Just Peachy

[geek]

http://www.welchs.com/products/conc...00-juice-white-grape-peach-frozen-concentrate

I should've said I've never seen this at any local supermarket [emoji4]

 

[Scooter68]

July 20 - Tested SG - .993 There has also been no airlock activity for the last 3-4 days. Added Campden tablets (Crushed & Dissolved) total for 3 for 3 3/4 gallons of must.
July 21 - Racked last night. Strained the lees with fine stainless steel strainer. That left me with enough to fill the 3 gallon carboy and two smaller bottles. Also added bentonite 2 1/2 tsp dissolved in 1 1/2 cups hot water.
Straining did and excellent job or removing all the course lees leaving a cloudy liquid with no visible particles.
Expect to rack again in 1-3 weeks depending on extent of clearing. No water needed for this racking as the straining provided enough to 'top off' and fill a 20 oz and 16 oz bottle. (Those are also under airlock as well)
July 22 AM Observation. While doing some clean up in the "Cellar" I was able to see that All 3 containers are clearly showing a clear layer in the top 1-2 inches.

 

[geek]

How much are you guys paying for peach this year, per pound?

 

[Scooter68]

I paid $33.00 for a bushel of Number 2 peaches. (Scarred & Overripe) A lot of the scarred ones were not fully ripe but they did ripe fully in less than 4 days inside on our counter. That's in NW Arkansas at a Peach Growers Orchard stand. Weight was 52 pounds before removing stones and a few bad spots.

 

[geek]

The pick your own at Lyman Orchards is $1.75/lb for peaches but I saw the price at Costco I think for $1.79/lb.
So the Costco buy sounds more reasonable considering their fruit is top quality.
The only thing is that the peach didn't really smell much at all, the nectarine had a better aroma. Basically the peach had no aroma that I can remember.

 

[Boatboy24]

The pick your own at Lyman Orchards is $1.75/lb for peaches but I saw the price at Costco I think for $1.79/lb.
So the Costco buy sounds more reasonable considering their fruit is top quality.
The only thing is that the peach didn't really smell much at all, the nectarine had a better aroma. Basically the peach had no aroma that I can remember.

Last time I was in Costco, the peach aroma smacked you right in the face. I practically floated back to the produce section.

 

[Scooter68]

Are the peaches at costco loose, you select the ones you want, or are they pre-packaged? If they are pre-packaged that would be a no go for me. I want to select the peaches I want especially if I'm paying nearly $100.00 per bushel. (The two half-bushels I bought at the Peach Orchard's stand were $16.50 each - the weight of those was 26 lbs. per half-bushel At 1.79/pound you would be paying $93,08 for 52 lbs of peaches. They better be perfect.

 

[geek]

The ones at Costco come in an open box.

 

[Scooter68]

Still expensive - Wow! Even the ones I bought last year (Also 'Overripe") cost me $15.00 for 36 lbs. Just shows what the weather has done to costs for fruit and especially peaches this year

 

[geek]

Peach hasn't been too cheap up here as far as I remember, may be a good idea for me to wait longer and when the peaches are falling off the trees then the orchard decides to sell them cheap...a bit overripe is good for me (not damaged) since the aroma may be much better.

 

[Scooter68]

I use even the 'bruised' peaches. Unless it has mold on it a physical bruise just means a very ripe part was bumped too hard. For me the softer the better. Here in NW Arkansas the only thing I look out for to avoid are imported peaches since they are always picked WAY too early so that they can survive shipping, Even the very firm/hard peaches from the local market are better since I can put them on the kitchen counter and they are fully ripe in 2-4 days.

But I understand, location - where your peaches have to come from makes all the difference. Plus north east produce seems to be higher, 'because they can' get away with charging those higher prices.

 

[beckerkorn]

Hi everyone! It's my first time making peach wine (or ANY kind of wine!) and I am just at the point where I've siphoned it from my primary fermenter (bucket) to a carboy. Problem is, at this stage (it's only been fermenting a week, in the bucket) it tastes very very boozy. Like a very strong sake. Is it supposed to taste this strong before going into the carboy? Thanks!!

 

[sour_grapes]

Hi everyone! It's my first time making peach wine (or ANY kind of wine!) and I am just at the point where I've siphoned it from my primary fermenter (bucket) to a carboy. Problem is, at this stage (it's only been fermenting a week, in the bucket) it tastes very very boozy. Like a very strong sake. Is it supposed to taste this strong before going into the carboy? Thanks!!

Can you tell what you put into your fermenter? Just peaches? Do you have a hydrometer?

 

[beckerkorn]

Can you tell what you put into your fermenter? Just peaches? Do you have a hydrometer?

