a few more questions.

[anoddmind]

Hello brewers, I've got a few more questions. thanks for all your help on my last post, I think the wines are going well.
okay, I'll start with the embarrassing one. I started a batch of strawberry must thinking that I had a gallon carboy, when I went to rack it, I found out that I had a 3 liter glass jug. now that I do have an actual gallon glass jug, would it be safe to sweeten and water it down and rack it to a full gallon to end up with a sweeter and lighter wine? it has been in the carboy for a little over 2 weeks
does jelly wine come out good, in general? just something I want to try.
lastly, have you ever made an arrangement with a bar, in order to get their empty bottles? I've collected 5 sets of six and still have about 30 other bottles in 3 weeks
thanks for all of your help so far. I can tell this site is full of people with the rare talent of making life easier on others.

 

[Tom]

Hello brewers, I've got a few more questions. thanks for all your help on my last post, I think the wines are going well.
okay, I'll start with the embarrassing one. I started a batch of strawberry must thinking that I had a gallon carboy, when I went to rack it, I found out that I had a 3 liter glass jug. now that I do have an actual gallon glass jug, would it be safe to sweeten and water it down and rack it to a full gallon to end up with a sweeter and lighter wine? it has been in the carboy for a little over 2 weeks
does jelly wine come out good, in general? just something I want to try.
lastly, have you ever made an arrangement with a bar, in order to get their empty bottles? I've collected 5 sets of six and still have about 30 other bottles in 3 weeks
thanks for all of your help so far. I can tell this site is full of people with the rare talent of making life easier on others.

1st I would wait till its finished fermenting dry.
2nd you can do a couple of things here One make a f-pac and 2 backsweeten. Both can be done when racking to the 1 gal jug.
Yes that is the best nad FREE way to get bottles. MAke sure you rinse and clean the bottles as you get them. Then all you need to do id sanitize them when bottling.
What was your recipe for the Strawberry wine?

 

[anoddmind]

I used 3# of frozen strawberries, 10 oz of frozen blueberries about 2 and a half # of sugar, 1tsp acid blend 1/4 tsp tannin, 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient, a sodium campden tablet and motrachet wine yeast.

 

[vvolf34]

I have read about jelly wine and it did come out very good. I have not made any, but you need to use real jelly or homemade one. A guy by the name of Summsolstice made one, here is his recipe:

Country Jelly Wine

1 gallon

3# lbs jelly or jam (I used a combination of fresh home made jellies purchased at the local farmer's market. apple/apricot, raspberry, wild plum, wild mulberry, rhubarb)

6 pts water
1 lb sugar
2 tsp acid blend
1/8 tsp tannin
1 tsp nutrient
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 campden tablet
1 tsp bentonite
1 pkg Montrachet yeast
OG 1.00 +-.05

Mix jam or jelly with cool water and all ingredients except yeast. Be sure to use hydrometer because this recipe proved too sweet and I had to add water to get the SG down 1.05. After 24 hours add hydrated yeast then cover primary fermentor. When SG reaches 1.040 (5 days or so) rack over 1 tsp bentonite into a one-gallon carboy (I also added a small amount of red grape concentrate mixed with water to top off secondary at this point). Attach airlock.

I allowed mine to sit for 5 weeks before racking again on another campden tablet and more water to top off. Bottled two months later when it cleared.

 

[xanxer82]

I have an arrangement with my local wine bar. They save bottles for me I pick them up once or twice a week.

 

[Tom]

I used 3# of frozen strawberries, 10 oz of frozen blueberries about 2 and a half # of sugar, 1tsp acid blend 1/4 tsp tannin, 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient, a sodium campden tablet and motrachet wine yeast.

Low on the fruit I would make a f-pac using 2-3# of Strawberries. Everything else looks OK for now. What was the starting gravity? What is it now? WHAt yeast did you use?

 

[anoddmind]

SG was at 1.100-95 when started and racked at 1.090. I have left it alone since racking and am going to check it tonight when I am making another batch, so I'm not to sure where it is at as of right now, but I will post here when I find it out. I used red star Montrachet yeast.

 

[Tom]

I think you need to read the hydrometer again. those readings can't be!
1.085 is where you START a fruit wine. No way did you rack @ 1.090
"SG was at 1.100-95 when started" is a huge difference. (1.100 vs 1.195)

 

[anoddmind]

I really do have no idea what I am doing more likely than not, you are correct Tom, I'm heading to the store now, to pick up jam, when I get back, I will go to work on sanitizing all the equipment, and take the reading on the strawberry wine. can it really be that hard to take a misreading on a hydrometer? I could just be completly dumb.

 

[anoddmind]

alright, said screw it, on going to the store for now, and took readings on both wines.
the hydrometer in the apple wine reads at slightly below 0.990 and is looking nice and clear, a little yellow in complexion.
the strawberry one is confusing to me with less time it has an even lower reading and shows above (physically on the hydrometer) 0.990, it has a very pungent aroma, but a little sweet at the same time. it also has a very thick layer of sediment.