This is like playing golf!

[SpoiledRotten]

Sometime, I tee off and the ball goes the perfect distance, but the direction is off. Sometime, I tee off and the direction is perfect, but I'm short or long. If I could get the D and D (distance and direction) perfect on every shot, then my golf game would greatly improve.

When I made some of the first batches of wine, I didn't de-gas the wine before bottling, wondering why others' wine was so beautiful and clear. I learned that you have to de-gas, let sit, or let sit shorter period with clearing agents. I then had a batch going and like the previous batches, I simply poured the sugar into the mixture and most likely stalled out the fermentation earlier than normal. I learned to heat up the liquid, add sugar to dilute well so the yeast doesn't have to work so hard. I applied what I learned and did that with this last batch. I let it sit for 24 hours after adding the pectin Enz and the other chemicals.
Then after reading here that you should stir the must early and often, I put my yeast in (after the 24 hours), stirred well and loosely placed the lid over the bucket (with towel over that) so it would get oxygen to allow the yeast to work. After doing this yesterday, I started watching videos of homemade wine on Youtube. This guy (Craig somebody... a white headed guy you may have seen) says mix well then pour the yeast carefully over the top of the must, and do not stir. In fact, this guy says "put the lid on tightly, place the airlock on it, and don't disturb the must for at least a week". Now, I wonder if I've messed up yet again, only the stirring in the yeast part. I believe what I've read here that the oxygen needs to get to the yeast to make it work properly, but my concern is if I've read on this forum to stir several times a day during the primary, then why would it matter if you stir your yeast into the solution right off the bat?

Just for the record:
Making 5 gal Strawberry/Mango
SG is 1.130 before yeast
I've used no water in hopes that it will be very flavorful but I'm hoping my SG isn't too high starting off.
5 gal juice
10# sugar (heated and dissolved into 3 qt. of the juice)
Pectin Enz per instructions
Acid blend per instructions
Tannin per instructions
6 crushed Campden tablets
Yeast Nutrient
After 24 hours, 2 packs wine yeast

 

[Tom]

WAY TO HIGH STARTING GRAVITY!

You now have rocket fuel. This gravity will give you over 17% alcohol.
I doubt you will taste anything but alcohol.
Some yeast will die before it reaches that%. What yeast R U using.
I'm guessing you went by a printed recipe and just added the sugar,and acid blindly.
You need to get WineCalc http://mpesgens.home.xs4all.nl/thwp/winecalc.html
this will tell you how much sugar to add for a starting gravity of 1.085 for ALL fruit wines.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

WAY TO HIGH STARTING GRAVITY!

You now have rocket fuel. This gravity will give you over 17% alcohol.
I doubt you will taste anything but alcohol.
Some yeast will die before it reaches that%. What yeast R U using.
I'm guessing you went by a printed recipe and just added the sugar,and acid blindly.
You need to get WineCalc http://mpesgens.home.xs4all.nl/thwp/winecalc.html
this will tell you how much sugar to add for a starting gravity of 1.085 for ALL fruit wines.

So, to correct this, should I get more juice and mix to make a couple of more gallons out of this, to dilute the sugar content? Hate to have another "beginner batch". I'll probably need to add some more chemicals to make up the other two gallons, if that is what you would suggest.

Thanks for the response and advice.

 

[Tom]

yes add another gallon to start and take another reading
did you add yeast yet?

 

[ibglowin]

I don't believe any of us "snap the lid" on at the beginning of fermentation. Just lay it on top and cover the airlock hole with a towel of sorts. Gentle stir once a day and watch the SG until it gets down to 1.03 or so then seal it up and add airlock.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

I did add the yeast yesterday afternoon, Tom.

The Red Star in the blue pack (that's real wine making talk). Sorry, but I don't know the names to all of this stuff yet and I'm not at home to look at the label.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

I don't believe any of us "snap the lid" on at the beginning of fermentation. Just lay it on top and cover the airlock hole with a towel of sorts. Gentle stir once a day and watch the SG until it gets down to 1.03 or so then seal it up and add airlock.

Thanks Mike. That is one part that did make sense here, so I'm sticking with that for sure. I didn't snap on the lid. I'm merely keeping dust and any other foreign particles out for now with the lose lid and towel.

 

[robie]

Thanks Mike. That is one part that did make sense here, so I'm sticking with that for sure. I didn't snap on the lid. I'm merely keeping dust and any other foreign particles out for now with the lose lid and towel.

You got it right. During primary fermentation, the yeast need oxygen; during secondary and there after, keep oxygen away from the wine as much as possible.

 

[robie]

Concerning pitching yeast; whether to stir it in or not-

If you just open the yeast packet and sprinkle it on the top, the general method says you don't need to stir it in; just let it set on top and it will descend when it needs to do so.

