cough syrup

[x_diver]

I've been making a lot of varieties of the concentrates from HomeWinery.com and the majority have come out really nice. However, after three months some are tasting / smelling like alcoholic cough syrup. Specifically, a red raspberry and a plum came out this way.

I followed the set up sheet and fermented it to SG of 0.95. I'm thinking that it's possibly a sanitation issue on my part because these wines have always turned out fine.

I asked the company and they said to let it sit for another 6 months but I'm ready to dump them. Any thoughts?

 

[Julie]

I used there concentrates as well and never had a problem. I haven't done the red raspberry but I have done the black raspberry with no trouble. And I do not follow there instructions. I add the water to bring to 5 gallons, add enough sugar to bring sg 1.080 - 1.090, check acid, adjust, add nutrient, tannin and Lavlin 1122, ferment to dry and for the blackberrry, I add Hungarian oak for six weeks and the others I add a finishing tannin, normally backsweeten to around 1.004 - 1.006.

if you are getting an alcoholic cough syrup, then you are starting with too high of an sg and backsweetening way too much.

 

[x_diver]

I started with a sg of 1.085 and fermented dry. I did not back sweeten. After it sat for a bit, it seems to be improving. Weird.


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[salcoco]

patience. you might try a bench trial with sugar syrup to see if there is any improvement.