my first timebe gentile

[bravobuddy]

So im starting my first batch, pear plum and cherry wine. I used bread yeast though.... now i have a very yeasty smell how can i fix? Also what do i do to add sweetness

 

[Julie]

Welcome to winemakingtalk.

Using bread yeast will leave your wine on the sweeter side. Right now the must is fermenting, that is why you are getting the yeasty smell.

You really need to go and buy a hydrometer and get some campdem tablets or k-meta and sorbate for starters.

We have a tutuorial section that you should check out, it will help you on learning the basics.

 

[Arne]

When it is done, you add the k-meta and sorbate. This stuns the yeast and stops it from reproducing so you do not get a referment. Then you can add sugar to taste to sweeten it. Arne.

 

[oldwhiskers]

Welcome to the forum!!!!

 

[ttimmer]

Even with wine yeast, my husband knows I have a batch fermenting because he can smell the yeast when he walks in the front door. I highly recommend over your next batches that you acquire some wine yeast (very inexpensive) and a hydrometer. Even with this batch, you will be able to tell what is going on with the hydrometer, otherwise you will be "driving in the dark".

 

[jswordy]

This is OK with the bread yeast as a starting off point. It can make some very acceptable sweet table wines and lead you down the path to wine yeasts that are far more specific in what they do for your wines.

The yeast smell will die down in the settling and aging processes, as the yeast settle out.

Once your wine has cleared, you can stabilize with potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfate. After a 3-day wait, you can then sweeten your wine to taste by adding table sugar directly or by heating a small amount of water and making a simple table sugar syrup.

Welcome, and good luck with your first batch!

 

[Stefani]

When it's in the primary my wife calls the yeasty smell "Stinky". It's just the yeast eating sugar, multiplying and putting out waste like CO2 and CH3CH2OH.

The CH3CH2OH is what you want! It's the alcohol!

Being that CO2 is a gas, after it hit maximum saturation in the must it will start bubbling. That smell means that things are working great!

When I first contemplated wine making, I considered using bread yeast. After some research I realized wine yeast packets weren't much more in cost than bread yeast.

I use my bread yeast for making artisan breads. You should too!

 

[bravobuddy]

ok so im back, again this is my first wine so be gentile. i did go out and find the potassium sorbate. worked great! its a little off for my first attempt; pear nectorine plum cherry sounded awsome, the color has turned from a light rose to almost an orange hue. looking a little like boons farm........ sweetening this week, i am defeniately going to bottle one and leave it in the basement for a year to see if i get any result. but wish me luck.

 

[saramc]

ok so im back, again this is my first wine so be gentile. i did go out and find the potassium sorbate. worked great! its a little off for my first attempt; pear nectorine plum cherry sounded awsome, the color has turned from a light rose to almost an orange hue. looking a little like boons farm........ sweetening this week, i am defeniately going to bottle one and leave it in the basement for a year to see if i get any result. but wish me luck.

Did you get k-meta also? It goes where sorbate goes, otherwise your cork goes. (Eventually)

 

[Julie]

ok so im back, again this is my first wine so be gentile. i did go out and find the potassium sorbate. worked great! its a little off for my first attempt; pear nectorine plum cherry sounded awsome, the color has turned from a light rose to almost an orange hue. looking a little like boons farm........ sweetening this week, i am defeniately going to bottle one and leave it in the basement for a year to see if i get any result. but wish me luck.

did you get a hydrometer? You really need that above anything else. Is your wine done fermenting and if so how did you determine that it was done? You do need k-meta (Potassium metabisulfite) in conjunction with the sorbate. K-meta kills current yeast and sorbate prevents the growth of new yeast.

 

[saramc]

Also, since this was started around 2/6/13, you should be no where even close to bottling. You will go thru racking the wine off of sediment as it clears and degasses. This can take a few rackings over the next few months.