# Oceanspray Cranberry Wine



## gaudet (Dec 8, 2008)

Ok here is my attempt at cranberry wine.

7 quarts steamed cranberry juice
water filled to 6 gallon mark
Approx 9#'s sugar*
1 tbs wine tannin
1 tbs yeast energizer
2 tbs yeast nutrient
2 tbs bentonite slurry
1 tbs pectic enzyme
3.5 tbs acid blend (TA test read .35% TA) I was shooting for just above .60% TA
1 packet of Lalvin K1V-1116 Yeast sprinkled on top of must

Note: pH test strip read between 3.4 and 3.6 before adding acid blend

*juice/water must sg was 1.018, so I added sugar to bring the starting gravity up to 1.084

Expect the yeasties to be feasting by morning


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## Eland (Dec 8, 2008)

gaudet,


How many pounds of cranberries did it take to make 7 quarts? Sam's has 31b bags of cranberries right now for what I think is a fairly decent price. I planned on getting 151lbs for a 5 gallon batch.


Eland


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## gaudet (Dec 8, 2008)

Eland,

I bought them from Sam's. I used 6 3# bags. When steaming them I steamed two bags at a time and used 2 cups sugar on top while steaming. I thought I was going to get 10 quarts, but came up with 8 quarts. I used 7 of them for this batch. I love the taste of the must. I'm very optimistic about this batch (same optimism as all my batches




).

Did you get your steamer in yet?


*Edited by: gaudet *


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## vcasey (Dec 8, 2008)

Eland 
Most recipes seem to call for 3 lbs. of cranberries per gallon and then you can either use the crushed fruit in the must or steam juice. 
VPC


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## Eland (Dec 8, 2008)

gaudet,
I'll be getting the cranberries tomorrow. I didn't get the steamer yet. It was a major headache dealing with the vendor. I'll probably wait until the end of the year to order again since I've pretty much lost this month for getting three different batches going. Pear, crabapple &amp; apple are all waiting in the freezer.


Eland


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## gaudet (Dec 8, 2008)

If you ordered it from the cookware site I linked to, you could have it by this weekend. Having used it twice, I can vouch how well it works. Its a very quality product. And no I don't get store credit for the endorsement


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## gaudet (Dec 11, 2008)

I guess I didn't stir the must as good as I thought I did when I started this thread. I took a sg last night and it was @ 1.086 and has been actively fermenting for just over two days now. I guess it was closer to 1.090 sg which is fine, a little more alcohol won't hurt. The room temp has been a steady 74-76 degrees. I need to get a floating thermometer next time I order from George. 

I was very close to the top of my primary lid so I sanitized a 1 gallon jug and drafted out about 3/4s of a gallon and placed under airlock. I will use this one to top off the 6 gallon carboy when I transfer in a few days.
*Edited by: gaudet *


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## gaudet (Dec 17, 2008)

Been checking the sg every other day.

12-13 SG was 1.066

12-15 it was 1.054

12-17 is 1.044

Getting close to going in the carboy. It the rate its going I think it will go under glass in 2-3 days.....

Tasted a drop or two of the must and its wondefully sweet, nice cranberry taste. I'm sure that it will drop as the alcohol increases.

*Edited by: gaudet *


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## Scott (Dec 17, 2008)

Sounds like it's going according to plan Gaudet. How is the color? Can't wait for mine to get clear, heck the color might be the only good thing about mine. I'll call it my trophy wine, ain't worth drinking, just for looking at



.


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## gaudet (Dec 17, 2008)

Bright red color, I can't wait to see how it looks when it clears. I will take a pic when I open it up again in two days.


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## Goodfella (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey Buddy,


Remember me? (from that other place)


Looks like it's going good for ya!!!


I want to see some pic's of the cranberry.


I'm about ready to started.


Thanks again for telling me about this forum.


Joel


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## Wade E (Dec 17, 2008)

Welcome Goodfella, please start a new post and tell us of yourself


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## gaudet (Dec 17, 2008)

I met goodfella at another site and directed him to this plethora of knowledge..............


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## NorthernWinos (Dec 17, 2008)

Welcome Goodfella....Hope you enjoy your time here....
Do you have all your questions ready????
We are all learning something new everyday.

Merry Christmas!!!!


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## gaudet (Dec 18, 2008)

Scott said:


> Sounds like it's going according to plan Gaudet. How is the color? Can't wait for mine to get clear, heck the color might be the only good thing about mine. I'll call it my trophy wine, ain't worth drinking, just for looking at
> 
> 
> 
> .



