Alcohol content

[arcticsid]

Sorry O.P., told you LUC was the man for that. Sorry your wine may be "flabby and weak".

Guess you had better pour it in your eye and start another!!!LOL

We will still love ya.

Troy

 

[Old Philosopher]

Ok let me give this a shot.

Besides that: 1 pound plums per gallon would gain very little flavor.
This will be a flabby wine.

Luc

Thanks, Luc! Yes, U.S. Gallons.
That's what I get for listening to an ol' hillbilly before checking you guys!
Well, I still have 10-12 pounds of plums left, so I guess I should start over, huh?

 

[arcticsid]

No don't start over start again. start a new thread in here and look for a recipe. From what I'm reconing you got enough there for 2 gallons, mix it with an old boot, few pounds of fruit, you will have the next batc started!! LOL

Troy

 

[Old Philosopher]

No don't start over start again. start a new thread in here and look for a recipe. From what I'm reconing you got enough there for 2 gallons, mix it with an old boot, few pounds of fruit, you will have the next batc started!! LOL

Troy

I've got 3 gal of "something" perking away in the carboy. So you're saying use that as starter for a new batch with more fruit and sugar?

 

[Luc]

If you need some guidelines look here:

http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/pruimentijd-2009-plums-again.html

It is not so much a recipe as more a guideline.
Plums just like any fruit will vary in SG and acidity each year. Therefore do the measurements and you make your own recipe.

I use pure plum juice and just dillute it a bit to get some of the acidity down. Again that is dependend on the kind of plums, ripeness etc etc etc.

Luc

 

[Old Philosopher]

If you need some guidelines look here:

http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/pruimentijd-2009-plums-again.html

It is not so much a recipe as more a guideline.
Plums just like any fruit will vary in SG and acidity each year. Therefore do the measurements and you make your own recipe.

I use pure plum juice and just dillute it a bit to get some of the acidity down. Again that is dependend on the kind of plums, ripeness etc etc etc.

Luc

Thanks for the guide/link!
Maybe I'm just dense, but I've looked at your SG table, and others. Is adjusting the starting SG just a matter of adding sugar until you get to the desired SG, depending upon what alcohol content you eventually want? I don't know if I stated that clearly.
The other thing I notice on your blog is that you didn't pit the plums. Since you're not using pulp, but only the juice, I take it that pitting them is unnecessary?

 

[arcticsid]

Thats basically it O.P.. Of course different fruits will have way different sugar contents, and as mentioned some fruits you will want to have #5/gallon, others more. Just addsugar (dissolved first) till you get where you want.

Troy

 

[Old Philosopher]

It looks like I did just about everything wrong. I followed a "recipe" by mixing water, sugar and fruit together, and then cooked it! Grrr... Would have made GREAT jam....

 

[Luc]

Thanks for the guide/link!
Maybe I'm just dense, but I've looked at your SG table, and others. Is adjusting the starting SG just a matter of adding sugar until you get to the desired SG, depending upon what alcohol content you eventually want? I don't know if I stated that clearly.

Yep, no magic in that
Well designing the table is magic off course, just call me wizzard

The other thing I notice on your blog is that you didn't pit the plums. Since you're not using pulp, but only the juice, I take it that pitting them is unnecessary?

Yep, that is right.
Pits may cause bitterness and even worse arsenic acid which is poisenous. However the pits were very hard and i knew that by crushing the plums by hand (potato masher) I would not crush any pits. So even pulp fermenting would not do any harm.

It looks like I did just about everything wrong. I followed a "recipe" by mixing water, sugar and fruit together, and then cooked it!

The first golden rule in winemaking is to try to work with full juice. Never dilute until needed.
Juice is only diluted when acidity is too high to make a palatable wine or when (like with elderberries) tannin content is too high.
So make the pure juice from any fruit, then measure acidity and when too high adjust by diluting. When acidity is at the right level you only adjust sugar by measuring SG and adding sugar to the desired level.

And try to avoid cooking. It might alter flavors of the juice.
When in doubt take a cup of juice. Boil half of it and then taste both halves. That way you will know if the flavor will change by cooking the juice.

Luc

 

[Old Philosopher]

...And try to avoid cooking. It might alter flavors of the juice.
When in doubt take a cup of juice. Boil half of it and then taste both halves. That way you will know if the flavor will change by cooking the juice.

Luc

Pretty simple, when all the elite mumbo-jumbo is filtered out.
The only reason I can see for "cooking" is to pasteurize the juice, without having to add chemicals. But that only needs a few minutes around 200 F degrees, not boiling. I guess that still cooks it though.
Thanks again, Luc!