# Hydrometer does not float.



## jamesngalveston (Apr 27, 2013)

Im making a 1 gallon batch of blackberry wine..My first try.
I followed a recipe to the letter but i used pure juice instead of 4.5 lbs of bulk berries i used 72 ounces of juice.
Today is the first day after adding the yeast.
My hydrometer will not float in the juice.
It floats in water and in sugar water .


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## cmason1957 (Apr 27, 2013)

I am guessing it isn't floating because you just dumped the berries into the juice and now everything is to lumpy. You can try pouring some of your must through cheesecloth. You probably always want to contain the fit in something, like a fermenting bag, pantihose or paint straining bag.


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## jamesngalveston (Apr 27, 2013)

I used no berries, just the juice from them, I did not want all the seeds.
I read somewhere that the seeds could make your wine a little acidic.


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## ibglowin (Apr 27, 2013)

Do you have enough volume for it to sink and level out or does it sink to the bottom of your one gallon jug of sorts? You may need to use a graduated cylinder to give it more height. Normally that is really only needed for a finished wine as the SG is so low. With a pre fermentation must is should bob up pretty high unless your must is just not mixed quite right (enough sugar).


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## jamesngalveston (Apr 27, 2013)

i used 72 ounces of juice, and 2 1/2 lbs of sugar.
recipe called for 4 1/2 lbs of berries and 2 lbs of sugar.
4 1/2 lbs of berries = 72 I hope. 
I increased the sugar, why I have no Idea, just felt good..I quess


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## Julie (Apr 27, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> i used 72 ounces of juice, and 2 1/2 lbs of sugar.
> recipe called for 4 1/2 lbs of berries and 2 lbs of sugar.
> 4 1/2 lbs of berries = 72 I hope.
> I increased the sugar, why I have no Idea, just felt good..I quess


 

You should never just blindly add sugar, you add the amount you need to bring your must to a specific gravity reading. For blackberry between 1.080 and 1.090.

I agree with Mike, I think your jug is not deep enough for your hydrometer, get a cylinder that is taller than your hydrometer.


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## jamesngalveston (Apr 27, 2013)

ok, Like i said this is all new to me..
Thanks for the response, I appreciate it.

When I was growing up, my relatives all made muscadine wine from wild muscadines, I tried this blackberry wine, in hopes of making some out of 
muscadines when they get ripe, which i have about 5 acres of.


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## Julie (Apr 27, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> ok, Like i said this is all new to me..
> Thanks for the response, I appreciate it.
> 
> When I was growing up, my relatives all made muscadine wine from wild muscadines, I tried this blackberry wine, in hopes of making some out of
> muscadines when they get ripe, which i have about 5 acres of.


 
keep asking, there are a lot on here who will help you out and Dear Lord, 5 acres of muscadine??????? You lucky dog, there are a handful on here who are probably going to start to drool when they read that!!


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## jamesngalveston (Apr 27, 2013)

well any one close to Houston can come pick all they want for free.
should be ripe around august.


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## Duster (Apr 28, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> well any one close to Houston can come pick all they want for free.
> should be ripe around august.



A comment like that on this site will likely leave your vineyard bare and you with none. 
With that said I wish I was closer, I'd be camping on the property just waiting for them to ripen.


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## jamesngalveston (Apr 28, 2013)

i have 32 peacocks, might not be 5 acres of fruit...they love them.


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