If you first hydrate your yeast with water or make a yeast starter, I would gently stir it in. As a liquid, it will immediately descend into the must anyway.

Either way, the yeast will "find a way" to do their job. It is just that the more things you do, which have proven to work well, the more likely you will have a successful result.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

You people are greatly appreciated! Thanks so much.

I just had my wife open the primary fermenter, add enough juice to bring the level from about 4" below the rim to about 1.5" below the rim. I had her gently stir in the new juice. I'm guessing that will help some. I'll take a reading this afternoon when I get home to see where it is now. I also had her add one more packet of yeast to the top and we'll let it float around and descend at will, then she lightly covered the must back with the lid and towel.

Do you think it has a chance now?

 

[jtstar]

The one question that I have for you is you say you have an sg reading of 1.130 was that before or after you added the ten pounds of sugar

 

[robie]

Once it all gets going again, give the must a really good stir to distribute the extra sugar throughout the whole container. Make sure it doesn't foam up and over the sides.

if the ABV is going to be too high for the yeast, they eventually will die from the alcohol, fermentation will stop, and will leave the wine still sweet. Just keep this in mind if you back sweeten. Make sure you properly stabilize (kmeta and sorbate).

It's a learning process. Later on, if it proves to be too alcoholic, all is not lost by any means; make another batch and blend them... there is always a way to make it right for you!!!

 

[SpoiledRotten]

The one question that I have for you is you say you have an sg reading of 1.130 was that before or after you added the ten pounds of sugar

That was after all ingredients are added, but before the yeast. I mix the juice, sugar, PE, YN, C tablets, etc., take the SG reading, let sit 24 hours and then add the yeast. I don't take a SG reading after the yeast is added until it has fermented for several days.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

Once it all gets going again, give the must a really good stir to distribute the extra sugar throughout the whole container. Make sure it doesn't foam up and over the sides.

if the ABV is going to be too high for the yeast, they eventually will die from the alcohol, fermentation will stop, and will leave the wine still sweet. Just keep this in mind if you back sweeten. Make sure you properly stabilize (kmeta and sorbate).

It's a learning process. Later on, if it proves to be too alcoholic, all is not lost by any means; make another batch and blend them... there is always a way to make it right for you!!!

That's what I wanted to read! You guys are the best!

 

[JohnT]

One word of advice....

A great way to improve your game would be to purchase the best set of clubs and the best set of balls you can afford.

Much like this, I would recommend that you purchase the best ingredients you can.

 

[jtstar]

Next time you start a wine add all the ingredients except the sugar now take an sg reading to see where you sugar content is then start adding a little sugar at a time or use the wine calc. that was mentioned above to get your sg up to 1.085

 

[james3838]

What type of yeast did you use? As Robie mentioned above, certain yeast can only tolerate a certain level of alcohol. I made the same mistake with a batch of fruit blend that I concocted and using red star montrachet my batch made it to around 16% (ie...rocket fuel) but it has mellowed substantially 3 months in the bottle. What I have done since is exactly what jtstar describes above. I just started a batch of watermelon this weekend and the SG was around 1.045 before I ever added sugar. If I had went strictly by the recipe and added 7 lbs of sugar, I may have blown up the joint!!!

 

[SpoiledRotten]

Next time you start a wine add all the ingredients except the sugar now take an sg reading to see where you sugar content is then start adding a little sugar at a time or use the wine calc. that was mentioned above to get your sg up to 1.085

jtstar, why didn't you tell me that BEFORE I started this batch?



And John, purchasing best ingredients makes very good sense as well. More good advice!


James, I used the Red Star Yeast in the blue pack. I know... I thought I was doing good but what you posted makes absolutely perfect sense and will be followed going forward.


It also looks like I'm going against what my sig states, and trying to make all of the mistakes myself.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

I hope it's salvageable now. I got the SG down to 1.110 (I believe that is the correct reading. It's at the 10 just below the 1.1 reading) by adding water (about 2 qt) I know it will water it down some but I guess it had to add something with absolutely no sugar in it to bring it down. Hopefully, the little yeast will multiply, eat up the sugar and ferment the must into a wonderful batch of wine. The must is foaming really good now. There's only about an inch at the top of the bucket so hopefully, it will all stay inside where it belongs. I might move it to the mud sink for a new home until the primary is done.

 

[Arne]

Randy,.
Experience says, either get your primary in a bigger container so when it goes over the top you do not have quite as big a mess. You mite be ok, but that 1 1/2 clearance to the top mite not be enough. A lot of times I set my primary in a big garbage bag and that gives an overage someplace to go that is easy to clean up. It makes a big mess and not muchfun to clean up. Arne.