# Making Mango wine today



## reeny (Jul 15, 2012)

Am just double checking this recipe before I begin. I am using a recipe from a book "Mary's Recipes"

One gallon 

4-6 lbs peaches
1lb white granulated sugar or until the sp gr is 1.085
Add enough water to make a gallon
1 campden tablet
1tsp acid blend
1tsp yeast nutrient powder
1/4 tsp tannin powder
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme 
Champagne yeast

They suggest a staring specific gravity of 1.085 for 11% alcohol 
Suggested fruit acid should be .5% to .6% 
Other yeast suggestions Cote des blanc

I am substituting mangos for peaches. I am also using Montrachet yeast. 
I have 25lbs of fresh mangos that have been frozen in my freezer for the last week. 

Question: I am multiplying every thing by 5 except for the yeast ??

Question: when I make the must do I heat the water and sugar to dissolve the sugar?? I don't have to boil the must right??? Just heat it enough for the sugar to dissolve well. 

How does this look??


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## FTC Wines (Jul 15, 2012)

I make a lot of Peach Wine & your recipe looks good to me. I know nothing about Mango's but may learn as I'm moving to Fl. in a few months. Yes go 5X except the yeast, don't boil the must, I add the sugar granulated to the must cool. Hope that answers your ??? Roy


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## dralarms (Jul 15, 2012)

FTC Wines said:


> I make a lot of Peach Wine & your recipe looks good to me. I know nothing about Mango's but may learn as I'm moving to Fl. in a few months. Yes go 5X except the yeast, don't boil the must, I add the sugar granulated to the must cool. Hope that answers your ??? Roy




I love peach water, and I made a batch of peach wine. I'm not pleased with it. It just seems to have an off flavor,is that just what making wine does to the flavor?


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## Sammyk (Jul 15, 2012)

You can expect to loose about half your wine to lees. So, I would make more then a gallon or you will end up with a lot less then a gallon. My fresh peach threw a ton of lees and they are still dropping. About 2 gallons of lees out of a 5 gallon batch so far!


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## FTC Wines (Jul 15, 2012)

dralarms, not sure what went wrong with your Peach Wine, mine is highly rated & asked for all the time. The peach flavor is there but not over bearing. When I first started making it I used 3-4 lbs. per gal. now I use 6 per gal. & the flavor is better, but doesn't scream peaches. Most fruit wines don't scream the flavor of the fruit used, but they make great wines. I don't F-Pac my wines which gives you more fruit flavor. Sammy, I usually have 3-5gal. fermenters full of peach must & get 10 gals. of Peach Wine in the carboys, if I'm lucky. So your # are about right. Roy


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## Sammyk (Jul 15, 2012)

I only make wine from fresh fruit and was really surprised how little I have of each after all the rackings. There were so much lees I had to rack 3 days in a row on the peach. I started a fpack today out of half a bushel of peaches and will wind up with about 1/2 to 3/4 gallon juice once it is done simmering down.
Very expensive to make wine out of fresh fruit when you consider how much you have left......


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## reeny (Jul 15, 2012)

What is the difference between yeast energizer and nutrient? Also I tested my ph and it looks about 4.4 I thought it should be between 3.2 and 3.6 what do I do??


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## saramc (Jul 15, 2012)

That 25# is that all fruit, or have they already been peeled/destoned? If you froze whole, depending on the type of mango, anticipate losing 50% due to stone. Also, depending on the type of mango your lees may or may not be as horrid as other mango ferments....some cultivars are not as loaded with fiber so it works out well. Do you know what type these are?

Recipe wise, this is what I used on one of my last MANGO WINES, just enjoyed a glass of it about 30 minutes ago.

For 5 gallon recipe:

25# mango fruit, peeled/destoned, frozen (I used combo of Champagne, Kent, and basic grocery store "Mexican")
Invert Sugar syrup to reach desired OG of ~ 1.085-1.090)
2 gallons Welch's White Grape Peach Mango (or if using their frozen concentrate use 3 cans/gallon water)
~2 gallons water--unless you opt to use all WWGPM
1/4 tsp k-meta
5 tsp yeast nutrient
5 1/2 tsp acid blend (desired TA ~6.0)
2 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme (if very fibrous mango, can increase PE or add another dose of 2.5 tsp as you rack from primary to secondary)
1 1/2 tsp tannin
Yeast-Cotes de Blanc OR Champagne (I used Cotes de Blanc)

**All mango went in double layer straining bag (medium inner, fine outer), racked from fermenting bucket to carboy, applied airlock when the SG had decreased by 2/3. Kept it cool, 64F. Backsweetened with a mango nectar that I dosed with pectic enzyme and then chilled and drew off the *clear* sugary mango sweetness, using simple syrup if need be to reach the final SG 1.010 when I bottled. Bulk aged for six months, then bottled.


