Low flavour

[back2it]

I have a few 1 gallon creations that are low on flavour. (1kg fruit for 4 litrs water) and I am thinking of retrospectively adding fruit to up that flavour profile.

Doable?
If so, how long should I leave it or is this another periodically test and see?

Thanks
Ray...

 

[Ohio Bob]

I have a few 1 gallon creations that are low on flavour. (1kg fruit for 4 litrs water) and I am thinking of retrospectively adding fruit to up that flavour profile.

Doable?
If so, how long should I leave it or is this another periodically test and see?

Thanks
Ray...

It’s doable, but perhaps not advisable. There’s an old adage about not adding good wine to bad wine, hoping to make the bad wine better. This falls along that sentiment. What your “low flavor” wine tastes like is your opinion and it is by definition correct.

So yes you can add more fruit. Another option is to reserve this low flavor wine for topping off jugs as needed. Part of this hobby is keeping notes so you can replicate good wines. This particular wine might not be something you want to do again.

 

[winemaker81]

Depending on the fruit, about 1/3 the necessary amount was used. Beefing up those wines is an uphill battle, so I agree with Bob.

If it's a few gallons, we're not talking a lot of wine. I'd use it for cooking and making fruit drinks. Trying to fix them is probably a waste of resources. Treat them as a lesson learned and use them in other ways.

 

[back2it]

Part of this hobby is keeping notes so you can replicate good wines.

Yep, I'm trying to find my good wines so I can replicate.

After the kids bought me four of those wide mouthed fermenters I made four batches, fruit to water 25/75, 50/50, 75/25, 100/0. I can dilute the last but was wondering if I could bump up the 25/75 as I have heard that flavouring can be added pre or post fermentation.

I will use the ones that don't fall into my ideal range as top-ups (maybe even try to blend them) as I'm not allowed in the kitchen until it's time to either chop stuff or clean up. She is then allowed to re-enter to point out the bits that I missed

Thanks
Ray...

 

[winemaker81]

I can dilute the last but was wondering if I could bump up the 25/75 as I have heard that flavouring can be added pre or post fermentation.

@Shurt1073, what is the brand of flavoring you used successfully?

 

[back2it]

By flavouring I mean a fruit or juice. Strawberry, mango, rhubarb etc.

Normally I would add these at the beginning of a fermentation, this will then imbue the must with its flavour but I have heard say this can be done post fermentation.

It’s doable, but perhaps not advisable.

I will try with one demijohn to see what happens. The cost will ony be about £4, so worth a punt really. It will be another lesson learned.

 

[Ohio Bob]

By flavouring I mean a fruit or juice. Strawberry, mango, rhubarb etc.

Normally I would add these at the beginning of a fermentation, this will then imbue the must with its flavour but I have heard say this can be done post fermentation.



I will try with one demijohn to see what happens. The cost will ony be about £4, so worth a punt really. It will be another lesson learned.

I would think it’s easier to control the flavor post fermentation, since the flavoring won’t interfere with the yeast, good or bad. Your flavorings seem fairly cheap, so definitely worth trying.

 

[Jusatele]

one thing I have not seen here is SG readings, or if sugar was added

I do a lot of fruit wines, my recipes I use average 3 pounds of fruit per gallon, and then sugar. Sugar varies a lot according to the fruit
Ok now you ferment, and the effect of the wine yeast used will apparent. In other words if you use a champagne yeast, and your convert the sugars to high alcohol percentage then a lot of the taste sugars are converted, and lest taste.

There is this great book, it is thin and purple, that has a lot of fruit recipes. It was written years ago and is in Imperial measurements. However it is a good base of what is available. That book and a lot of experiments is about 50% of the base I have in this hobby. A few more modern books about grape wine making, a few books on yeast propagation, and a ton of recordkeeping is how I have gotten to be the wine making hack I am today. Probably in another century I will get as good as I want to be

 

[Rice_Guy]

By flavouring I mean a fruit or juice. Strawberry, mango, rhubarb etc. ,,, ,,, but I have heard say this can be done post fermentation..

At state fair wine contest I have seen Torani strawberry syrup used for back sweetening and said wine win best of class. If you try this you should plan to treat you carboy with K sorbate to prevent refermentation.
There are industrial natural fruit concentrates available, Virginia Dare is my favorite but it is only available in gallon plus quantities. A gallon will put a balanced fruit flavor in a 2000 liter tank.
There are berry “flavors “ available in the US. The ingredient list reads as synthetic so they aren’t balanced. A one to two ml dose in a 20 liter carboy will up the aromatics without becoming obvious/ plastic like. Some grocery flavors as organic vanilla are in alcohol are balanced/ natural, if you are lucky you have a natural lemon in market. Again one to two ml in 20 liters, enough to add aromatics but not be obvious.
The strongest strawberry I know was done by a winery that collected thaw juice from a bakery that only wanted the pulp. You could make your own. This was high solids therefore unusually high TA wine.

 

[back2it]

one thing I have not seen here is SG readings, or if sugar was added

Started at 1.088 and ended up with about 11.5% ABV so it's not excessive. I think I didn't add enough fruit at the beginning and was wondering if I could do something about it.

I am going to split it out. I will hold 1/2 for topping up, and I will play with the rest; add fruit in one, concentrated flavouring with another etc.

Lets see

Thanks for everybodys imput.

 

[Hazelemere]

Started at 1.088 and ended up with about 11.5% ABV so it's not excessive. I think I didn't add enough fruit at the beginning and was wondering if I could do something about it.

I am going to split it out. I will hold 1/2 for topping up, and I will play with the rest; add fruit in one, concentrated flavouring with another etc.

Lets see

Thanks for everybodys imput.

Save it for top up. Using it as top up is the same as adding more fruit to it. Don't bother trying to fix it. Let it be what it is ....top up.

 

[Shurt1073]

@Shurt1073, what is the brand of flavoring you used successfully?

I have used the Crafted Series beverage infusions. They have worked wonderfully for me.

Sorry late to the conversation .... life has been busy lately.

https://craftedseries.com/collections/beverage-infusion