# ? about Grape juice wine...



## MaineGal (Mar 13, 2010)

On 2/24 we started a batch of grape juice wine using our own juice.

Fermentation has stopped and we have racked to a 6 gallon carboy.

Do we need to add more campden now? (we put 5 in when we started this wine)

Thanks!


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## Bert (Mar 13, 2010)

When you degass this wine, I would add 3 to 4 more tabs...then you will be good for about 3 months when clearing....Good luck


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## MaineGal (Mar 13, 2010)

So I dont need to add anything right now at this racking?


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## Bert (Mar 13, 2010)

Just when you stabilize and degass when fermentation is done...


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## MaineGal (Mar 13, 2010)

Thank you Bert!


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## scotty (Mar 14, 2010)

MaineGal said:


> On 2/24 we started a batch of grape juice wine using our own juice.
> 
> Fermentation has stopped and we have racked to a 6 gallon carboy.
> 
> ...



I would like to hear at what point you added the 5 campden tabs (before, after or along with what)) 


i asume you made a 5 gallon batch.


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## Tom (Mar 14, 2010)

What kind of grape juice did you use? You also might want to consider making a f-pac depending what juice you used. Did you add pectic enzyme in the primary?

Post recipe and what you did so far..for more suggestions


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## robie (Mar 14, 2010)

What were the instructions (recipe) you used?
You started the juice 17 to 18 days ago. Isn't it time to degas now?
If so, isn't it also time to add more Kmeta and some sorbat?
We need to know a little more about the recipe.


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## MaineGal (Mar 14, 2010)

Thanks everyone.

Not sure what kind of grapes they are. They were here when we bought the house. Picked them two years ago and steam-juiced them.

Started the wine on 2/24

Used two gallons of juice
3 gallons of water
5 campden-crushed
12 lbs of sugar
3 1/3 tblsp. Acid Blend
2.5 tsp tannin
3 tsp Yeast nutrient
1 packet of Yeast

It has stopped fermenting (and this one fermented vigorously!), and we have racked it to a carboy.

Any thoughts?
Thanks.


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## robie (Mar 14, 2010)

If fermentation is finished and you have racked, it is time for k meta and to degas. 

Here is a very helpful manual about using fresh or frozen grapes:

http://morebeer.com/public/pdf/wredw.pdf

Read this guy from cover to cover, especially chapter 10.


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## Tom (Mar 14, 2010)

1st What was the starting gravity? 
What is it now
Did you do a TA test or just added the acid blend.
Before stabilizing you need to be checking the gravity 3 days in a row to see it it changes. It seems like alot of water you added.


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## MaineGal (Mar 14, 2010)

tepe said:


> 1st What was the starting gravity? </font>
> What is it now</font>
> Did you do a TA test or just added the acid blend.</font>
> Before stabilizing you need to be checking the gravity 3 days in a row to see it it changes. It seems like alot of water you added.</font>



Starting SG was 1.06. Yesterday it was .9902.
I will check it again later.
It did seem alot of water to me as well, but I had someone here helping me and that is what she told me to put in.

I did not do a TA test when we started this.....I recently bought a wine testing kit though.


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## Tom (Mar 14, 2010)

1.060 is low for a grape wine. I think it will come out with little body and flavor. Google and download WineCalc. When making wine from grapes/fruit/something else just input your gravity and where you want it to be and will tell how much sugar to add. Remember take the water from the must and heat that then add the sugar so it dissolves


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## MaineGal (Mar 14, 2010)

Tepe, Is there anything I can do at this point to "fix" it??
I checked the wine Calculator and it says the ABV is currently 9.48%.


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## Tom (Mar 14, 2010)

Looks like your wine is finished andI see nothing to donow. Gravity of 1.060 =8-9% alcohol.
You can make a patio wine out of it.. Add ginger ale soda to it and make like a wine cooler.


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## MaineGal (Mar 14, 2010)

Ugg...sorry to hear that. 

Oh well...we live and we learn.

So what do I do at this point??? Stir the heck out of it (degas) and add more campden?

Then how long before I bottle?

I know...so many questions! Thanks for your patience....I'm just a noob!


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## Tom (Mar 14, 2010)

You say the gravity is .990 so time to start to stabilize.


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## grapeman (Mar 15, 2010)

Sorry I missed this yesterday. I think you have incorrectly recorded some information here and there. First you have a really accurate hydrometer if it read .9902. Something isn't right there. Next, there is no way you have a 8-9% wine and a starting SG of 1.060. You had 5 gallons liquid and added 12 pounds of sugar. Using the following chart from Jack Keller's site, you added enough sugar to make it 12.9 % with no sugar supplied by the juice. I might believe it was 1.060 with the original juice and you added 12 pounds of sugar (or was it 2 pounds). Let's sort it out here because things don't add up. 



http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/hydrom.asp


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## MaineGal (Mar 15, 2010)

Appleman,

Are you implying that I dont know what I'm talking about??????





