Options to fix this mistake...

[Fencepost]

I can think of several options to fix a mistake I just made but wanted some additional input.... Here is the background:
Doing a Blackberry Wine, 3 Gallon, with 25lbs of blackberries. Calculated the juice that would give me (about 2 gallons) and added 1 gallon of water. Put berries in a fermenting bag (it completely filled the bag, had a hard time tying it shut!). Added all the ingredients, oak, tannin, pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient, bentonite (added kmeta yesterday to kill wild yeast). Looking good.
It is in a 5 gallon primary fermenter.
Took OG 1.020 and pH 3.33... everything good so far.
Used the Chaptalization calculator to get to an SG of about 1.090 or 12%.... it said I needed 4lb 12 oz sugar.... no problem.
Now the issue.... I carefully measured out 5lbs 12 oz of sugar and mixed it into the must... long day, tired, etc. took SG... WOW... 1.14!! way off... what's wrong.. double checked and yes, I missed it by a lb of sugar.
So the question is what now? I can:
1) add water to bring it down to target (will dilute BB flavor and a problem on what to secondary it in only have 3 gallon or 5 gallon carboy)
2) let it go for a "hot" wine but I am not a big fan of that
3) add more water and more berries... but I have maxed out the bag capacity and and only have a 3 gallon or 5 gallon carboy.
4) Others?
Let me know if you have questions (other than about my ability to remember numbers from one minute to the next!)
Appreciate any input... I had planned to pitch the yeast tomorrow but I will hold off on that for now... temperature controlling must a 70F for now. (how long will it stay in a holding pattern at 70F with no issues?)
Thank you.

 

[winemaker81]

3) add more water and more berries... but I have maxed out the bag capacity and and only have a 3 gallon or 5 gallon carboy.

Options 1 or 2 will produce a wine you're not happy with, so IMO they are out of consideration. So add more fruit/water to extend the batch and produce enough to fill the secondary, with a bit to spare. Two solutions for the secondary problem come to mind:

#1: Use the 5 gallon carboy. Extend the wine enough to produce 5.5 gallons, so you will fill the carboy after loss to sediment.

#2: Get a 1 gallon /4 liter jug -- Carlo Rossi wines in 4 liter jugs cost just a bit more than a new empty jug, and you have 4 liters of cooking wine. Extend the wine to produce 4.5 gallons, to fill the 3 gallon carboy + 4 liter jug.

 

[Rice_Guy]

With the batch at 70F you need to deal with it soon. You can add calculated fruit and water later.

* the bag is a convenience. I would lose ferment with extra fruit and then use the bag primarily as a filter when squeezing out juice.
* another option is pull some sugar syrup out of the batch and freeze it for later. If the berries aren’t mushed you should be good on BB flavor with existing fruit pulp. Without calculating numbers four pounds/ four pints should be close
* another twist on @winemaker81 is pull a gallon of the mix and freeze it for later.

 

[G259]

Lol, I have 4 Carlo Rossi jugs, that I got for back-up. Not great wine (drinkable), but I got carboys out of the deal!

 

[winemaker81]

Lol, I have 4 Carlo Rossi jugs, that I got for back-up. Not great wine (drinkable), but I got carboys out of the deal!

Many moons ago the AWS chapter I belonged to did a Lambrusco tasting. Yup. Lambrusco, the cheap, slightly fizzy Italian wine. A few members declined to participate, but most of us were down for giving it a shot.

The AWS scoring system ranged from 3 to 18 (IIRC), with 9 to 11 being "average".

Twelve people ranked 5 Lambrusco, and every score by every person in every category ranged between 9 and 11. We averaged all scores and the final number was something like 10.25. Totally average. No significant flaws, and absolutely nothing outstanding. This makes sense -- it's what the wine is.

That's Carlo Rossi -- totally average. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing exceptional either. Great for cooking.

 

[Fencepost]

@winemaker81 @Rice_Guy Thanks for the input... I liked the idea to pull some must out to freeze to get it back to 3 gallons but I had already moved on to Winemakers recommendation to extend to 5 gallons, adding more blackberries/and a little water, to get to the targets I wanted 1.090 and 3.33pH (pH did not move much I guess since ratios were kept the same). Using 71B made a starter and pitched last nite, fermenting this morning. Everything is looking good but I'll remember these recommendations for the future... one additional idea that I will be following is to.... work on my wines in the morning when I am fresh and not late in the evenings when I'm tired!!!

 

[winemaker81]

@Fencepost, I'm glad the input is useful. Besides, if the wine comes out good you're far better off with 25 bottles than 10, right???

 

[CDrew]

That's Carlo Rossi -- totally average. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing exceptional either. Great for cooking.

Agree-I needed a 4L jug and bought their "Chainti". I actually thought is was ok for what it cost, and the jug has been useful here and there. I have a distant memory that the "Chablis" was ok too. I just don't know how you could possibly drink 4L of it in a couple of days, so plan accordingly. Just be aware the 4L jugs have a small opening and require a #6 stopper for your airlock.

 

[winemaker81]

I just don't know how you could possibly drink 4L of it in a couple of days, so plan accordingly.

If you drink 4 liters in a couple of days, don't worry about that, as it's unlikely you'll remember it.

I transfer the wine to five 750 ml and one 375 ml screwcap bottles. I've had the transferred wine last for months, when I purchased a Burgundy and a Chablis at the same time.

 

[mikewatkins727]

If you drink 4 liters in a couple of days, don't worry about that, as it's unlikely you'll remember it.

That was a good one, Bryan!

 

[G259]

Just depends how much you want to run into the walls and such. A two day 'bender' will get you there, but I'm not sure it'll be worth it (2 hands weighing)!