Hello folks, embarking upon my 4th batch soon...

[Grape Expectations]

Hello. I've been making a few batches of wine as a total beginner and each one has turned out well. The only problem is I am drinking it faster than I am making it

My next batch will be made from Ocean Spray Cranberry juice... 16L this time. I'm aiming at max ABV as usual so it's going to have 1150g sugar per 4L of juice to give a total sugar/L of 381g. The ABV aim is around 18%.

I was used plastic buckets last time, but I didn't like how flimsy the lids were when plugging a bung in for the airlock, so I am going to go back to demijohns again - which are a pain to clean, but there's something that feels a lot more professional about them when wine making!

I made some DIY blow off tubes from 10mm>12mm straight reducer connectors + 700mm x 12mm ID / 15mm OD tubing + the usual bored bung for each demijohn. I will try to do some pics when the fermenting is started and add them to this post.

 

[Ohio Bob]

My only concern is the ability to get oxygen to the yeast in the first few days of fermentation. Buckets are preferred, when the SG gets to 1.020, then transfer to your demijohn.

 

[ChuckD]

Welcome to WMT.

Second on the bucket for primary fermentation. Do you have a hydrometer? If not pick a few up. They are invaluable. When making high ABV wines you may want to step feed them. Do a search here for descriptions of how it’s done.

 

[BigDaveK]

Congratulations! Sounds like you're having fun!

Oxygen is extremely important at the beginning. The yeast need it for reproduction, of course, but it's also used to strengthen the cell wall which helps later when under high ethanol environment.

Consider step feeding the sugar. Too much sugar could possibly stress the yeast. I've successfully step-fed 6 dessert wines.

Also, stirring is important. Too much CO2 in solution can stress the yeast and lead to a stuck fermentation.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Welcome to wine making talk.

Wine is a multi-variable preservative system. Cranberry has low pH which act as a preservative. (ex Langers at 2.8 or cranberry cocktail at 2.67) Most bacteria don’t like below pH 4, fruit wines usually are put at 3.2 to 3.5, ,, and yeast don’t like below pH 2.8.
High sugar is a preservative/ likewise high alcohol is a preservative.

Are you OK with a stuck fermentation at 14% alcohol? If you want it dry you will have to deal with pH as by treating it like a skeeter pee with a large batch of lees to start it or adding calcium carbonate as with a rhubarb or cranberry recipe.

 

[winemaker81]

Welcome to WMT!

I'm another vote for a bucket -- the lid is NOT designed to keep the must/wine in, it's designed to keep stuff out. Most of us do not ferment in a closed container -- I put a towel over the primary.

OceanSpray Cranberry juice is a commercial drinking juice that contains sorbate or another preservative. It's not even close to an ideal environment for yeast. I made it in the distant past, and it did not ferment out.

Add enough sugar to bump the SG to 1.100, then ferment down to 1.010. Each time the wine drop below 1.010, add enough sugar to bump it 10 "degrees". Too much initial sugar in a must containing sorbate may work, but I'd err on the side of caution.

 

[Grape Expectations]

I'm using the "Classic" Ocean Spray Cranberry, there's no preservatives listed in the ingredients.

"Water, Cranberry juice from cranberry juice concentrate (27%), Sugar, Vitamin C, Carrot concentrate and Cranberry concentrate."

The label says 9.3g sugar/100ml but my hydrometer said the juice was at 1.048 SG or, 13g sugar per 100ml.

After adding sugar, the SG ended up at 1.134 which is almost what I aimed at the first time around, but something's messed up with that hydrometer, the scale is off. It's a Stevenson Reeves S1011/U - a very common one! So I don't know what's going on with that.

I ordered a S1310 today and that says it goes up to 1.170 SG (23% PA).

 

[BigDaveK]

Keep in mind the hydrometer measures density of a liquid not the amount of sugar. Sugar is responsible for most of that density in many juices and it's a good approximation of sugar content. Some juice has other components that affect density. I got into the habit of researching all my ingredients.
Good luck! I liked my cranberry wine and will be starting another soon with frozen berries and organic juice.

 

[Rice_Guy]

The Ocean Spray is similar to the Langers I mentioned. Ocean spray (all companies) have an accountant who says how much water it takes to meet cost of goods. The government approved legal label is reducing sugar run in the lab, not a $8 hydrometer reading.

 

[Grape Expectations]

I went from demijohns to buckets to demijohns in my first 3 batches.

I don't like the idea of transferring from buckets after primary to demijohns for secondary. The ideal container would be a reasonably thick plastic bucket that doesn't bulge under pressure, where a bung can be put in for a blow off tube, that has a screw lid, but I am not sure I have ever seen one with a screw lid, they all seem to have snap on lids.

The buckets I used weren't even meant for winemaking, they were dog food containers!

I got paranoid today (19h after starting) about the yeast not having enough oxygen in the demijohns, so I did the following:

1. Cleaned the palm of my hand with neat alcohol.

2. Took the bung out of the demijohn.

3. Had a sniff... mustard gas! Put my lips part way around and sucked the carbon dioxide out (and thus, air in). I did it enough times that all the air in the space was replaced.

4. Put my palm over the top, turned the demijohn sideways and gave it a good shake.

5. Put it back down and put the bung back in.

I will do the same thing tomorrow but I reckon it's going to start getting gassy tonight!