Hello, making first wine...

[FatPete]

Just wanted to say hi, I'm Pete. Owner, operator, main imbiber of Fat Pete's Home Brewery.

I started home brewing ale 3 years ago and have my first batch of must percolating away in the fermenter.

Home brewing is the best hobby ever, IMHO, and I always wanted to try wine, so here I am.

Have a white going now, and have ingredients for cab red waiting in the wings...

Hoping Chateau Fat Pete's Wines as successful as my brewing of Fat Pete's Ale.

Good luck

F.P.

 

[bakervinyard]

Hi Pete, Welcome to WMT. What kind of white are you making ? I personally prefer reds, but I won't refuse a glass of white either. Keep everyone posted on your wine. Any questions, someone will have an answer here. Bakervinyard

 

[FatPete]

Hi Pete, Welcome to WMT. What kind of white are you making ? I personally prefer reds, but I won't refuse a glass of white either. Keep everyone posted on your wine. Any questions, someone will have an answer here. Bakervinyard

Hi Bakervinyard, I'm making a 2.5 gallon batch...

This is the recipe I used...

1 liter Winexpert White grape concentrate
2.25 Lbs sugar
4 tsp acid blend
2 tsp pectic enzyme
2 tsp yeast nutrient
H2O to 2.5 Gallons

Lalvin EC-1118

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I've make well over 100 batches of ale, this is my first time with wine.

F.P.

 

[Arne]

Welcome Pete,
Glad to see ya here. If you run into any problems or have any questions, just start a thread and ask. Usually somebody around to help. Arne.

 

[Julie]

Hi Pete,

Welcome to winemakingtalk

 

[DoctorCAD]

Winexpert grape juice concentrate is not for MAKING wine, it is an f-pack intended to bolster flavor and sweetness in a FINISHED wine.

It is loaded with sulfites and sorbate and may not even ferment.

 

[FatPete]

Winexpert grape juice concentrate is not for MAKING wine, it is an f-pack intended to bolster flavor and sweetness in a FINISHED wine.

It is loaded with sulfites and sorbate and may not even ferment.

Well, silly me then ....BTW, been bubbling for 4 days now, and for kicks took a sample and specific gravity is 1.030 so something is going on...of course, I tasted the sample...tasted a bit like a wine cooler with some tartness...we'll see where this goes...first batch, live and learn. I have a can of Alexander's Cabernet Sauvignon up next....

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

 

[JoyofWine]

Welcome Pete!

 

[DoctorCAD]

Well, silly me then ....BTW, been bubbling for 4 days now, and for kicks took a sample and specific gravity is 1.030 so something is going on...of course, I tasted the sample...tasted a bit like a wine cooler with some tartness...we'll see where this goes...first batch, live and learn. I have a can of Alexander's Cabernet Sauvignon up next....

Its probably the sugar water fermenting. With a good head start, it might overwhelm the sorbates and keep going. Not sure what your results will be, though.

 

[FatPete]

Its probably the sugar water fermenting. With a good head start, it might overwhelm the sorbates and keep going. Not sure what your results will be, though.

Appreciate the advise...First time making wine, had no idea it was not supposed to be used. At the LHBS it was on the shelf next to the Alexander's Grape Concentrate, so thought I could use it.

Well, not going to dump it. That would be...just....wrong!

Took another s.g. reading this morning, a smidge over 1.020, still bubbling away...tastes less sweet, not bad....I'll rack to the secondary and well see in 30 more days...Happy Sunday...nice one here in NJ.

 

[Arne]

Well, silly me then ....BTW, been bubbling for 4 days now, and for kicks took a sample and specific gravity is 1.030 so something is going on...of course, I tasted the sample...tasted a bit like a wine cooler with some tartness...we'll see where this goes...first batch, live and learn. I have a can of Alexander's Cabernet Sauvignon up next....

Well, we all started somewhere. I had a tree full of pie cherries and had to do something with them. I can make a lot better pie cherry wine now, but seems like all the first try disappeared, didn't get dumped, either. Make one out of something, make another one, and then another. Try a skeeter pee, you can use the lees from one you have made or just yeast to get it going. Keeps it interesting and fun. Pretty soon you will get a handle on it and can make whatever you want. Like most of us, mite have to ask for some help, but that is part of the fun. For me, this is a fun hobby, not serious. I have learned to make some pretty tasty wines, but they probably won't fly with a good wine connesour (S.P.) . I kinda like my fruit wines,tho. As long as they come out like I want them, I am satisified. I still ask others what they think, but usually make mine the same way. Change some things tho, and they are getting a bit better as time goes on. Get a few people to give you some advice on here, follow along with what they say and your wines will start to get pretty good. After that you can tweak em however you like. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[FatPete]

Well, we all started somewhere. I had a tree full of pie cherries and had to do something with them. I can make a lot better pie cherry wine now, but seems like all the first try disappeared, didn't get dumped, either. Make one out of something, make another one, and then another. Try a skeeter pee, you can use the lees from one you have made or just yeast to get it going. Keeps it interesting and fun. Pretty soon you will get a handle on it and can make whatever you want. Like most of us, mite have to ask for some help, but that is part of the fun. For me, this is a fun hobby, not serious. I have learned to make some pretty tasty wines, but they probably won't fly with a good wine connesour (S.P.) . I kinda like my fruit wines,tho. As long as they come out like I want them, I am satisified. I still ask others what they think, but usually make mine the same way. Change some things tho, and they are getting a bit better as time goes on. Get a few people to give you some advice on here, follow along with what they say and your wines will start to get pretty good. After that you can tweak em however you like. Good luck with it, Arne.

Thanks Arne...definitely a learning experience. I have enjoyed making this first batch. So much is the opposite of making ale. I am enjoying the ride. Even if this wine not as successful as I hope, it does not dishearten me on wine making. I already have in my plans the next 3 batches in my head and am doing research for tips...

Home brewing certainly is the best hobby ever!