I snapped a pic of the 3/4 gallon I have in a gallon jug to primary. I will top it off when I rack to the 6 gallon since i made extra ( it looks close to 7 gallons)








*Edited by: gaudet *


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## Scott (Dec 18, 2008)

Looks like a very nice color should clear very nice finished product, will wait to see final!!


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## gaudet (Dec 20, 2008)

Last night the sg was 1.032 (close enough for me). I splash racked to the 6 gallon carboy and placed it under the airlock. This morning its chugging along happily with a heart rate of 30 bpm.


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## Wade E (Dec 20, 2008)

Love the smiley face on the carboy!


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## gaudet (Dec 20, 2008)

I knew someone would..



Its what the taste made me do......


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## NorthernWinos (Dec 20, 2008)

I don't see the smiley face....?


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## gaudet (Dec 20, 2008)

Look to the upper middle of the carboy (slightly right of center) in black dry erase ink. You should see it.... Looks like this


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## NorthernWinos (Dec 20, 2008)

Gotcha!!!!


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## grapeman (Dec 20, 2008)

NW just look in the mirror! If anyone has a smiley face it has to be you.


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## gaudet (Dec 27, 2008)

Fermentation is slowing to a crawl in these two jugs. The 6 gallon is 4 bubbles per minute in the s lock and the 1 gallon is 1 bubble every 90 seconds or so. The one gallon is showing signs of clearing already too. I will take a sg tomorrow on the 6 gallon since it seems to have the more active fermentation ongoing and see where I stand with this batch.


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## Waldo (Dec 28, 2008)

Looking might good buddy


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## gaudet (Dec 28, 2008)

Took the sg of the 6 gallon batch just now, its 1.024, looks like I'm going to have a stuck or slow fermentation. I need to get a thermometer to check the wine temp. Don't have one yet. Aside from that could I add some nutrient or energizer to perk back up the yeasties, I think the temp is fine since its room temp or maybe just slightly higher (75-79)


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## grapeman (Dec 28, 2008)

Checking things over more closely I see that you didn't stir enough in the beginning. You got a SG of 1.086 after 2 days of active fermentation.2 more days and it had dropped to 1.066 or a difference of .020. Add that to the 1.086 and you get 1.106. The next two days it only dropped .012 so it may have actually been more than the .020 in the beginning or closer to 1.110. If that is the case, the alcohol may just be high enough to kill the yeast now and you won't get it lower. If you have mid 70's temps, those are high enough. Try some yeast nutrient and yeast energizer and give it a stir once. Then if fermentation doesn't start up again, you might have a fairly sweet wine. 


Good luck with it. How does it taste now?


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## gaudet (Dec 28, 2008)

It tasted fine, sweet though. I will try the nutrient and energizer to see if I can squeeze out at least another 0.014

I will only use 1/2 the required amopunt for a 6 gallon since this thing is near the end.

Appleman, you are probably right that it was probably higher than what I thought. It will teach me to be more careful when measuring. I thought I did stir this batch extremely well with my mix stir.


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## gaudet (Jan 5, 2009)

I racked the cranberry that was in the gallon jug this morning. I got a little over 1/2 gallon and I put it in a 1/2 gallon glass jug(more appropriate headspace). The remaining two glasses were poured and I am sampling and tasting it right now. It has cleared fairly well without finings other than the bentonite I added at start. It has a great color light red but needs to clear a little more. I didn't check the sg on this as I will check it when I rack the 6 gallon batch. I am reserving the 1/2 gallon for topping up.


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## gaudet (Jan 8, 2009)

Checked the sg today. At best this puppy is 1.020 now. I think it had way more sugar than I thought it did. Lesson learned, pitch yeast after you are certain of the sg......... 

I guess I could pitch another yeast that might take it down another notch. Any suggestions?


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## Wade E (Jan 8, 2009)

If its too sweet and finished fermenting then do so. If you like it where it is then leave it alone. You will most likely need to use EC-1118 or Premier Cuvee and do a good starter and slowly add the must to the starter so as not to shock the yeast with the abv already there. Id send it all over here for analysis personally!


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## gaudet (Jan 8, 2009)

Well I had a little over a half gallon that I racked a few days ago, and I thought it would be pretty good given a little more time, so I think that it might just need a taste test. I will probably let it finish where it is, and then fine with superkleer (if needed) and let it age for a couple months before bottling. I'll send you a bottle Wade............................. But not all of it.....................


