# Orange Wine Clearing



## ameinecke (Jan 24, 2011)

Does an orange wine clear to a translucent state? Or does it stay as a cloudy orange like regular orange juice from a carton?




Not sure...

About to rack it for the first time, waiting for fermentation to end on it's own, and has been in secondary for the past week.

Thanks!


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## gird123 (Jan 24, 2011)

My first batch is clearing.


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## woodsxdragon (Jan 25, 2011)

was this a kit, fresh, or concentrate?


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## ameinecke (Jan 25, 2011)

woodsxdragon said:


> was this a kit, fresh, or concentrate?



These are freshly squeezed oranges


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## ameinecke (Jan 25, 2011)

And should I top it off with water to get it to 2 inches of the bung, or is it alright to have that much air space?

Thanks!


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## gird123 (Jan 25, 2011)

I think they will tell you to top up with a similar wine, but that might be hard with orange.

Can you get 3 or 4 one gallon Carlo Rossi bottles and transfer?


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## woodsxdragon (Jan 25, 2011)

you check your sg to see if its time? and what all did you add (recipe?)? and i would add something... usually wine is recommended... but i mean i've seen marbles added. hopefully someone chimes in.


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## ameinecke (Jan 26, 2011)

woodsxdragon said:


> you check your sg to see if its time? and what all did you add (recipe?)? and i would add something... usually wine is recommended... but i mean i've seen marbles added. hopefully someone chimes in.



Well, it is still fermenting. The gravity of the orange wine started at 1.132, and now has made it down to 1.010. So I know i am going to be stabilizing within the next couple of days.

I am going to try to remember the recipe. I didn't really write down what I used. Probably should in the future...

Started off by peeling 30 oranges and throwing the peels into the primary with boiling water. Waited a day, then juiced 30 more juicing oranges, and 30 clementines, and dropped that into the primary. Added a gallon of water, a pound of raisins, 12 pounds sugar, grape tannin, pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient.

I started it the 15th, and left the primary, removing all the gunk from the top, and entered secondary on the 19th. It has been in secondary for a week now, and it is still fermenting strong. 

The marbles is a great idea, I may just do that. But if I were to add wine into it instead, what kind of wine should I use?


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## gird123 (Jan 26, 2011)

What yeast did you use? 16% abv is high. I have found the few that I made that high took a lot longer to clear and they are no were near ready to drink after 6 months.


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## trueax1 (Jan 26, 2011)

yes it will you need to get bentonite 2 tsp in 1/2 c of boiling water let desolve and poor it in to your wine let sit 24 hr and rack and repeat tell clear


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## ameinecke (Jan 26, 2011)

gird123 said:


> What yeast did you use? 16% abv is high. I have found the few that I made that high took a lot longer to clear and they are no were near ready to drink after 6 months.




I was supposed to use Wyeast Mead, but my home brew shop didnt have it so I ended up using a chablis style yeast strain if I remember correctly.


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## ameinecke (Jan 26, 2011)

trueax1 said:


> yes it will you need to get bentonite 2 tsp in 1/2 c of boiling water let desolve and poor it in to your wine let sit 24 hr and rack and repeat tell clear



That's a great idea. I would have never thought of that being so new to this.

Thanks for the advice!!


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## gird123 (Jan 26, 2011)

the two on the left are 2 months old with 3 orange concentrate per gallon, the one on the right is juice from fresh oranges (1 month)


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## ameinecke (Jan 26, 2011)

gird123 said:


> View attachment 1888
> 
> 
> the two on the left are 2 months old with 3 orange concentrate per gallon, the one on the left is juice from fresh oranges (1 month)



sweet, thanks for that, really gives me a better idea of what i am getting in the end. did regularly use bentonite as well prior to racking?


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## woodsxdragon (Jan 26, 2011)

i was gonna say in the concentrate i made last month it's to the point when it just needs fining or filtering. it's clear enough to see through but still a little fuzzy.


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## gird123 (Jan 26, 2011)

The packet of bentonite I have recommends 1/2 tsp per gallon. I think much more than that and you would remove some of the mouth feel of your wine. Did you add any tannin? So far i have added no fining to my orange wines.

I have used super kleen on other wines with good success and many people recommend sparkolloid. I tried gelatin with very little success. I had a couple that i added gelatin to and wait a month with no change then added super kleen and it was very clean in a day.


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## gird123 (Jan 29, 2011)

Yesterday I checked the sg of my orange wine it was at .995 and I sampled. It had a sulfur smell. I did not notice it when i racked to secondary 3 weeks ago. Is it time to rack off the lees and maybe do the copper thing? Or should I rack it and forget about it for a few months?


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## Runningwolf (Apr 13, 2011)

gird123 said:


> Yesterday I checked the sg of my orange wine it was at .995 and I sampled. It had a sulfur smell. I did not notice it when i racked to secondary 3 weeks ago. Is it time to rack off the lees and maybe do the copper thing? Or should I rack it and forget about it for a few months?



Hey Gird can you give us an update on this?


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## gird123 (Apr 13, 2011)

Tried some when i got home. No more sulfer taste or smell, just very young. The acidity is .70 ish. I'm trying to be patient. I started this 1/2/11. Smells like orange, tastes bitter. I think i will back sweeten.

01/02/11	4	lbs of little cutie oranges
2	bananas with peel 
2	persimmon 
3	lbs of sugar with 4 cups of water 
1	12oz can oj 
1	can water 
1/8	tsp sodium metabisulfite 
2	tsp pectic emzyme 
½	tsp yeast nut 

sg	off the chart 
adjusted by 
½	gal water 
½	gal apple juice 
sg	1090 
71b-1122 
1/8 th tsp of k-met 
03/20/11	0.993	.70 ta	
gelatin


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## Runningwolf (Apr 13, 2011)

So I am assuming this was a one gallon batch? Sounds really yummy!


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## gird123 (Apr 13, 2011)

It ended up being about 1 and 3/4 gal.


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