First big lesson I've learned..

[Tall Grass]

Before I jumped into making wine I read plenty of tips, recipes and anecdotes about making this alcoholic beverage. But it always bugged me that people would commonly say that too much alcohol would ruin a wine.

So I've made a few 1 gallon batches with lalvin 1118 at 16% and 17% and now I'm thinking about dumping them *laugh* After some a few small tastes I've realized how right those comments were.... this is too strong.. way too strong.

I have a 5 gallon batch brewing right now and it's at 15% and I'm trying to think of how I can fix that...... watering it down might the only solution

I was very wrong in this case and will stick with the 1085 solution or around there

 

[Nubz]

you could wait till its finished and "water" it down with some juice of the right flavor id think instead of using water

 

[Tall Grass]

Hmm, I could do that and I might try because it's not really drinkable right now.

 

[cpfan]

Tall Grass:

Reminds me of a person I used to know. Very proud of the wine he made from organic fruits, organic sugar, and that he used EC-1118 to reach 18+%. I tried the apricot berry. Tasted like raw alcohol with a little fruit flavour. Not my style.

In other words to each their own.

BTW, some commercial wines these days reach up to 15%. A strong full-bodied red wine can probably be good at that high an alcohol.

I agree with Nubz, try diluting your fire water with some fruit juice.

Steve

 

[manku007]

Listening that is something like I m shocked because here in my city beer contain about 8 - 10 percentage of alcohol and whiskey contain 42.5% of alcohol I know it is hard to believe but it's true, I get mad when I drink 6 - 8 Peg of whiskey or 700 ml of beer

For me 12 - 20 % of alcohol is normal, but I don't know how much alcohol ur wine contains

 

[smurfe]

Many wines can hold well with alcohol contents that high. What isn't nice are non grape fruit wines such as strawberry for example. The alcohol will diminish or mask the fruit flavor most seek. Now some fruits can take it but overall I like to keep them around 12%.

Adding juice is a great idea or make an F-Pack and sweeten the wine if the style will allow it. You may also take what you have now and blend it with lower alcohol like wines. I have a batch of raspberry that I am saving to do just that sometime soon I hope. It was rocket fuel that did mellow out but is still too harsh. I will make another batch of raspberry at a much lower ABV and dump this wine back into it.

I always tell anyone to never dump a wine unless when you take a drink it makes you vomit or has a distinct off taste that tells you infection was present.