WHat to do with horribly sweet wine?

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Winemanic

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In December 2016, I got my first ever supply of EC-1118. Excited, I decided to experiment by making a wine with high ABV. Without researching and calculating, I took grape juice and added enough sugar to up the starting SG to 1.200 -I had in mind that the OG is usually 1.200 instead of 1.100 or below.

Anyhow, to cut the story short, I now have a great tasting wine that is so sweet it is undrinkable. I have thought about adding lots of water and refermenting but that would make it very light in flavour. I have also though of dividing it into two carboys and adding more juice. It would increase the sugar further but would dilute the ABV to enable a new fermentation. Any remedies I have?
 
I would dilute it with acidulated water (add .7 Grams per liter), then reinnoculate with ec118. Being wine is undrinkable, you have nothing to lose...
 
Think I would add the juice and referment, or make a batch with the juice that is really weak and blend the two. Probably just add the juice and let it go, tho. Good luck with it, Arne.
 
to correct the problem next time and still develop a high abv wine, stat with a sg of 1092 , monitor ferment to 1010 then add sugar syrup to sg of 1020 continue to do so until sg will not change after a sugar addition. potential of 20%abv with EC1118 if done correctly.

Adding juice to present wine is best if you have not added meta or sorbate fermentation will start on it own.
 
I would start another batch, with no sugar add and step feed this batch in, a gallon at a time. Figure out your starting sg and knowing your current batch has the potential for 33% alcohol, you can determine what your batch size will be (like 2x your first one). That or do what Greek suggested; add Brandy and oak and put in 375ml bottles.
 
I would start another batch, with no sugar add and step feed this batch in, a gallon at a time. Figure out your starting sg and knowing your current batch has the potential for 33% alcohol, you can determine what your batch size will be (like 2x your first one). That or do what Greek suggested; add Brandy and oak and put in 375ml bottles.

Thanks. The latter part is difficult, as I do not know if I could find brandy over here, and if I could, somehow, it would be too expensive an option. I like your first option. It is closer to what I had in mind.
 
I would dilute it with acidulated water (add .7 Grams per liter), then reinnoculate with ec118. Being wine is undrinkable, you have nothing to lose...

What is acidulated water? Kindly elaborate... Thanks!
 
It's basically water with proper tartaric acid added (about 21gr per gallon if I remember).
I use it when the brix of the grapes is high and want to bring it down to within earth levels...lol

Thank you Varis. I do have tartaric acid. How much teaspoon would 21g be approximately?
 
Problem is, if your yeast went until it died at 18%, you still have enough sugar for another 12% alcohol to be created, which means you need to dilute your wine with nearly the same volume of juice you started with. Whether you dilute with acidulated water or plain water is immaterial, you'll end up with diluted flavor, thin bodied, rocket fuel.

How much wine are we talking about here?
 
Problem is, if your yeast went until it died at 18%, you still have enough sugar for another 12% alcohol to be created, which means you need to dilute your wine with nearly the same volume of juice you started with. Whether you dilute with acidulated water or plain water is immaterial, you'll end up with diluted flavor, thin bodied, rocket fuel.

How much wine are we talking about here?

Agreed. As, I also said initially, adding juice seems the better option.

It's not much... I am a poor guy so am able to make only small batches. I have around 5 liters. Let's suppose I want this particular wine to be around 18% abv, How much juice should I add?
 
Agreed. As, I also said initially, adding juice seems the better option.

It's not much... I am a poor guy so am able to make only small batches. I have around 5 liters. Let's suppose I want this particular wine to be around 18% abv, How much juice should I add?

As @norcal asked, you need to know the SG of the juice you plan to use, then the calculations can be made.
 
It's basically water with proper tartaric acid added (about 21gr per gallon if I remember).
I use it when the brix of the grapes is high and want to bring it down to within earth levels...lol


Correct me if I am wrong, but if you want .70gpl TA and there are 3.79 liters to the gallon, then wouldn't you want to add 2.653 grams per gallon?
 
Problem is, if your yeast went until it died at 18%, you still have enough sugar for another 12% alcohol to be created, which means you need to dilute your wine with nearly the same volume of juice you started with. Whether you dilute with acidulated water or plain water is immaterial, you'll end up with diluted flavor, thin bodied, rocket fuel.

How much wine are we talking about here?


Absolutely correct! you WILL end up with a thin, watery wine. I would advise dilution only when the wine is undrinkable and on the verge of being dumped. It may be watery, but still more drinkable.
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but if you want .70gpl TA and there are 3.79 liters to the gallon, then wouldn't you want to add 2.653 grams per gallon?

[I gathered this info long time ago and wrote it my notes as this:
23 grams of tartaric acid per gallon or 6gm/L.

I don't remember but maybe @ibglowin replied to my inquiry at a question again long time ago. That is what I've used after crushing my small batches and so far it seemed to work.

Is that not correct?
 
I second the idea of fortifying it like a port.

Lots of different flavored vodkas you could add that would dilute the sugar while increasing ABV.

Try a berry. Blackberry.. raspberry.. cranberry..
 

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