Cellar Craft use your hydrometer!!

[dragonmaster42]

Started my CC Showcase Yakima Valley Pinot Gris the other day. Followed the instructions, added the correct amount of water, etc and had it all ready to pitch the yeast and dropped in my hydrometer. The sg was 1.100!!! Since I wasn't planning on a Pinot Gris port and don't really care for overly sweet wines (or an overly alcoholic white), I added water and brought it down to between 1.090 and 1.085.

There is nothing in the instructions about a range of where the sg needed to be. They just said "take a measurement and record it"

I've been making wines for off an on 10 years or longer, so I know better but for anybody starting out who doesn't have the knowledge or doesn't have the equipment and blindly follows the instructions this could cause problems.

So, get a hydrometer and learn how to use it !!

I'm getting off my soapbox now.

Tony

p.s. Actually get two - they break easily.

 

[v1rotate]

Sometimes you can get an erroneous reading of the SG if the juice/concentrate isn't completely mixed together with the water. I hope that wasn't the case with you, Tony. But if you have been making wine for over 10 years that probably wasn't the problem.

Let us know how the PG turns out please!

 

[Wade E]

Yep, # 1 problem is not using a drill mounted stirrer cause sometimes its just hard to get the concentrate to meld in with the water.

 

[Waldo]

As "Hippie" used to say, Stir until your arm is about to fall off and then stir a couple minutes more.

 

[ibglowin]

Thats pretty high.

I just finished doing 3 CC Showcase whites this Winter. A Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. All 3 were exactly the same starting SG. 1.090.

 

[dragonmaster42]

That could have been it although I stirred it like crazy. It stayed about 1.090 for a couple days (with morning/night stirrings) so I added a teaspoon of yeast nutrient yesterday and right now its at 1.030. Smells yummy!!!

Mike, did yours come with a flavor reserve bottle? There was one in this kit but not one in the kit I did last year (same kit).

Tony

 

[ibglowin]

Yes, the Pinot Gris I just did came with a flavor reserve bottle so add the sorbate as well when the time comes.