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## reeny (Jul 15, 2012)

My mangos are florida reds which is a graft from the kent. They have very little fiber at all, sweet as sugar. Right now my sp gr is about 1.074 Adding sugar up to 1.085. I thought I had both yeast nutrient and yeast energizer but I only saw yeast energizer in the box. So what is the difference??


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## saramc (Jul 15, 2012)

*Yeast nutrient vs Yeast Energizer*



reeny said:


> I thought I had both yeast nutrient and yeast energizer but I only saw yeast energizer in the box. So what is the difference??


 
From http://www.midwestsupplies.com/yeast-energizer-vs-yeast-nutrient.html


_LD CARLSON'S Yeast Nutrient_ gives nourishment to your yeast so that it stays healthy throughout the fermentation process. Used in beer, wine, mead, etc. to produce healthy yeast for a complete fermentation. Use 1 teaspoon per gallon prior to fermentation beginning. 


_A yeast energizer is a sort of "super yeast nutrient"._ It contains the aforementioned nutrients as well as vitamin B (from dead yeast cells) and cell wall building blocks from the dead yeast cells. Yeast energizers are particularly useful to restart a stuck fermentation, as it allows yeast populations to increase in a brew or wine which likely has been depleted of these components due to an earlier yeast population growth.
_Unless you are using a lot of sugar (and many prepared inexpensive malt extracts and grape concentrates are) you will have no need of either a yeast nutrient or a yeast energizer under most typical circumstances of normal alcohol beers and wines production._ 
Montrachet yeast in white wines need some form of extra nitrogen to avoid hydrogen sulfide formation, even under normal circumstances. It is unusual in this requirement. In the absence of sufficient oxygen -based amino acids this yeast goes after the sulfur based ones and generates hydrogen sulfide as a side product. To prevent this an additional source of nitrogen is suggested.


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## reeny (Jul 15, 2012)

Ok so what will happen if I only had yeast energizer??


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## reeny (Jul 16, 2012)

Let me ask again if I only had energizer will that ruin my wine?


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## UBB (Jul 16, 2012)

reeny said:


> Let me ask again if I only had energizer will that ruin my wine?



Ruin? No. Energizer is like a vitamin B shot for your yeast. Helps it along but it isn't mandatory.


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## reeny (Jul 16, 2012)

So I don't need the nutrient also the energizer will be enough?

One other question my level of liquid in the primary is pretty high. How high is too high? Should I take little out to save to top off?


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## Noontime (Jul 16, 2012)

reeny said:


> So I don't need the nutrient also the energizer will be enough?
> 
> One other question my level of liquid in the primary is pretty high. How high is too high? Should I take little out to save to top off?


Many people just use the energizer since it has the nutrients as well as DAP. No worries about that.

As to must level... you can probably save some when you transfer to secondary if necessary/possible. Its easier to do it then.


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## reeny (Jul 16, 2012)

Made my starter for my yeast tonight and added the yeast. The OG is 1.085 before I added the yeast. 

Now I should stir the must with fruit in the strainer bag at least once or twice a day? 

Then when the specific gravity reaches about 1.040 I should change it to the secondary fermentor??

How often do I take a sp gravity reading??


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## Boatboy24 (Jul 17, 2012)

Yes, stir gently once or twice a day. You can also give the bag a gentle squeeze (with sanitized hands) if you'd like - to extract juice. 

I'd be tempted to let it go lower than 1.040 before racking, but that's just me. Maybe someone with more experience can chime in.

Take a gravity reading as often as you'd like. My first few batches, I took them daily. I even got so geeky as to record it in Excel spreadsheets and graph it. It was mildly interesting comparing ferments. Now, I check it daily-ish, but only record when I rack and again when I finish fermenting.


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## reeny (Jul 17, 2012)

I guess I am geeky too because I already started a log. I think the recipe said 1.020-1.040 Thanks!


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## reeny (Jul 21, 2012)

Have have been stirring my Must once or twice daily. The OG was 1.085 on 7/18 it was 1.060 and last night 7/20 it was down to 1.030. It is moving very fast. The mango have almost dissolved. When do I rack it into the secondary. I am thinking when it reaches 1.010. Just want to make sure I am on target.


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## Boatboy24 (Jul 21, 2012)

Almost any time now. I'd go 1.020 or less. But you are probably safe whenever you have the time in the next few days.


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## reeny (Jul 23, 2012)

Sp gravity down to 1.012 going to rack tonight


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## reeny (Jul 24, 2012)

Ok just racked my mango wine from the primary fermenter to the Carboy. Sp gravity. Was down to 1.002. Had an extra gallon of must left put it in a gallon container with a rubber glove that I pricked with a pin until tomorrow? Should I use this to make a slurry? Want to make skeeter pee! Or should I use this to top off my Carboy as I re rack?


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## Boatboy24 (Jul 25, 2012)

I'd probably use it to top off. Do you have a lot of "stuff" floating in your wine? If so, you can count on losing a lot of volume when racking.