It's quite possible I dont. LOL...

I told ya....I'm a newbie



OK, here are my notes...



Started with 2 gallons of juice and 3 gallons of water. 
Added 5 crushed
campden
12 lbs of sugar
3 1/3 Tblsp Acid blend
2.5 tsp Tannin 
3 tsp. nutrient 
1 packet of yeast

The starting SG was 1.06

Maybe I read the hydrometer wrong when I took the last sg reading??? I'll try it again.

Well....at the top of my hydrometer it starts with 990 It measures right at the short line under that....Isnt that .9902 ??

I did just give it a taste and it's very strong.


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## Tom (Mar 15, 2010)

I say if indeed you added 12 pounds of sugar and you read the starting gravity then all the sugar sank and/or not mixed well.
When adding sugar its best to take 2-4 quarts out of the primary and heat it in a BIG pot then add sugar and stir till its dissolved.
I missed the 12# of sugar part.. Good catch Appleman.


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## grapeman (Mar 15, 2010)

Naw I'm not saying you don't know what you are talking about, it just doesn't seem to be coming out right




.


When did you measure the 1.060? Before or after adding water or sugar?
Straight winegrape juice will be from 1.075-1.110, depending on ripeness and variety of grape- so straight juice should have been at least the 1.060 by itself.


If you were at one small line below the .990, that would be .992. Simple little misquote there.


We will get this sorted out soon and you are learning at each step.


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## MaineGal (Mar 15, 2010)

I did not heat the water to add the sugar, just used hot tap water, but I am sure it all dissolved.

When we racked it, I didn't see anything except maybe a 1/4 inch of sediment. Could that have been sugar????? Dunno...I didn't taste it.

I tasted the wine today and it tastes almost like beer......does that make any sense?? LOL


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## MaineGal (Mar 15, 2010)

I measured the 1.060 after the juice, water, sugar, and other ingredients were all mixed up in the primary.

I just checked my hydrometer and I see where I made the mistake and put the zero in....Thanks for helping me there!

I wonder....I still have some more of this same juice in the pantry....Should I take out another quart jar and test the SG just to see what it reads all by itself? Would that help?

I really do appreciate you all......thank you!


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## MaineGal (Mar 15, 2010)

Ahhh crud......I feel realllllllly silly right now............














I just checked the SG in another quart of juice.......... guess what it reads all by itself??????????? Yep..... 1.060

Sooooo.....what do I do now???


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## MaineGal (Mar 15, 2010)

p.s...I can hear the rest of you out there laughing at me.....Just stop it! That's not nice.


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## ArdenS (Mar 15, 2010)

Not laughing at you; just reflecting on how many things I could have done better if I were further along the learning curve. This is a hobby that appears to have no end to new things to learn. A value of this Forum is the number of friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful people. I've checked out some other fora, and some of them can get pretty snarky. The people here are interested in helping each other succeed. 

Arden


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## MaineGal (Mar 15, 2010)

Amen to that, Arden! I agree 100%! 

'Tis a great site.


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## Boyd (Mar 15, 2010)

If I had a nickel for every mistake I made I would have a barrel full of nickels.


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## grapeman (Mar 15, 2010)

I just got done working for the day and my mind doesn't feel like doing calcs right now, but using your figures it should be possible to figure the %ABV. My rough guess would be around 14-15%, maybe a bit more. You should be able to smell the alcohol. Let it clear, bottle it and give it a while, then enjoy it. Next one will be better. You will be an expert before you know it.


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## IQwine (Mar 15, 2010)

when I make wine I do it for practice.
when something doesn't go right... it was just for practice.
Pretty soon... practice makes perfect.
hmmmm.... lots of mistakes made are only made once.... 
and anyways all this is among friends...... 
solution??..... just make more.


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## MaineGal (Mar 17, 2010)

IQwine said:


> when I make wine I do it for practice.
> when something doesn't go right... it was just for practice.
> Pretty soon... practice makes perfect.
> hmmmm.... lots of mistakes made are only made once....
> ...



Thanks, IQ...I like that attitude! 

I know I'm not the only one who has made these mistakes. One thing I can say that I've learned is to S-L-O-W down and not try to be making wine where there are too many other things going on when I can be sidetracked.......that's really what happened. I was trying to do too many other things all at the same time!

Anyway....I'm going to do as you suggest Appleman...I'll let it clear and see what happens. It will be interesting to see what the final result of this will be. 

Thank you to all that have offered their thoughts and suggestions!


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