with no lid on at medium heat un til it is 1/3 its size. Thats the way I typically do a fruit wine. I usually buy 2 quarts for a 6 gallon batch and add some sugar to these while its simmering.

 

[Rocky_Top]

So while I wait to see if the business picks back up, You may have to put up with all of my questions!!

Fire away!!! We have more answers than you have quetions GUARANTEED.

 

[smikes]

Well I did not have to back sweeten my pear.This is young, but taste like a Stainless steel fermented chardonney with the finish of pear. A little citrusy ? I found a reciepe that I kinda followed. It wanted 3 tsp of acid blend per6 gallon,but also supplimented with 6 tsp malic and 3 tsp tartaric.This was in addition to and not instead of.Ph was at 3.44. I re-added the oak I had in it as it was still light . I added 3 grams pot sorbate and 2.8 grams Kmet to the 5 gal carboy.









My banana was flat and read 3.75 pH Ta 55% so I added30 grams acid blend. This is 7 gal. 3.72 grams of met and 3.6 of pot sorbate.
My Welches concord was 3.14 pH. sg at .990
This was cloudy so I Superkleer'ed it and added3.1 grams K met. This is oaked during fermentation and I have rinsed the oak and transfered it through the two rackings(began 11/26)


I will let these go another two months before checking again. I may sweeten banana then.


Now to deal with the Strawberry, fruit punch wine,pomagranite cranberry, and a blackberry,raspberry,blueberry mix.

 

[smikes]

So while I wait to see if the business picks back up, You may have to put up with all of my questions!!

Fire away!!! We have more answers than you have quetions GUARANTEED.

You might regret that challenge!


I have probibly 8 different books on winemaking, and each of them vary by 1/4 to 1/2 tsp on additions of Kmet and Sorbate. I spent alot of time today trying to find an avarage so I would be safe.


I find it easier to come here the day before, post my intentions and having you kind folks stear me through! I like the way people here explain their ways of thinking and why one thing may work better then another.

 

[Wade E]

That variation is within limits as we typically dont sulfite our wines nearly as much as commercial wines do so even at 1/2 tsp per 6 gallon we would still be under most commercial wine.

 

[Bert]

Wade ...you mean 1/2 tsp per 6 gals. don't you????? 1/2 tsp per gallon would be a lot...

 

[Wade E]

Yes I do Bert and I have fixed it! Dang brain is not functioning lately! Thanks!

 

[Bert]

That's OK Wade we just have to help each other once in a while...That's way we are here..

 

[Tom]

Yes I do Bert and I have fixed it! Dang brain is not functioning lately! Thanks!

WADE
Is that because you been lifting to many glasses of WINE ?

 

[Wade E]

I am having all sorts of problems tonight, I cant spell and I cant type and I HAVENT had but one glass which Rocky Top made me spit some of that out!

 

[Bert]

That's alcohol abuse....wasting wine like that...

 

[Tom]

I agree !!
Wade.. Time to go to bed LOL

 

[grapeman]

I'm going to change the subject here for a second with a question for smikes........................


What is this man? You have been holding out on us a bit don't you think?

Are you going to use a jack with it or a screw?
What type of catch pan do you have?


I know - more than one question. But when were you planning on showing us this work of art?

 

[Tom]

Looks like a guillotine for wine

 

[grapeman]

It looks like agreat home made Grape or apple press to me. I am sure it will be a great addition to his winemaking tool arsenal.


I want to know more about it!

 

[Wade E]

That does look awesome! Please tell us and include a diagram if you have 1!

 

[smikes]

Oh oh, Appleman, so it was you who planted those hidden cameras all through my house! Next there be scandulous tapes of my wife and I for sale on the internet!

My fruit wine making is all practice for grapes.In my never ending search for info on all things wine I came across a place where some folks have built their own press,took what worked for them and changed what didn't.


This is built using 2x10 hemlock and rubbed in with a heavy coat of mineral oil. Basket is12x16, but there is enough room to exand if I need to.I have a 6 ton bottle jack to add to it. As far as a juice tray, I am still trying to figure out something that will look good and yet low cost. IF I WERE IN MAINE, I would go to that prison woodshop outlet and have a thick butcher block routered out. It would cost me 160.00 to have it done around here.I made it tall enough tho put a large pail under it and 21 inches between the verticle uprights. The horizontal headers are made up of three 2x10 each,glued and bolted to really tie them together.




Thanks for the encouragement! And appleman, I want a cut out of those hidden camera tapes you sell!