Welch's concord with the super-sugar method

[BeginnerMark]

Is it ok if I stop fermentation early when it's around 10% alcohol by adding sorbate early?

 

[sour_grapes]

Is it ok if I stop fermentation early when it's around 10% alcohol by adding sorbate early?

Adding sorbate will not stop the fermentation.

See: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=574447&postcount=3

 

[jswordy]

Mark, your must looks great, good fermentation going.

You will not get 10% alcohol - it will be higher than that if you followed the recipe and started at 1.150.

Your yeast are doomed to die of alcohol poisoning while the wine is in the carboy. This will leave residual sugar that they did not consume and so the wine will be sweet.

Once in the carboy phase, all you need do is to let the wine sit. It will throw sediment. Rack is every couple weeks. In a month or maybe 6 weeks, you will see that the new layer of sediment is very thin or maybe just a dusting. (With concentrates, there is little sediment in the juice. Almost all the sediment you will see will be dead yeast cells.)

At that time, you need to transfer to a clean carboy and stir the wine with the handle of a plastic spoon (they make spoons specifically for fermenting, about $5) to degas it. Keep gently stirring until all the CO2 bubbles stop rising up in the neck of the carboy.

Next, you add potassium sorbate according to bottle directions to inhibit the yeast.

(It's a matter of semantics - this essentially stops active fermentation with an active yeast by inhibiting their reproduction. Fermentation can continue another few days with the remaining live cells if there is adequate food, which is why you rest it 3 days before bottling after adding sorbate. Another method would be to bottle the wine and then Pasteurize it, but that's involved. You don't need to worry about ANYTHING between these parentheses with this recipe.).

In this case sorbate addition is simply a bit of extra insurance, since your yeast should all be dead. We are just making sure. Do not over-add the sorbate. Use just what is directed. Let the wine sit a 3 days.

Then you sanitize your bottles and bottle it up.

A very easy recipe, and you are well on your way!

 

[BeginnerMark]

Thanks JSwordy!!!! I got a taste yesterday! It its tastes great after only a week and a half! I think I'm just going to add juice to it to lower the alcohol a little bit at the end I was hoping on getting 10% ABV but since I can't stop fermentation early than I guess I have no choice but to let it finish... Thanks ALOT

 

[jswordy]

Thanks JSwordy!!!! I got a taste yesterday! It its tastes great after only a week and a half! I think I'm just going to add juice to it to lower the alcohol a little bit at the end I was hoping on getting 10% ABV but since I can't stop fermentation early than I guess I have no choice but to let it finish... Thanks ALOT

Why are you so stuck on 10% ABV? If that's your goal, you need to start next time at a gravity of 0.85. That is not Welch's by the Super-Sugar Method. It's just another batch of wine using Welch's. Then you will taste it and you will scrunch up your face and start back-sweetening to try to make it good. Maybe that is a preferable method for you, since you an add to any level of dryness or sweetness then and get your 10%.

This Super Sugar method makes a "table wine" style. Table wines start as high as 1.190.

 

[BeginnerMark]

Oh thanks a lot! JSwordy! Idk I just didn't want a strong alcohol flavor but it'll be fine

 

[jswordy]

Oh thanks a lot! JSwordy! Idk I just didn't want a strong alcohol flavor but it'll be fine

If it is too strong, you can try diluting it with a very strong grape juice. Add the sorbate, let sit 3 days. Then mix at least 4 or maybe 5 cans Welch's concentrate per gallon of your additive and dilute. You could bench test a small batch before going all the way. Let it rest awhile after dilution before bottling to make sure fermentation does not restart (it is not likely). You'll need an extra two or three one-gallon jugs with airlocks, as dilution will increase your yield.

 

[BeginnerMark]

So I think my primary stalled at 1.07 it's been 3 days now and it hasn't changed

 

[BeginnerMark]

3.) When SG hits ~ 1.040-1.050, transfer to carboy and attach airlock. (This is the same as making good blueberry wine, where you rack it over at 1.030-1.040. The yeast enters anaerobic division early by doing this.)

So it's the fourth day now and the SG has not changed... It's staying at 1.070... No sign of bubbles or foam... Should I rack it early? Should I put in more yeast? HELP

 

[BeginnerMark]

Im sorry everyone I bet you guys got annoyed of this thread reappearing a million times because of me...

 

[BeginnerMark]

Anyone please help

 

[sour_grapes]

First, I would like to make sure: You are using a hydrometer, not a refractometer, right? (A refractometer would give faulty readings after fermentation.)

How does it taste? Is it too sweet for your liking?

If you are using a hydrometer, and your SG is stuck at 1.070, this is what I would do. I would make a starter of RC212, and try to get a bit more of that fermented.

Here is one protocol: http://www.enartisvinquiry.com/download/protocols/Restart%20Stuck%20Fermentation.pdf

 

[BeginnerMark]

It tastes perfect! It did ferment pretty well... it totally stalled at 1.070... And yes I use a hydrometer. I don't want more fermentation because I don't want a higher alcohol level... It's good now... u think I can just put it in the carboy? Not at 1.040

Thanks sourgrapes

 

[sour_grapes]

It tastes perfect! It did ferment pretty well... it totally stalled at 1.070... And yes I use a hydrometer. I don't want more fermentation because I don't want a higher alcohol level... It's good now... u think I can just put it in the carboy? Not at 1.040

Thanks sourgrapes

Yes, I think you are fine to put it in the carboy. The only reason we don't go to the carboy too early is that a vigorous fermentation could spew out the neck of the carboy. No danger of that at this time.

 

[wineforfun]

It tastes perfect! It did ferment pretty well... it totally stalled at 1.070... And yes I use a hydrometer. I don't want more fermentation because I don't want a higher alcohol level... It's good now... u think I can just put it in the carboy? Not at 1.040

Thanks sourgrapes

I am very curious as to how you have been doing things, ie: stirring daily, heat on must, yeast used, etc. as there is no way that should have stalled at 1.070. I have made numerous batches and they always finish out around 1.025-1.035, with a starting SG of 1.145.

 

[BeginnerMark]

I stirred daily, I did not heat the must, used 2x rc212 started at 1.150 I did not use welchs but I used old orchards which had the same ingredients. My primary stalled at 1.070 sadly so I'll just put it in my carboy and let it clear

 

[wineforfun]

I stirred daily, I did not heat the must, used 2x rc212 started at 1.150 I did not use welchs but I used old orchards which had the same ingredients. My primary stalled at 1.070 sadly so I'll just put it in my carboy and let it clear

Interesting, sounds like it should have worked. The only thing I do different is to keep the must warm while fermenting as I have troubles getting it to go with my house staying around 70 degrees, which is on the low end of the yeast temp.

 

[BeginnerMark]

My house is 76-78 degrees very weird that it stalled... Oh I forgot to say that I put a pound of raisins in a bag inside the primary but that wouldn't inhibit fermentation.

 

[sour_grapes]

My house is 76-78 degrees very weird that it stalled... Oh I forgot to say that I put a pound of raisins in a bag inside the primary but that wouldn't inhibit fermentation.

Except that it does add about 2/3 of a pound of sugar. Did your initial SG reading come before or after that addition?

 

[BeginnerMark]

The reading was 24 hours after the addition so still not sure what the problem would be...