# Ruined grapes



## Boyd (Sep 20, 2011)

I think I ruined a 8 gallon batch of fontenac grape wine.

Stripped them from the stems by hand, crushed and pressed.

I then added K-meta and peptic enzyme and let set for 12 hours intending to add yeast next.

The stuff turned light brown. Looked spoiled so I dumped it.

Any ideas what I did wrong?


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## Julie (Sep 20, 2011)

Boyd said:


> I think I ruined a 8 gallon batch of fontenac grape wine.
> 
> Stripped them from the stems by hand, crushed and pressed.
> 
> ...



Just because something may look spoiled doesn't necessarily mean that it is spoiled. I don't believe it was spoiled unless it had a bad smell or a bad taste to it.


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 20, 2011)

Not sure why you dumped it first w/o asking.

I don't think it was ruined - my whites look a brownish color in the primary as well.

Once in the secondary and the yeast and other stuff start falling out - the wine starts to lighten up a lot.

Then once I add in the clearing agents - it looks like a white wine.


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## LanMan (Sep 20, 2011)

After striping,crushing, pressing by hand I would have added yeast if it turned blue.:>


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## ibglowin (Sep 20, 2011)

"light brown"........

And you dumped it?


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## Boyd (Sep 20, 2011)

Fontenac is a dark blue grape.

Didn't think light brown was a good thing.

Anyway hopefully the vines will produce a good crop again next year and I can try again.

One of the winemakers around here tells me Peptix enzyme will have a negative impact on fontenc grapes.


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## joea132 (Sep 20, 2011)

yep, party foul for dumping it


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## Boyd (Sep 20, 2011)

I do not drink much so other than tasting I give every thing away.

Don't want to take a chance on making someone sick.

Gots to find out what may be the problem so I don't do the same again.


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## xanxer82 (Sep 20, 2011)

Pectic enzyme isn't necessary for grapes


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## MidlandWG (Sep 20, 2011)

xanxer82 said:


> Pectic enzyme isn't necessary for grapes



Especially Frontenac, they have so much color in them there really isn't a need for enzyme. I tried a whole cluster press one time to make a rose, what a disaster that was. Came our as dark as a commercial merlot...


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## rob (Sep 20, 2011)

winemaker is right, mine is always brown at first and always turns back around to clear....I think it goes thru a little oxidation.


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## grapeman (Sep 21, 2011)

I know what you did wrong- you dumped it. As the others say, when you first start it and add k-meta, it lightens the color up and it appears to be brown. It does turn back to a nice dark wine. Frontenac Gris starts out brownish and then turns a pink to salmon color. These are just quirks of some grapes. Never, ever dump a wine until you see what it will do with time.


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