1st rack to carboy

[Oracus]

I just racked my first wine batch to the carboy today. SG was about .998 there are still some bubbles floating to the top of the carboy. Thought to share the progress

1 gal cranberry juice
start SG 1.10
1 pack Red Star Montrachet yeast
1 3/4 lbs sugar
1 banana(yeast boost)

 

[Tom]

kinda high alcohol for cranberry like around 15%

 

[Catfish]

Yum!!!!!!!

 

[Oracus]

Yeah that was the 1st mistake i made I mis-read the hydrometer. It is a learning experience that wont happen next time and each batch should only get better as I learn more.

 

[Tom]

Ask questions here if you need guidance BEFORE you take that step.

 

[JordanPond]

On the positive side, it was only a 1 gallon batch from juice. Other than time and a few dollars, not much lost. I can't think of a better learning experience and courage to share with the rest of.

Good luck and thanks for sharing.

 

[Oracus]

I started with the 1 gallon 1st just for the "If I mess up" factor not much will be lost. Is the 15% ABV going to be a problem? Also from what I have read from ebook, website, recipe books I dont add stabilizer till close to bottling. Is this correct?

For general info I tested ph levels, my ph test strips are telling me the levels are close to 3.2

 

[Runningwolf]

HA HA you're not fooling me! Tell everyone what your real plan was. You guys are going to mix this with tonic water and make a really refreshing drink! Way to go!

There did I cover your a**? ::

 

[Julie]

I started with the 1 gallon 1st just for the "If I mess up" factor not much will be lost. Is the 15% ABV going to be a problem? Also from what I have read from ebook, website, recipe books I dont add stabilizer till close to bottling. Is this correct?

For general info I tested ph levels, my ph test strips are telling me the levels are close to 3.2

The fruit flavor will come through very well with high alcohol, you add sulfites once the wine is dond fermenting and if you are going to backsweeten add sorbate as well.

A suggestion that I would do if I had a wine that was going to be 15% is make a lower abv wine that could be blended with this. Concord and cranberry blends well, so does niagara and cranberry. Welch's white grape is made from niagara grapes and Welch's makes a concord but make sure it is juice and not the cocktail juice.

 

[Oracus]

The fruit flavor will come through very well with high alcohol, you add sulfites once the wine is dond fermenting and if you are going to backsweeten add sorbate as well.

A suggestion that I would do if I had a wine that was going to be 15% is make a lower abv wine that could be blended with this. Concord and cranberry blends well, so does niagara and cranberry. Welch's white grape is made from niagara grapes and Welch's makes a concord but make sure it is juice and not the cocktail juice.

Ok thanks! So if I got this right the wine is in secondary fermentation till the sg is .995, then I would rack again and add sulfite and sorbate. Then that would be clearing stage. I think Ill leave the blending alone till I get better at this hobby.

 

[Oracus]

HA HA you're not fooling me! Tell everyone what your real plan was. You guys are going to mix this with tonic water and make a really refreshing drink! Way to go!

There did I cover your a**? ::

Sorry but I cant stand tonic water. Too many years living in Europe with drinking their carbonated water was really hard to find un-carbonated bottle water.

 

[Luc]

Our tap-water is of such a high quality that no one has to buy bottled water

Luc

 

[Lurker]

15% sounds like good sippin wine to me.

 

[Oracus]

15% sounds like good sippin wine to me.

Me too I hope it turns out well.

 

[Catfish]

I agree I love strong sweet wine. 15% is just starting to get good.

 

[Oracus]

Well tonight I degassed added sulfites and sorbate. Will backsweeten and F-pac once it clears some.

 

[tonyt]

15%? A little higher and you would have a Cosmo in a bottle.

 

[Tom]

Well tonight I degassed added sulfites and sorbate. Will backsweeten and F-pac once it clears some.

If you think you will be adding a f-pac do it right after you stabilize. reason is it will cloud the wine so why clear it and then f-pac it.
Backsweeten when it is clearer.

 

[Oracus]

OK I can do that I want to wait a day or two after I stabilized it as not to restart fermentation.

 

[chachi44089]

I did the exact same thing on my first batch "2"-1gallon jugs of welches frozen concord.. 1.100 sg, oops. But after back sweetening with more frozen concord, the alcohol lowered a bit because of being diluted. The wine was great and is almost gone. After the wine finished and was stabilized, degassed and cleared, I added liquid concentrate till the sg was 1.005, waited a week and bottled..Good stuff..
Maybe there is a formula to determine how much juice you could add at the end to lower the abv to a better level and sweeten at the same time?
Wouldnt you just sutract the abv "after sweetening" from the "finished dry" abv to get the actual abv after sweetening? Like.. Starting sg of 1.100 and finished sg of .995 = 13.7%abv. Then, back sweetened to sg of .010.. 0.010=1.3%abv.. 13.7%-1.3%= 12.4% as the final "after sweeteneing" abv..??