Cherry wine dr

[kardak]

I'm learning great things in every reply here. I'll look for milky spore, if i can find it around, i don't know, also, are you sure it has no harm to other things as a bacteria?

And i can try the left over dead yeast on the top of a ice cream.

 

[dorfie]

It is a bacterium that is often naturally present, so it shouldn't affect anything else. I have never heard of anything negative with the application of it.

 

[kardak]

I measured specific gravity this morning and it's 1.05 now. Tasted it also, it tastes sour and sharp, no sugar taste. It's very acidic i guess.

I hope it is not going to be vinegar

 

[Scooter68]

Be sure that when you check the SG that you have a no course solids in the sample - I assume you are using some sort of wine thief to capture the sample for the SG testing. At this point you should have some alcohol present that you can taste and at 1.050 SG you should still have a detectable sweetness to the must. (That's the reason I mentioned the clean/clear sample for the SG testing. Solids present in the sample will probably give you a false reading.)

 

[kardak]

I put the sg tester directly put it in the jar, after stiring it.
I also make a 3lt cherry wine with natural wild yeast. I tasted it, and it tasted better to me, like has more sugar and not like vinegar.

 

[cintipam]

Hi kardak

Milky spore is very safe and will only hurt the grubs. It is a bit expensive and I'm not sure it will be easy to get in your location.

I noticed you have mentioned vinegar a couple times. Yes, wine does sometimes turn into vinegar. But it is a process where a specific bacteria (or protein, I don't know) manages to get into the wine and that bacteria starts a slow conversion process. Fruit flies are the usual pests that introduce the bacteria into wine.

Young wine, especially young non backsweetened wines, have a sharp fairly unpleasant taste. I personally believe it is malic acid, and that the acid bite seems to soften on it's own at about 1 year of age. At least my fruit wines go thru a massive change in taste at 1 yr old.

I suggest you actually spend a few minutes smelling some vinegar, and if you are brave, taste it. There is a huge diff between vinegar and new sharp wine. New wine will improve if given time. Infected wine will turn to vinegar over time.

I believe the reason you like the wild yeast wine better is that that wine has not converted as much sugar to alcohol yet, so it still tastes sweet to you.

BTW some things I keep very far way from my wine making area are actual vinegar, chlorine bleach, and non wine yeast. They can all interfere with good winemaking.

Hope your tree recovers. I know the pain.

Pam in cinti

 

[Scooter68]

I put the sg tester directly put it in the jar, after stiring it.
I also make a 3lt cherry wine with natural wild yeast. I tasted it, and it tasted better to me, like has more sugar and not like vinegar.

OK that may give you an inaccurate reading. (Putting the tester directly in the jar(s)) If you can find or purchase a tube made for testing the SG you will get more accurate readings. The solids will interfere with the free movement of the Hydrometer. Given the amount of cherry pulp that is in your wine right now a clear sample (Without cherry pulp) will give you more accurate readings.

You could make on out any clear hard plastic tube as long as it's cleaned well. (Need about a 1 to 1 1/4 inside diameter. The "proper" testing containers aren't expensive but I don't where you live or how hard it would be for you to get one. (Example of one: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/fermenter-s-favorites-economy-hydrometer-test-jar )

Also you should be checking all 3 containers. Are you keeping a log of your process, the measurements etc?

 

[kardak]

Sg reads 1.03 and i filtered the mast and put the air lock on. Bubling madly at the moment. Everything seems ok to me.

I'll buy a Sg test tube soon. That's really needed, aslo a ph tester.
I tasted apple vinegar and i can say that, yes it's very sharp compared to my wine. I guess femantation is going well. I wish i had a computer system with sensors, that i can monitor what's going on there

 

[Scooter68]

Is all of your wine in that one container? As soon as the bubbling/foam dies back you should top off the bottle to bring that level up to at least the bottom of the narrow neck portion of the jug. That will reduce the exposure of your wine must to oxygen which now becomes a bad thing. Right now it looks like you still have some serious fermentation going on so topping up right now is probably not the best idea, wait until things settle down bit - to fine bubbles sort of like a carbonated soda but very fine bubbles.

No need to stir now. And if you don't mind me asking how did you filter the must? Coarse cheesecloth ? Something like that would be good and let enough yeast through to give the fermentation you are getting now.

Looks very good!

As you will find after a couple more batches experience, you'll get a sense for how your wine is doing as you taste it at each racking. (Tasting - 1/4 oz is enough to get a good sense for the progress) I generally do a taste at each racking even less than 1/4 oz just to keep track of it. And you can always take the gross lees and put them in a small jar in the fridge to settle out for a better taste test. (I hate throwing out anything that I might use even if just to get a sense for how the wine is aging.)

 

[kardak]

After 2 weeks of bubling, now it looks like there is no more bubles on the air lock.
So should i wait or put them in the bottles for resting?

 

[Scooter68]

After 2 weeks of bubling, now it looks like there is no more bubles on the air lock.
So should i wait or put them in the bottles for resting?

The key what is the SG reading right now? Fermentation can occur with little or no outwardly visible evidence. Even the air trap can fool you if it leaks, or if the gas release is very very slow. (I even had one cap split and it had me fooled until I did the SG reading)

Unless you have an SG reading of .995 or lower fermentation may still be going on OR there is the potential for it to start again if it stopped.

Check the SG reading before making and decision.

 

[kardak]

SG reads 1.01 in one jar, and 1.02 in the other. I filtered them with siphone, topped them and put the air lock again for more fermentation.
Tasted them, not bad, a little bit sour and sharp, but still acid level is high i guess.


Edit after an hour:

A glass of cherry wine remained after i racked them, i put it in the refrigerator for a while and now drinking it and it tastes very nice. Just like a cheery wine, not sharp or too sour, nor acidic.
I guess i made it. Thank you for all the help.

Last edit:

What happens, if i directly put them into bottles from now on?

 

[Scooter68]

This is the tough part - Patience

The full taste of your wine has yet to develop - it takes a little time for that to happen.


Fermentation should be allowed to complete - especially since there was some question about the SG readings initially. Let it go dry to at least .995. If you wine doesn't have enough Alcohol in it, you might have it spoil on you - needs about 11% or more to keep well.

Secondly it needs to clear - it may look very clear now but normally there are going to be fine particles in the wine for at least a couple of months - give them time to settle out. Since you just racked it - you've stirred things up and there will be more settling to occur. The racking you did will probably give the yeast a little nudge to keep going. You may not see any bubbles or you might see little streams if very fine bubbles but be patient.


Most fruit wine makers try to give their wine at least a year to age before considering it really mature and ready to bottle. You can stop the fermentation now, stabilize it and bottle it but then if something changes in that wine you are stuck with X number of bottles of wine that you may not like. Leaving it in bulk containers lets you check it and adjust things if needed. Sometimes it may need more acid if the citric acid diminishes and raises the pH above 3.7 (Even 3.6 is at the upper end of what it takes to protect a wine from bacteria and spoilage)

I will confess to having bottled and even consumed wine from some of my first batches at 4-5 months. They were good but as they aged to 7,8,9,10 months and longer they became much better and softer on the tongue. Young wines can have a sharpness that detracts from the flavors. You may enjoy it now but will others? I know it's hard to wait and if you just can't wait - do yourself a favor and only bottle/consume 1 of those carboys now. BUT it you can wait - You think it tastes good now? Give it 6 months and it will be a totally different taste vastly improved.

Do some reading on here and you'll see how much difference that time makes. There are numerous folks who bottled their wine at 5-7 months - scared that they were wasting their time because it was rough tasting - a year later it was awesome stuff. Being patient is the toughest part of wine making!