Welch Grape Juice

[chevs15]

Someone with more experience should answer that one! I have no idea! Lol

 

[chevs15]

So I put the activated yeast on last night. Before I went to bed I checked on it and I could hear it bubbling.

This morning there is a little foam on the top but I do t hear or see any action going on. Should I worry?

 

[Lizerdking]

I looked at the frozen cans and it contains the same ingredients as the bottle juice did. Unless I looked at the wrong frozen ones..? Is there a difference that I didnt see??

Only difference I know of is making it a stronger thicker juice by using concentrate (ie, 3 cans per gallon rather than the 2 you would use if you were just mixing to make juice), the premixed stuff tends to be thin once fermented out.

1.1 is going to be hot... not bad, it'll taste like wine, but like someone spiked it with a little vodka...

My first batch was basically this, starting SG of 1.1 with 13 cans of concord, but I added some blackberries, peppercorns, a banana slurry, some oak chips, all the things I could think of to try and make it taste a little less like concord.

It's been aging in a carboy almost a year now, and the heat was starting to dissipate last i tasted it in october...

Higher proof needs to sit a little longer to calm down, lower proof tends to be drinkable sooner..

So I put the activated yeast on last night. Before I went to bed I checked on it and I could hear it bubbling.

This morning there is a little foam on the top but I do t hear or see any action going on. Should I worry?

Nope, wait at least a few days before you panic, every batch is different, I've had em start in hours, and had em start in 72 hours...

 

[chevs15]

Wow! Great info! Is there a way I can bring down the SG a bit?
Also, when and how did you add the oak chips, etc..?

Thanks so much!

 

[Lizerdking]

Other than making another batch with low SG and then blending the two together, you're stuck where you are at. Make some other batches and let this one sit awhile, Skeeter Pee is where it's at to help keep your hands off the stuff you want to age.

Oak chips can be added whenever from what i understand, I usually throw them in after degassing and sorbating, I started out using mesh bags that tended to rip out on me. Now i just add them straight in, let set for 4-8 weeks and re-rack when i feel it's been long enough.

The banana slurry,the peppercorns, and the smushed blackberries all went in the primary.


The longer you let it bulk age the better, just make sure your airlocks don't run dry, and to re-up on your sulfate every few months. I usually re-rack to help with getting the sediment out of the mix when adding the sulfate, it'll help it clear and make a better presentation when it's bottled. I hate thinking it's clear, bottling and storing it. Only later when going to down to the wine rack to grab a bottle to give away/share to find out there are floaties (or sinkies would be a better description), they don't bother me, but friends not familiar with wine making tend to curl their noses...

 

[rosa6329]

So Welch Juice is in stuck fermentation. I went to take a sg reading and I am at 1.020. Its been in its primary since 12/18. What should I do??

 

[chevs15]

If I started at SG 1.10... At around what SG should I rack to a carboy?

 

[rosa6329]

If I started at SG 1.10... At around what SG should I rack to a carboy?

No idea mine is stuck at 1.020 I am not sure if I should add some yeast energizer or nutrient in it...?

 

[chevs15]

I tested mine yesterday and it was at 1.05. So its dropping. Still pretty bubbly and foamy! Smells great though. Should I airlock it yet?

 

[Lizerdking]

Things tend to slow down, that last bit of sugar takes the longest to ferment out. To give it a kickstart you can give it a good stir to mix in some air. You can probably siphon it off to a carboy and put an airlock on it today or tomorrow. I usually do that when it's between 1.02 or less. Don't worry too much about oxidation at this point, until you degas it there's not much of a worry with air contact. In fact getting a little extra oxygen mixed in will help it finish fermenting.