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## Wade E (Jan 8, 2009)

I love the way my cranberry came out. I forget, did I send you a bottle of that?


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## gaudet (Jan 8, 2009)

What was your final gravity? I didn't get the cranberry. I got amarone, rasp mel, blue mel, orange bloss. muscat, and rasp choco. port. I will be sampling this weekend.


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## Wade E (Jan 8, 2009)

After sweetening I think it was around where you are as my wife used to be my taster but was sick that day and couldnt taste it but didnt tell me about this. I sweetened and sweetened and then I finally took a taste and said whoooo! I wasnt happy at the time but then tried it 1 year later and must say that it worked out very well.


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## gaudet (Jan 8, 2009)

Then I think taking your account into consideration I think I will leave it as is and cross my fingers.





It didn't taste too sweet to me when I drank those glasses the other day, it was very pleasant. Too little sweetness and cranberry would be hard to drink.......


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## Wade E (Jan 8, 2009)

oh, by the way, dont drink the last glass of the Amarone as it has wine diamonds in there and they are crunchy!


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## gaudet (Jan 8, 2009)

wade said:


> oh, by the way, dont drink the last glass of the Amarone as it has wine diamonds in there and they are crunchy!



Thanks for mentioning that fact. I just looked at it, and it has sediment that looks like whats in the bottom of the carboy of muscadine that is now oaking. which means that in two months or so I would hope that it is finished dropping the wine diamonds.


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## gaudet (Feb 7, 2009)

Update on this. Last sg was 1.020 I guess I had way more sugar then I thought originally. I racked it off lees to a clean carboy. I have pictures and video.





















Video here with my commentary.......
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRTLvlWbowg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRTLvlWbowg[/ame]


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## Wade E (Feb 7, 2009)

Cool pics and great vid!


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## BDKS (Feb 8, 2009)

great video. Every time I look at those vacuum pumps on ebay they want you to prove that you are supposed to buy that equipment. Are there other alternatives that are not medical vacuum pumps. I know harbor freight, cummins tools, etc sell a different pump setup.


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## gaudet (Feb 8, 2009)

Thanks about the video.

tell them you are either a parent of a child with a trach and you need to replace their suction machine or tell them you are a respiratory therapist. Either one should get you past that door. Now if they require proof I can't help you there


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## Wade E (Feb 8, 2009)

BDKS, did you ask any of the sellers to sell 1 to you as Ebay makes them use a disclaimer about not selling but most do except the medical supply stores. My friend just bought a Shucco for $38!


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## BDKS (Feb 8, 2009)

I bid on one a few months ago that had disclaimer. I got over-bid on it. I did not really watch any more listings.


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## gaudet (Feb 8, 2009)

wade said:


> BDKS, did you ask any of the sellers to sell 1 to you as Ebay makes them use a disclaimer about not selling but most do except the medical supply stores. My friend just bought a Shucco for $38!



That's one hell of a deal there...........


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## gaudet (Feb 13, 2009)

I added super kleer to this batch today. Plan to let it clear for the next 3-4 weeks and possibly bottle. But I think its going to clear wonderfully by the precipitation I am noting on the carboy. I took a note from you Wade and tilted the carboy so that the lees all fall to one side and leave the other side bare for racking. Such a simple idea and brilliant......... Thanks for that little pearl of winemaking wisdom.


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## gaudet (Feb 28, 2009)

Racked this one yesterday. When I lowered the carboy, the lees shifted. But it was weird they left the center of the carboy at the bottom bare. I used the vacuum pump to transfer to another carboy, cleaned the lees out and returned it back to its original carboy. Very pretty colored wine, I will have to take a picture and upload it to show the clarity at this stage. I think its going to be a really good wine from tasting it again yesterday.


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## vcasey (Feb 28, 2009)

gaudet said:


> Very pretty colored wine, I will have to take a picture and upload it to show the clarity at this stage. I think its going to be a really good wine from tasting it again yesterday.



I've done 4 cranberry type wines, meads, and cysers and I agree cranberry makes a very pretty colored beverage. And it tastes pretty good also.
VPC


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## gaudet (Mar 11, 2009)

Bottled it up this morning. Got 30 and 1/2 bottles. Just drank the 1/2 bottle with the neighbor and both think its pretty good. He's not a wine drinker and went for a second glass. Maybe he was just being polite, but I don't think so.


Prepping bottles to safeguard my new wine.











Nice clarity, thanks superkleer........


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