Wine diary and question time!

[fabrictodyefor]

So jack Keller says the feijoas don't have much malic or tartaric acid and suggests adding both. Now, feijoas have plenty of citric acid, so why so we need to add the other two?

Someone else will come on and give you better information, but from what I have read and understand, you want a "balance" of the acids. That is often why we add "acid blend". I've just begun to touch the surface of the different acids!

 

[user 31015]

Hmmm, ta! I expect I would want a decent pH test kit before I started messing with acid.

 

[user 31015]

Dear readers: really thinking that in future I should just use juice and toss the pulp, etc. It is such a pain to deal with in the fermenter. This 11kg of feijoas in the bag... I wish I had just juiced them! It wouldn't make a difference, would it?

 

[Turock]

Well, our experience with fruit as opposed to juice is that the wine made on pulp is better. Breaking down and integrating that pulp gives really good flavor. However, on a fruit like you're working with, juicing it might be better. I just have no experience with that fruit--and have no idea of what it even tastes like to be able to give you some solid advice on it.

 

[user 31015]

Heh, ta! What differences does on the pulp make? Maybe there is a shortcut whereby half is juiced and half, pulp?

It sounds like most of the "serious" fruit wine makers crush to extract juice and then ferment the juice and remaining pulp together.

Perhaps I should worry less about it. I checked today and found that what was 11kg of must yesterday is probably barely 5kg today - the yeast, sugar and enzyme have really extracted out the liquid, meaning it is definitely easier to handle.

It is an interesting challenge to get the right amount of fruit for the volume of wine you are planning to fill a secondary to. I guess if you have a big fruit crusher, no problem, squish until there is liquid to nearly the required level, chuck the must on top. But when you aren't pre-crushing your fruit, there's more guess-work, especially as you will need to add liquid (water) to give the yeast a playground.

Short of a crusher, perhaps the trick is to juice enough to form a liquid base, and then add chopped fruit on top, knowing it will drop liquid according to ratios you will have worked out during juicing.

...I do kind of obsess over these details...

 

[user 31015]

Tried to juice 3lb of feijoas, got 1.5lb of what looks like smoothie! Chucked the lot info the fermenter instead.

How could I juice these things for an all-juice wine? Haha!

The must also didn't juice. Just turned to purée. Chucked it back in as well. Ahh well, no harm done!

 

[Turock]

Well, puree is just fine to make wine with.

 

[user 31015]

Wow, really? So would you, essentially, purée certain fruits, add sugar, dose with pectinaise, pitch yeast a day later and then sit back and watch the liquid split out from the mass? Does that work????

I wish there were better books on this. Most suggest simple approaches involving some fruit chopped up in water - I am less and less convinced this is best.

Perhaps for my next wine I should purée a ton of feijoas and ferment the mush? How will I work out the SG? Just add sugar to a calculated amount by volume, I guess.

 

[Jericurl]

I wish there were better books on this. Most suggest simple approaches involving some fruit chopped up in water - I am less and less convinced this is best.

Looks like you are the pioneering winemaker on this particular type.
Maybe you should write the book (after you post the perfect recipe in our recipes section!). It's been interesting following your process on this. I'm glad you are keeping us updated.

 

[user 31015]

I mean on home fruit wine making in general! But yes, on this recipe I definitely doing a lot of my own thing.

 

[CCGrapes]

Tried to juice 3lb of feijoas, got 1.5lb of what looks like smoothie! Chucked the lot info the fermenter instead.

How could I juice these things for an all-juice wine? Haha!

The must also didn't juice. Just turned to purée. Chucked it back in as well. Ahh well, no harm done!

View attachment 15647

This reminds me of when I tried to juice peaches; all I got was mush. It still made great wine though.

Try a steam juicer. You will get the juice but no pulp. A friend does this with lots of kinds of fruit. Excess pectin release in the juice could be a problem although I haven't heard of it happening.

Steve

Steve

 

[user 31015]

Not sure I want to buy another piece of equipment just yet!

So, let me get this right: if you get mush, that's ok: mush in the bucket will split into juice and must as yeast and pectin do their jobs. Is that right???

 

[CCGrapes]

After you have gotten as much juice as you can, place the pulp (mush) in a strainer bag and drop the bag into your fermenter. You will need to squeeze out the bag when you do the first transfer.
Steve

 

[user 31015]

Cool. For 10lb of fruit I will barely get a cup of juice right away, I expect. Is that mass going to ok to ferment on?

 

[user 31015]

Started the feijoa six days ago, pitched the yeast five days ago and today the SG is at 1.004, going pretty strong!

It is definitely slowing down so I will probably rack it tomorrow and get it under airlock after treating with some k-meta.

 

[user 31015]

Posted more details on the DB thread, but here is my blackcurrant Dragon's Blood- all bottled and poorly labeled (ran out of ink)!

View attachment 15710

 

[user 31015]

Forgot to mention some details on the feijoa: I racked it tonight into the secondary - SG of 0.95, so it has dropped quick. It is dry, I would guess, but it seems quite alcoholic... Damn it, my calculator suggests 16%! Arg, no wonder fermentation has slowed down (although it is also getting cold here, 60F in the garage). I was trying to follow roughly the DB approach and so started at 1.090.

Anyway, I have to go away for a couple of weeks soon so I will check it when I get back, rack it at least. From there, not sure, if it is as strong as it seems I am really going to have to do something about it. Probably purée some feinoas and add them and sorbate for flavor and booze dilution. It will probably take ages to clear, but that is probably the only way to pull things back. Fortunately I have a bit of head room to work with in this temporary container(borrowing plastic until I can get my hands on a big glass carboy soon).

 

[sour_grapes]

Forgot to mention some details on the feijoa: I racked it tonight into the secondary - SG of 0.95, so it has dropped quick. It is dry, I would guess, but it seems quite alcoholic... Damn it, my calculator suggests 16%! Arg, no wonder fermentation has slowed down (although it is also getting cold here, 60F in the garage). I was trying to follow roughly the DB approach and so started at 1.090.

It is almost certainly the case that your SG is 0.995, not 0.950. The former value would imply an ABV of 12.5%, which is probably where you want it.

 

[user 31015]

Thank goodness, and yes, I would say you are right.

I am trying to remember if the pear (most similar brew I have made) tasted like this when it was fresh. Pretty much booze with feijoa, very raw. Hoping it blends nicely and goes smooth in due course!

 

[user 31015]

@peaches9324 @sour_grapes - do you have some links to example marbles? I looked for some toy ones around here (the type kids play with) and they're expensive. I found the gravel/stones one puts in a fish tank, but I'm not sure they're food safe.

Also, I'm planning to bulk age the pear and plum at least six months. Is there any reason not to sorbate, back sweeten and bottle then and aging for another 6+ months? I wouldn't mind reusing those carboys!