figuring alcohol

[mykidsrnutz2]

The last time I made blackberry wine I didn't measure it for alcohol % before I racked it. Today started a vat using 20# blackberries. Do I measure alcohol or SG now? I started with 4# sugar and 20 pints of water. I am guessing how much other stuff I needed to add, so this is what I did:

I added 5 pkgs yeast, 10 teaspoons pectin enzyme, 10 teaspoons acid blend, 5 campden tablets so far. Do I need to add yeast nutrient and how much? I just did this and plan on waiting 7 days then straining out pulp and then adding 4# sugar and 10 pints of water then putting into carboy (I have a plastic one that holds 7 gallons and a glass carboy that holds 5-which is better?) for 10 days then adding 4# sugar and 5 pints of water and rack it until fermentation ends. Have I totally gotten this recipe wrong? How many gallons of wine will I have in the end?

Donna

 

[codeman]

Yes measure SG before you pitch the yeast. Then measure once fermentation is done. Then if you backsweeten measure again.

 

[DoctorCAD]

You added waaaaaaay to much stuff. 20 pounds of blackberrys is only a few gallons of liquid? Id say you added 5 times too much of everything but berries.

 

[mykidsrnutz2]

Thanks for the input. Do I add yeast nutrient and how much?

I took a recipe for 1 gallon wine and got the ratio of berries for all the ingredients and used it to come up with what I needed for all the stuff, including water. I'm hoping to make 10 gallons of wine.

 

[Turock]

This is so far off the rails that it's very difficult to give any assistance. Sure wish you would have talked with us first before starting this ferment. Blackberry can be a difficult wine for beginners because of the malic acid management that should be done on this fruit. But I'm not going to go into all the mistakes that have been made and just answer your question: You always need nutrient when making wine. And it should be step-fed. Take the entire nutrient dose and divide it in half. Pitch the first dose when the yeast becomes active and the second half at 50% sugar reduction.

 

[mykidsrnutz2]

Thanks for all the input. I'll add the nutrient. I'll just have to see how this tastes when I'm done because it's too late to not put the ingredients in. Do ya'll think this will taste yukie? I still have a few pounds of berries I decided to freeze. How many # berries for 5 gallons of wine? I made wine a while back, but never checked the alcohol content, so I just bottled it. It was so delicious my friends and family wanted more but I gave them all I made except 2 bottles I kept for myself. It seemed to taste like high alcohol content.

The question I asked about figuring alcohol hasn't had a clear answer yet---what should he the SG be at? I can't find my hydrometer. My husband "put it away so it doesn't get broken" but forgot where LOL. I may have to let the SG go on its on., but hoping he remebers soon.

 

[Turock]

Well, on fruit wines, many people like an alcohol content of 10-11%. If that's what you're shooting for, then the beginning SG needs to be 1.075 to 1.080. But we like an alcohol content of about 12% because you have better preservation over a longer time-frame. So 12% is an SG of 1.0873.

You need to buy a new hydrometer--can't set the brix without it. You might buy a triple scale hydrometer because then it's easy to see what SG relates to what alcohol content. It's wise to have 2 hydrometers anyway--because when/if one breaks you have another one. After all-they only break when you are using them and you can't wait around for another one to be delivered.

Under country fruit wines, there is a thread called inputs/critique for blackberry wine where I went into great discussion with vernsgal on making blackberry wine. She just reported her results on that wine as excellent, so you might want to go and read that thread. We make alot of blackberry wine and have much experience with it. If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. You used too much yeast---and too much of almost everything else so you need to dialogue with us in order to help you create better ferments. Some good books might make the difference for you too. www.morewine.com has some great books that you might take a look at. Their moremanuals section has lots of free info too that you should take a look at, too.

 

[mykidsrnutz2]

Thanks Turock. I found my hydrometer (also will buy another later), it's been 4 days since I started this batch. I checked the SG today, twice, and it is 0.90, which is way off your post. I suppose this is just ruined, but I hate to waste this and plan to just do the whole thing and see how terrible it is when I bottle it. I have plenty berries I froze, in case I have to start over.

I started with 25# of blackberries and got the ratio between one gallon's pounds and multiplied the ratio to the rest of he ingredients to come up with what I used. Any suggestions how to save this batch. I will add sugar and water on the 13th. Any suggestions how much sugar this time? I was going to add 4# of sugar and 5 pints of water (making sugar syrup). I'm so worried this will be ruined. I had the recipe I used last time on a flash drive, but it broke. That one was so good.

 

[sour_grapes]

I checked the SG today, twice, and it is 0.90, which is way off your post.

