WineXpert Wine Expert Ice Wine

[grannytsb]

I peeked at the Ice Wine and I can see it start to clear at the top.

I will be very happy to get my 1st batch finished and bottled then I can relax a little and enjoy the process instead of worrying about every phase.

Thanks to all who gave me

encouragement and kept my patience intact .. Will update when its ready to bottle......


Granny

 

[vcasey]

]I filtered this today (took about 45 minutes with the Vinbrite gravity filter and was down to a trickle at the end) and snuck a few tastes along the way. It is really good but also incredibly sweet. Absurdly sweet. But if it was chilled it would be great.I will bottle this in two weeks and likely let it sit at least three months before starting to drink it. This is where I am glad I did the double batch so I will have 60 bottles of this goodness....



Steve


Steve I have a batch this is about a year and a half old and while still sweet it now has a much fruitier taste and has really settled down. It is definably a wine that we sip slowly and goes great with tart desserts.
VPC

 

[grannytsb]

What an adventure !!!!!!!
I bottled my Ice Wine tonight. First batch.......... Had some mishaps....


Opened my bottles to find some with the neck broken, got them all cleaned and sanitized and on the bottle tree. Got everything ready and began filling the bottles.


Everything went fine until I got down a little and forgot to set the carboy on its side a little so in an attempt to get this done quickly I knocked the carboy and stirred up the sediment. OK I will just have to do with less bottles of this batch.
Then I bottled and began to put corks in......... Not to bad until............ Hand slipped and knocked over 6 bottles breaking one and spilling the others........ managed to save all but 2..........


All in all I learned some things and had fun even throughout the mishaps.


I checked the alcohol % and if I did it right it reads 22%
Glad I have the 1st batch done.......... Making notes......Oh and BTW t taste great

Just a little strong........


Granny

 

[grannytsb]

Somebody will have to help teach me to post pics........ ITS TOO BIG !!!!!!!!

 

[gaudet]

What was your starting gravity(sg) and what was the final gravity(sg)?

 

[grannytsb]

started
1/10/09 1.150
1/14/09 1.060
1/24/091.040
2/7/09 1.055


Posted the wrong alcohol it was18% and thats if I read it correctly

 

[Wade E]

I get 14.4%

 

[grannytsb]

Wade, Thanks for that info. I don't know if I read it correctly, Its so tiny and my eyes are so "old"

Can you tell me how to figure this?


Thanks
Granny

 

[gaudet]

Granny,

Take your starting gravity 1.150
subtract your final gravity (before backsweetening, f-packs, conditioners)
1.055 (I'm going to guess that this was obtained after all additions were made post fermentation)

I get 12.9% ABV
You get 0.095, divide by .00736 and you will get your % ABV.

 

[grannytsb]

Thanks


Here is the breakdown


Begin 1.150 1/10
Secondary Fermentation racked1.060 1/14


10 days before adding anything 1.040 1/24


Added F pack and stabilizers degassed


14 days bottling stage 1.055


It seems to just need to mellow a bit. taste good or as good as a bottle we paid 24$ for except forthe strong not smooth taste. In your opinion is it clear enough?


I sure learned things with this first batch. Had fun doing it !
Granny

 

[grapeman]

Granny,

Take your starting gravity 1.150
subtract your final gravity (before backsweetening, f-packs, conditioners)
1.055 (I'm going to guess that this was obtained after all additions were made post fermentation)

I get 12.9% ABV
You get 0.095, divide by .00736 and you will get your % ABV.

The wine went down to 1.040 and then was stabilized and sweetened. Alcohol level is calculated before the sweetening so 1.150-1.040=0.110.
Now .110 divided by .00736 is 14.94 about like Wade said.

 

[gaudet]

Thanks Appleman. I figured that the Final gravity was less than 1.055

 

[Wade E]

There are a few ways of figuring out this calculation. I use this 1.
1.150-1.040=0.11 x 131.4= 14.454%.

 

[grannytsb]

what should it be and how do I get it there? Any suggestions for future batches?
granny

 

[grapeman]

I would say you are right where it should be. An ice wine is by nature sweet- that's why it is well liked. It isn't a port so you don't want a real high ABV. It is good where it is. Next time, do like you did and follow the directions. That is the best way to get it to turn out like it is supposed to.

 

[grannytsb]

I just checked the old bottle of Ice Wine we bought for $24 and it says 8,5%........... Did I do something wrong?
granny

 

[SteveWeasel]

I am surprised that your final SG is so low. I have a double batch of this which I am bottling this afternoon. Starting SG 1.152 @ 73 degrees. Final SG 1.058 @ 70 degrees. According to the instructions that came with the kit, bottling SG should be between 1.055 and 1.065.

Using the calcs, that gives me an ABV of 12.77

 

[grapeman]

Steve you got very similar results to granny. You say final was 1.058, but that is probably after sweetening, so it wasn't the final sg. That would have been lower- probably close to the 1.040 she got. Her's wasn't low ABV, the bottle she references as 8.5% was boughten. Hers was 14+ %.

 

[SteveWeasel]

Mine was 1.058 prior to adding the F-pack. It was stable over several days and below the instruction cutoff of 1.060 so that is why I then added the F-pack.

No worries, mine tastes great. I'm just surprised by the difference in SG drop.

 

[grannytsb]

This is my 1st batch ever so I am not understanding all of this just yet. Looks like we were pretty close to the same SG. That little tester to test the alcohol I can hardly read. I kept a brew belt on during fermentation and up to stabilizing. Should I have not kept it on there? Or should it remain at a constant temp throughout?
granny