Help, my fourth try

[GekoDude]

Ok, so I am not new to this site but I have never posted anything before and I have a problem that I just cant seem to get fixed. I have tried my hand at 3 different wines and all have came out horrible. I have a small 1 gallon setup for fruit which includes a 1 gallon bucket with airlock, 1g glass carboys and all that other fun stuff. My last wine was a blueberry from store bought fresh blueberries and I believe I got sulfide stink, that rubbery smell/tatse and my wine seems very alchloholic with no fruit taste what so ever. I thought I followed everything, I have no idea what Im doing wrong Ive been reading tips from this site and going by my Way To Make Wine book by sheridan warrick and nothing but failure.
Anyways I need a good easy hard to mess up fruit wine recipe That I can try, something someone has made a whole lot of and can help me along the way.
Thanks for reading I look forward to your suggestions!

 

[Julie]

if you are just doing one gallon batchs, get Welchs frozen juice concentrate. I good one is use 2 cans of raspberry and one can of white grape. SG reading should be around 1.080.

If you go to our recipe section, you should find recipes for welchs frozen juice concentrate. If you do follow a recipe let me stress your sg reading should be around 1.080.

 

[Tom]

1st welcome,

Not when making 1 gal batches it is more critical with the additions of chemicals. I doubt you got 4 bottles in the end.
Next timw I strongly suggest making a 3 or 6 gal batch.
Now for us to help you we need the recipe and everything you did from start to bottle.

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome to the forum. Julie and Tom are both right on. Let us know the recipe's you used and what you did so we can tell you how to make it better. With bigger batches there are bigger tolerances for error. Julies suggestion for using Welches concentrate is a great place to start to learn the process. Stick around, ask questions and we'll make you a success.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!

Another member from STL!!

I agree with the above statements. I would definitely recommend making a larger batch - same amount of effort as a 1 gallon - and you get more that 4-5 bottles in the end.

Also post your recipe, steps and any measurements you might have taken.

Starting SG, ending SG, TA readings, how many #'s of fruit you used, etc.

This will help us all understand what you did and possibly identify any issues that might have caused your batches to turn out bad.

 

[jtstar]

When you talk about your equipment that you have all you say is that you have the fun stuff do you have a hydrometer so you can test the sg of your wine

 

[GekoDude]

Hey thanks I might try that concentrate again I acctually did that the first batch I made I think it was welches red grape juice It came out pretty good. It was my first attempt I had a gallon plastic water jug cut a smal hole in the top pushed a tube in it and used a $1 check valve (one way) for a fish tank and put some lavlin yeast that I activated and dumped in. It was pretty primitive and cheap but acctually worked! Since that first one I decided I would buy the one gallon kit from fruit from midwestsupply. Tried a rasberry and blueberry both horrible I used that purple recipe book that is on a sticky tread at the top of the forum but I can find where I put it. As for equiptment I have everything I have ph test strips, Alkalinity test kit, a thermometer hydrometer, a digital thermometer, 1gal food bucket, 1 gal glass carboys, syphon tubes, rubber stoppers, S traps, and a whole bunch of chemicals and addatives. I was worried that maybe 1 gal was too small and that it would be too touchy I guess you guys are rite I should prob just go bigger, I bought that 1 gal just cause I live in a apt with not alot of space and it fits under a dark cabinet but i guess i could clear out a closet. As for my last batch I will try to find that recipe and post every thing I wrote down that I did. Thanks for the help!

 

[robie]

Welcome to the forum!

I may have missed read your posts, but is one of those chemicals, which you wrote you have, a yeast nutrient? In many recipies, you really do need to add nutrients to feed the yeast.

When they run out of nutrients, they start giving off an enzyme that begins converting dead yeast to nutrients (those little cannibals!). This can many times result in the stinky stuff you mentioned.

 

[GekoDude]

Here Is what I have for chemicals-- Sanitizer, lavlin k1 v1116, redstar montrachet, campden tablets, pectic enzyme, acid blend, tartaric acid, citric acid, potassium sorbate, yeast nutrient (diammonium phospate) and wine tannin.
Ok so I belive this is what happened to my last blueberry,
Day 1
TA-.50
Acid test was light orange
Brix 17 1.68 9%
To fix I belive I added more sugar and 1 tsp Tartaric acid to raise TA
TA- .60
Acid- Darker orange
Brix 22 1.090 12%
Temp 69.8*
Day 2
Temp from 69.8* early to 70.5* later
Added 1/2 tsp of nutrient
Day 3
Temp 70.1* to 70.8*
Brix 16 sp/gr 1.062 AL 8.5%
Day 4
Temp 69.8* early added 1/2 tsp Nutrient 70.7* by night
Day 5
Temp 70.3 smelled like wine
Day 6
Temp 68.3 added 1/4 tsp nutrient
Brix 6.5 1.025 3.3%
Day 7
Temp 69.8
Day 9
Temp 67.2
Day 10
Added Expired Malolatic Bacteria (didnt realize it till after) later put in fresh packet
Day 11
Temp 67 And Racked
7 days later Temp is 65-70 and bubbles in S lock
7 days later again Temp is 68 Racked again, shook vigorously (to let out carbon dioxide and sulfite gasses?) and added 1/4 campden tablet and spring water, tasted good but very alcoholic.
I let it sit for a while and it got clearer deep red. I may have waited too long. I put it in the fridge to let the crystals form (something from my book) so I could rack again and clear it more and when I tasted it it was a rubber smell (thought it was my stopper) but that happened to my last wine and further reading in my book says that is sulfite stink?? I think? What can I do to stop that are my batches too small and touchy? more nutrient? less of something else? Also due to my initial reading of 12% and final reading of 3.3% that makes my batch 8.9% Alcohol rite? Is there anything I did wrong or should do different? Suggestions?