It is not really possible for your SG to be 0.900. Perhaps it is 0.990? Here is a video on how to read a hydrometer that may help:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty7PAJaBsts"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty7PAJaBsts[/ame]

 

[chrishattich]

The only reason to measure with a hydrometer now is to check whether fermentation is complete. From now on, always check and record the original gravity of your wine before you pitch your yeast.

You've already put in this kuch time and supplies and it sounds like your committed to seeing it through, so you might as well do what you can to make it as drinkable as possible. Its an experiment if nothing else. Too much yeast isnt a problem really, but too much acid blend is a big problem that you can try to fix down the line. Also, theres no need to add the water and sugar in stages - just add the last 15 pints of water and sugar (I'd back off a little - maybe another 6 lbs) and half of your yeast nutrient dose now and just let it go. You'll continue taking gravity readings daily and once you're halfway between your original gravity reading and 1.000, add the other half of your nutrient dose and allow it to finish. You should end up with five gallons and some left over for topping off.

To combat the excess acid (your wine should taste pretty sour), you'll need to give it plenty of time to age and you'll need to backsweeten a little before bottling (then hit it with a knockout dose to kill the yeast). That should help significantly.

 

[Turock]

The best way to handle the acid on this fruit is to use 71-B yeast. It will metabolize a portion of the malic acid and make the resulting wine much less harsh. Go read that thread under country wine--lots of good advice there.

 

[chrishattich]

The best way to handle the acid on this fruit is to use 71-B yeast. It will metabolize a portion of the malic acid and make the resulting wine much less harsh. Go read that thread under country wine--lots of good advice there.

Bingo ! That's a great plan.

 

[Tom_S]

Blackberries tend to be a bit acidic anyway, so adding more acid is not really the way to go.

 

[mykidsrnutz2]

Thanks for your input, chrishattich. I made a huge typo, it was 0.99 not 90. I should double check my typing before I post. Thanks again all.

 

[sour_grapes]

Thanks for your input, chrishattich. I made a huge typo, it was 0.99 not 90. I should double check my typing before I post. Thanks again all.

And listing the SG to three significant decimal places (like 1.022) really helps you and helps us, too.

 

[mykidsrnutz2]

Hey everyone. I've been so busy on my other projects I haven't had time to post anything. As I said earlier I screwed up saying how much SG when I started. I rechecked because I marked it with a dot to be sure I knew my starting point. It was actually 1.099. I removed all the pulp after 7 days, added 15 pints of water and 6# of sugar. Now I am VERY CONFUSED. After putting the water and sugar in I stirred it and rechecked the SG (I washed the hydrometer to take the mark off). This time it registered 1.042. Yikes. Doesn't that mean there isn't enough sugar and it will not produce alcohol??? This has been very labor intensive. First I picked 25# of blackberries over a week and got lacerated doing so. Then removing all the pulp was time consuming, plus the additives were very expensive. I hate to think this is garbage now. Is this salvageable? When should I check SG again?

 

[sour_grapes]

Now I am VERY CONFUSED.

Me too.

Could you post a timeline of what you did or added, and what SG you observed? It would help us if we could see this progression in a clear, linear fashion.

 

[Turock]

If your beginning SG was 1.099, that would give you a potential alcohol of over 13%. This is, far and away, enough alcohol content for a fruit wine. There was no reason to add more water and then more sugar. I'd be interested to know your logic of why you thought you needed to do that.

 

[mykidsrnutz2]

OK, here's the poop on this creation. I lost my recipe so I found one that made ONE GALLON. I ratioed the ingredients using the pounds for one gallon and multiplied it to the pounds I had. I took 20# blackberries, crushed them and put them in my plastic fermenter bucket with 4# sugar and 10 pints of water, added 5 packets rd wine yeast, 10 t pectin enzyme, 10 t acid blend, 5 campden tablets, 1 t yeast nutrient tested mix at 1.099. Let it sit for 7 days (did not even have one bubble all week) After 7 days I removed all the pulp, added 6# sugar, 5 pts water 1 t yeast nutrient, measured SG at 1.042. I have been watching it and it is really bubbling. Today I sampled about a tablespoon and it didn't taste too yukie. Now, after 10 days what do I do besides putting it into my glass carbol and letting it ferment and rack it repeatedly. How much more sugar and water and how often do I check SG. Do I need more nutrient? This is starting to be like when I invent new dishes to eat for my family. I just don't want it to be a total disaster and undrinkable The last time I made it I had a written recipe a friend gave me (I lost it), but it was very very tasty and my friends and family are clamoring for more. I still have about 10 blackberries I froze, so if the is a total disaster I can make another batch (probably only be 3 gallons though). I check with you guys before I attempt another batch.

 

[DoctorCAD]

You really need to stop adding stuff.