Mosti Nero D'Avola -- Clarification stage

[Cellar Vader]

Another question -- say I add 16oz. of raisins to my next Nero D'Avola (or to the Nebbiolo) at the start of primary fermentation. Should I stir, then wait a few hours before taking the initial SG reading? With the sugar in the raisins, I would assume that would increase the initial reading and, by default, the final alcohol level. Would that be correct, and should I do it that way?

I'm not sure I will do it, because I think I need a lot more experience doing this. So just wondering for now.

Personally, I have chopped my raisins (with a sterilized knife) & mixed them in, but waited til the following day to take my hydrometer reading. Just in case. I'm willing to bet that they continue to release sugar as it ferments though, but to what degree? Dunno!

 

[Cellar Vader]

Another option that I think I read here somewhere: Maybe place them in a blender with some water and then add that slurry to the juice bucket. This might give us a more accurate S.G. reading, and no need to wait another day.

 

[crabjoe]

If we sometimes mistake the reading on a hydrometer from one reading to another, will one cup of raisins really make a big enough difference that it would effect our margin of error from just reading the hydrometer? What I just asked.. did it make sense?

 

[Cellar Vader]

If we sometimes mistake the reading on a hydrometer from one reading to another, will one cup of raisins really make a big enough difference that it would effect our margin of error from just reading the hydrometer? What I just asked.. did it make sense?

I imagine that if you know how many grams of sugar are in the raisins (printed on the box/bag maybe?) you could then research how much affect that small amount of sugar will have on whatever volume of juice you are dealing with. Sorry, but I haven't done that myself (YET, lol!)

 

[sour_grapes]

I would think it would take longer than a few hours for the sugar to be dissolved from your raisins.

FWIW, raisins are about 2/3 sugar by weight. Hence, you could calculate how much of a SG increase you expect (using Fermcalc or the like).

 

[Arne]

Or just throw them in and forget about it. Little more alcohol won't hurt a thing and nobody but you will know. Arne.