 

[Julie]

Here Is what I have for chemicals-- Sanitizer, lavlin k1 v1116, redstar montrachet, campden tablets, pectic enzyme, acid blend, tartaric acid, citric acid, potassium sorbate, yeast nutrient (diammonium phospate) and wine tannin.
Ok so I belive this is what happened to my last blueberry,
Day 1
TA-.50
Acid test was light orange
Brix 17 1.68 9%
To fix I belive I added more sugar and 1 tsp Tartaric acid to raise TA
TA- .60
Acid- Darker orange
Brix 22 1.090 12%
Temp 69.8*
Day 2
Temp from 69.8* early to 70.5* later
Added 1/2 tsp of nutrient
Day 3
Temp 70.1* to 70.8*
Brix 16 sp/gr 1.062 AL 8.5%
Day 4
Temp 69.8* early added 1/2 tsp Nutrient 70.7* by night
Day 5
Temp 70.3 smelled like wine
Day 6
Temp 68.3 added 1/4 tsp nutrient
Brix 6.5 1.025 3.3%
Day 7
Temp 69.8
Day 9
Temp 67.2
Day 10
Added Expired Malolatic Bacteria (didnt realize it till after) later put in fresh packet
Day 11
Temp 67 And Racked
7 days later Temp is 65-70 and bubbles in S lock
7 days later again Temp is 68 Racked again, shook vigorously (to let out carbon dioxide and sulfite gasses?) and added 1/4 campden tablet and spring water, tasted good but very alcoholic.
I let it sit for a while and it got clearer deep red. I may have waited too long. I put it in the fridge to let the crystals form (something from my book) so I could rack again and clear it more and when I tasted it it was a rubber smell (thought it was my stopper) but that happened to my last wine and further reading in my book says that is sulfite stink?? I think? What can I do to stop that are my batches too small and touchy? more nutrient? less of something else? Also due to my initial reading of 12% and final reading of 3.3% that makes my batch 8.9% Alcohol rite? Is there anything I did wrong or should do different? Suggestions?

why did you do an mlf?

 

[GekoDude]

I did a Malolactic because the book I am using for help says "malolactic bacteria softens the wines acidity but at the same time diminishes its bitterness, heightens its fruitiness, and improves its body." I figured that it sounded pretty good and the local shop had some in stock so I gave it a whirl.

 

[Julie]

MLF is geared towards grapes not fruit, I believe you can do it on a blackberry but you need to understand that you can not backsweeten any wine that you did an mlf. Fruit wines are better sweetened after they have completed fermentation, it brings out their flavor better.

 

[GekoDude]

Ok I didnt know that my book is geared towards grape wine not fruit. Thanks! You dont think the malolactic made it get that rubbery and bland taste do you? Was there anything in my process that seemed off?

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

GD, did you skip over the part in the book about patience? How long did you let these batches set before deciding if they were good or not? It sounds like you got the basics down and understand what is going on, but are expecting them to be good right now. Crackedcork

Ok, so I am not new to this site but I have never posted anything before and I have a problem that I just cant seem to get fixed. I have tried my hand at 3 different wines and all have came out horrible. I have a small 1 gallon setup for fruit which includes a 1 gallon bucket with airlock, 1g glass carboys and all that other fun stuff. My last wine was a blueberry from store bought fresh blueberries and I believe I got sulfide stink, that rubbery smell/tatse and my wine seems very alchloholic with no fruit taste what so ever. I thought I followed everything, I have no idea what Im doing wrong Ive been reading tips from this site and going by my Way To Make Wine book by sheridan warrick and nothing but failure.
Anyways I need a good easy hard to mess up fruit wine recipe That I can try, something someone has made a whole lot of and can help me along the way.
Thanks for reading I look forward to your suggestions!

 

[GekoDude]

No I know it takes a while, I started this blueberrry back in january 6 months ago. The problem I have is I am doing something consistently wrong to get the sulfide stink- am I not putting enuff nutrient in it, airing out the gases when I rack, to small of a batch, or is there something I am over looking? Or is it all of the above. Ive tried 3 wines so far and each take months I only have the equipment to do one at a time and its starting to get agrivating Ive been trying to do my reasearch but I dont know what else to do. I think Im gonna try a bigger batch and post my techniques as I go. My girlfriend owns a peach orchard! so I think Ill try peachs anyone near st louis want some calhoun peaches?

 

[robie]

That seems like an awful lot of yeast nutrient for just one gallon!

No MLF. Alng with compdan tablets, use sorbate when wine is dry.

I recommend that with your next batch, you post the instructions and recipe, and let Tom, Julie and other fruit wine folk check it out and guide you along. There is no reason why you won't get a great batch of wine.

Just don't give up!

 

[GekoDude]

Hey thank you everyone, thats a great suggestion. Should I use a campden tablet first before I add yeast to kill the "natural yeasts" and wait 2 days then put in an activated yeast? or is that unneccessary

 

[robie]

Hey thank you everyone, thats a great suggestion. Should I use a campden tablet first before I add yeast to kill the "natural yeasts" and wait 2 days then put in an activated yeast? or is that unneccessary

Depends on the fruit and its instructions... What do the instructions say? If you don't have specific instructions for the wine you are making, find some; you really need detailed, specific, step-by-step instructions. Or tell us the exact wine and quantity you want to make and someone on here can tell you.

 

[GekoDude]

Do you know of any good recipe/instruction books that you would recomend?

 

[docanddeb]

Have you been to Jack Kellers website? He has a recipe for any kind of wine you might dream up. He also has some great tutorials about fruit wines. You'll learn a lot there.

Debbie