Sure! I followed this recipe basically to the letter, except i added about 1/2 tsp pectic acid: https://delishably.com/beverages/How-to-Make-Peach-Wine-A-Simple-Peach-Wine-Recipe

Basically (to save you time), I added sugar water (1 lb. sugar / 1/2 gal water) to peach juice that I squeezed from a nylon sack, then I added the pectic acid, then I added wine yeast that had been activated in orange juice. The recipe called for 1 T. yeast to make a gallon of wine and that was about 1 2/3 packets of yeast. I'm worried I added too much yeast.

My primary fermenter was just a bucket wrapped in plastic wrap with the lid kind of half-closed on top. I left the sack of peach pulp in it while it fermented for one week.

I don't have a hydrometer - I'm just beginning and a hydrometer is something I plan to invest in if I decide I will enjoy doing this often.

Thanks!!

 

[sour_grapes]

It should be okay. The sugar water should have had a starting specific gravity of about 1.080 (according to FermCalc). The peaches would only dilute this, so the max alcohol you could have is about 10%. I don't think there is any way this brew is actually very boozy, even if it tastes like it.

My suspicion is the boozy taste you perceive is due to two factors. This recipe is very light on fruit. You are basically making a sugar wash -- that is, fermenting straight sugar. There is little other elements to mask the raw alcohol. To boot, the yeast likely had poor nutrients, and so may have created off-flavors and fusel alcohols. (All of this is just suspicion.) The other factor is that it is YOUNG. Young wine tastes harsh.

Oh, and there are no concerns to be had regarding adding too much yeast. The extra yeast cannot make more alcohol without extra sugar.

 

[beckerkorn]

Thanks so much for your detailed answer! So here's what I am learning: if I were to try this again, I might try four pounds of peaches (instead of three) to increase the complexity of the wine and give the yeast more nutrients. I also might move it to the carboy after only five days instead of seven. And I also might use raw sugar instead of refined.

Let me know if my intuition is off.

How long should it be until I start to see bubbling in the airlock? I racked it around 2pm today and then re-racked it at 5pm (I screwed up and there was way too much sediment in my carboy the first time around). It's now almost 8:30pm where I live. Also, on the advice of someone on another forum, I topped it up with more sugar water. But it's not bubbling at all. What does that mean?

Thanks [emoji41][emoji898][emoji527]

 

[Scooter68]

Normally by the time you rack to a carboy from a primary container the fermentation is almost done From 1.010 to .990 you are only going to see an increase of about 2 1/2 % of alcohol.

 

[beckerkorn]

Normally by the time you rack to a carboy from a primary container the fermentation is almost done From 1.010 to .990 you are only going to see an increase of about 2 1/2 % of alcohol.

Interesting. I think I'm going to have to get a hydrometer!

And by the way, when I woke up this morning there was fizzing action happening and a little bubble came up out of the airlock every couple seconds. So I don't have a stuck ferment (phew!).

 

[Scooter68]

Sure! I followed this recipe basically to the letter, except i added about 1/2 tsp pectic acid: https://delishably.com/beverages/How-to-Make-Peach-Wine-A-Simple-Peach-Wine-Recipe

JUST READ that recipe. I can't imagine that the person who published that recipe has a much real experience making wine.
1) 3 pounds for a gallon of wine is way way too little fruit.
2) The suggestion that you DON'T want to use over-ripe fruit is strainge. Under-ripe peaches are going to be very 'green tasting' and have very little true peach flavor. They will also have a very low sugar content.

I would always use peaches that are on the very of going bad. As long as there isn't any mold or off taste to the fruit - an over-ripe soft peach is GREAT. I use at least 6 lbs of peaches per gallon and that's after pits and stems are removed.

The wine making process is all about learning. Whatever the outcome of this batch - learn and improve with the next batch.

And by the way, right about now Apples should really be coming into fruit stands OR you can find raw, unfiltered Apple cider/juice to make an excellent apple wine. Add no water except what you use to dissolve sugar. (Making simple syrup - use a 2-1 sugar-water mix) I broke down and bought an auger juicer this year for our apples (In our area they ripen about first week of August) That auger juicer turns out some awesome apple juice that is ready to go directly into a fermentation bucket. ()With apples I don't see the need for the skins.)

In any case keep us posted and YES, get a hydrometer ASAP. In fact order two. (Chances of breaking one an the most inoportune time are high.) The wine making process is all about knowing when to rack, filter etc. and it's never dictated by a calendar but by the hydrometer reading.

 

[iridium]

Quick newbie question. I have some peaches that I would like to turn into wine. However I have not done a whole fruit wine before. Should I try a dragons blood first or just jump in?
Thank you for posting your log