Oceanspray Cranberry Wine

[gaudet]

Look to the upper middle of the carboy (slightly right of center) in black dry erase ink. You should see it.... Looks like this

 

[NorthernWinos]

Gotcha!!!!

 

[grapeman]

NW just look in the mirror! If anyone has a smiley face it has to be you.

 

[gaudet]

Fermentation is slowing to a crawl in these two jugs. The 6 gallon is 4 bubbles per minute in the s lock and the 1 gallon is 1 bubble every 90 seconds or so. The one gallon is showing signs of clearing already too. I will take a sg tomorrow on the 6 gallon since it seems to have the more active fermentation ongoing and see where I stand with this batch.

 

[Waldo]

Looking might good buddy

 

[gaudet]

Took the sg of the 6 gallon batch just now, its 1.024, looks like I'm going to have a stuck or slow fermentation. I need to get a thermometer to check the wine temp. Don't have one yet. Aside from that could I add some nutrient or energizer to perk back up the yeasties, I think the temp is fine since its room temp or maybe just slightly higher (75-79)

 

[grapeman]

Checking things over more closely I see that you didn't stir enough in the beginning. You got a SG of 1.086 after 2 days of active fermentation.2 more days and it had dropped to 1.066 or a difference of .020. Add that to the 1.086 and you get 1.106. The next two days it only dropped .012 so it may have actually been more than the .020 in the beginning or closer to 1.110. If that is the case, the alcohol may just be high enough to kill the yeast now and you won't get it lower. If you have mid 70's temps, those are high enough. Try some yeast nutrient and yeast energizer and give it a stir once. Then if fermentation doesn't start up again, you might have a fairly sweet wine.


Good luck with it. How does it taste now?

 

[gaudet]

It tasted fine, sweet though. I will try the nutrient and energizer to see if I can squeeze out at least another 0.014

I will only use 1/2 the required amopunt for a 6 gallon since this thing is near the end.

Appleman, you are probably right that it was probably higher than what I thought. It will teach me to be more careful when measuring. I thought I did stir this batch extremely well with my mix stir.

 

[gaudet]

I racked the cranberry that was in the gallon jug this morning. I got a little over 1/2 gallon and I put it in a 1/2 gallon glass jug(more appropriate headspace). The remaining two glasses were poured and I am sampling and tasting it right now. It has cleared fairly well without finings other than the bentonite I added at start. It has a great color light red but needs to clear a little more. I didn't check the sg on this as I will check it when I rack the 6 gallon batch. I am reserving the 1/2 gallon for topping up.

 

[gaudet]

Checked the sg today. At best this puppy is 1.020 now. I think it had way more sugar than I thought it did. Lesson learned, pitch yeast after you are certain of the sg.........

I guess I could pitch another yeast that might take it down another notch. Any suggestions?

 

[Wade E]

If its too sweet and finished fermenting then do so. If you like it where it is then leave it alone. You will most likely need to use EC-1118 or Premier Cuvee and do a good starter and slowly add the must to the starter so as not to shock the yeast with the abv already there. Id send it all over here for analysis personally!

 

[gaudet]

Well I had a little over a half gallon that I racked a few days ago, and I thought it would be pretty good given a little more time, so I think that it might just need a taste test. I will probably let it finish where it is, and then fine with superkleer (if needed) and let it age for a couple months before bottling. I'll send you a bottle Wade............................. But not all of it.....................

 

[Wade E]

I love the way my cranberry came out. I forget, did I send you a bottle of that?

 

[gaudet]

What was your final gravity? I didn't get the cranberry. I got amarone, rasp mel, blue mel, orange bloss. muscat, and rasp choco. port. I will be sampling this weekend.

 

[Wade E]

After sweetening I think it was around where you are as my wife used to be my taster but was sick that day and couldnt taste it but didnt tell me about this. I sweetened and sweetened and then I finally took a taste and said whoooo! I wasnt happy at the time but then tried it 1 year later and must say that it worked out very well.

 

[gaudet]

Then I think taking your account into consideration I think I will leave it as is and cross my fingers.

It didn't taste too sweet to me when I drank those glasses the other day, it was very pleasant. Too little sweetness and cranberry would be hard to drink.......

 

[Wade E]

oh, by the way, dont drink the last glass of the Amarone as it has wine diamonds in there and they are crunchy!

 

[gaudet]

oh, by the way, dont drink the last glass of the Amarone as it has wine diamonds in there and they are crunchy!

Thanks for mentioning that fact. I just looked at it, and it has sediment that looks like whats in the bottom of the carboy of muscadine that is now oaking. which means that in two months or so I would hope that it is finished dropping the wine diamonds.

 

[gaudet]

Update on this. Last sg was 1.020 I guess I had way more sugar then I thought originally. I racked it off lees to a clean carboy. I have pictures and video.

Video here with my commentary.......
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRTLvlWbowg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRTLvlWbowg[/ame]

 

[Wade E]

Cool pics and great vid!