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## reeny (Jul 25, 2012)

Boatboy24 said:


> I'd probably use it to top off. Do you have a lot of "stuff" floating in your wine? If so, you can count on losing a lot of volume when racking.



Thanks Boatboy I will do that. I didn't have a lot of fiber from the mangos but I can see a lot of sediment. So I will use it for toping off.


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## Sammyk (Jul 25, 2012)

I put the lees in a carboy and then in the fridge. Next time I rack I leave the lees. I actually wound up with an extra half gallon of wine when I racked off the gallon carboy from the fridge that held all the lees.


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## reeny (Jul 25, 2012)

Sammyk said:


> I put the lees in a carboy and then in the fridge. Next time I rack I leave the lees. I actually wound up with an extra half gallon of wine when I racked off the gallon carboy from the fridge that held all the lees.



You put the lees in a carboy then in the refrig? Why do you not keep out and with airlock and ferment out then add as you rack off the lees?


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## Sammyk (Jul 25, 2012)

I am racking a lot because of the lees and they fall to the bottom faster in the fridge


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## reeny (Jul 28, 2012)

How often should I re rack now?? Some of my books says every week at first some say every two and other say once a month to every two months. Also once I have racked into secondary to I swirl it or do anything. It is settling nicely.


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## reeny (Jun 2, 2013)

It's been many months since I've done anything with my mango wine. It has been just sitting in the Carboy. I never clarified it and I would finally like to bottle it. What do I need to do at this point. I don't think there is any yeast left. I would like to back sweeten it. Do I need to clarify it still?


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## Boatboy24 (Jun 2, 2013)

Is it not clear yet? Has it been degassed?


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## reeny (Jun 2, 2013)

Boatboy24 said:


> Is it not clear yet? Has it been degassed?



Yes it is very clear. We just racked it into another Carboy and put a tsp potassium sorbate in to the 5 gal. We should be able to back sweeten and bottle in 48 hours


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## Noontime (Jun 3, 2013)

Ours was still a bit hazy before we bottled, so we used sparkaloid to clear it; it took almost a week to start settling out, so we waited a couple of weeks to get it clear before bottling. If you want to backsweeten then you'll definitely want to add sorbate as well.


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## reeny (Jun 5, 2013)

reeny said:


> Yes it is very clear. We just racked it into another Carboy and put a tsp potassium sorbate in to the 5 gal. We should be able to back sweeten and bottle in 48 hours



Question we added 1 tsp of potassium sorbate to the 5 gals of mango wine. We made this wine almost a year ago. Do we need to add campden tablets before back sweetening?? Did we stabilize the wine enough??


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## Noontime (Jun 5, 2013)

I would say yes, but I don't know how much and when you've added kmeta (Campden tablets) in the past. It sounds like you haven't since you started the wine; if that's the case then yes, you definitely want to add some. The SO2 protects the wine from being oxidized, but changes from free SO2 to bound SO2 over time, so you need to add more when you rack and/or bottle to maintain the proper amount of free SO2.


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## reeny (Jun 5, 2013)

Yes we haven't added campden tablets since the beginning. So it sounds like we should add 1 tablet per gal so we should add 5 tablets??


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## fivebk (Jun 5, 2013)

You may want to check on the amou nt of sorbate you added. It doesn't sound to me like you have added enough. Mine calls for 1/2 tsp per gallon. Yes you need to add 5 tablets. Make sure these are both added before you back-sweeten.

BOB


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## reeny (Jun 5, 2013)

fivebk said:


> You may want to check on the amou nt of sorbate you added. It doesn't sound to me like you have added enough. Mine calls for 1/2 tsp per gallon. Yes you need to add 5 tablets. Make sure these are both added before you back-sweeten.
> 
> BOB



Thanks I agree added the Camden tabs and more potassium sorbate. Guess we will wait another day or two to back sweeten but this mango wine is ready to bottle!!! Thanks everyone for all your help.


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## reeny (Jun 16, 2013)

Bottled 27 bottles of delicious mango wine last night. Finishing sp. gravity .990 back sweetened 12 bottles, 1.002, 8 bottles 1.008, and then 8 bottles 1.012. We think the the OG 1.085 and the TG was .990 we think the alcohol % is 12.5%


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 16, 2013)

this am they had mangoes on sale for 3 for a dollar ... I purchased 30. Cut up, took the seed out and froze ...after my mustang grape and my fig are out of my Primarys, i will start a batch of mango..
Instead of water, i am using mango nectar made from concentrate,,,,its a Jiminex brand from Mexico..very sweet and very mango.


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## geek (Jun 16, 2013)

I LOVE mango but cannot really get good stuff up here.
I'm flying to FL this coming Friday and my brother tells me there are LOTS of mango down there now....hmm, tempted to bring 20 lbs.


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 16, 2013)

I agree with SammyK.....I did a one gallon test batch of peach...after all the settling, i ended up with about 1/2 gal...
I would think that mangoes will throw off the same kind of lees...
I will do a 6 gallon when I do, and maybe get 3 gallons to bottle.


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