Cellar Craft starting SG for Red Mountain Cab, total ABV?

[TimTheWiner]

So I finally got around to starting my CC Red Mountain Cab with crushed grape pack. My only concern is that my starting SG is 1.076. I understand that when using a crushed grape pack, the starting SG should actually be read 12-24 hours after adding crushed grapes to fermenter (per instructions), however, even if the SG went up to 1.085 and fermented to say .998 that would only give me a final ABV of about 9.8%. That can't be correct right? Shouldn't I be at least 12%+ with a nice red like this??? HELP

BTW - actual starting SG was 1.073 but with temp of 81 I used the correction of about 3 to get to 1.076

 

[Rocky]

Shock, I would wait a day and take the SG again. You may have a bad reading and the effect of the grape pack is not yet fully felt. For that kit, that is a really low SG. If it does not come up, I recommend contacting your supplier.

 

[TimTheWiner]

Any idea what the SG should be? It didn't give any guidelines in the instructions. I noticed for some reason it appears the enzyme packet is bad as well.

 

[ibglowin]

The starting SG on my last RMC was 1.090 without the grape pack and 1.104 with the grape pack making an ABV ~ 14.4%

This is a very standard starting SG with CC Showcase kits with grape packs. If you only have 1.076 check your volume levels on your primary.

Remember you are supposed to fill to 23L mark BEFORE adding the grape pack so you should end up with more than 23L in the primary bucket.

Check your hydrometer with distilled water for accuracy as well. There is a fudge factor if your net at 60 degrees.

 

[TimTheWiner]

I filled to EXACTLY 23L with water (only about 1.5 gallons added since the kit included so much juice). The crushed grape pack is said to add 1.5L bur seems more like 2 as I wound up at a hair over 25 after adding the grape pack. I used the mesh "sock", not free floating.

It's actually reading close to 26L from the outside right now but I think that's somewhat due to the layer of oak savings floating on top.

 

[Dugger]

There's a good possibility that you didn't get the added water mixed well with the juice and this could give you a false low reading. Make sure you mix these really well and you should get a better reading, assuming your volumes are correct.

 

[TimTheWiner]

I guess I will check tomorrow afternoon, maybe stir first in the morning. Only adding a gallonish of water it doesn't seem like there would be much to mix, and I did mix a bit as I was trying to get the oak shavings unsuccessfully submerged. I really don't want a problem already. Slightly confused as to how I would up at 25.5L though.

 

[TimTheWiner]

So just got home from work and stirred things up a bit and tried to "mash up" the mesh sack/grape pack that was sitting in the bottom. I am somewhat happy to see a corrected SG of 1.094 at just about 80 degrees. I also found that my original calculation was based on a multiplication factor of 113, and later found its 131. So with my new numbers I should be around 12.8% if it ferments down to .996, or maybe I can get lucky and get down to .992ish and be around 13.4%. SO maybe I just needed for that grape pack to really disburse in the liquid and get my math right. Smells GREAT already.

 

[Bartman]

Yeah, the grape pack is kind of a wild card for sugar content and measuring your SG. Ibglowin and I had a back and forth about this a year or more ago, and I think he concluded and I agreed that the grape pack adds roughly .020 to. 025 to the S.G. of the juice, which is pretty close to where you are. Frankly, I 'd be shocked if the Red Mt. Cab kit was not spot on for something as basic as the sugar level - they know how to make that kit right! It's *the* most popular kit at Fine Vine Wines, Geoge has told me in the past.

 

[ibglowin]

I am sitting on 30 bottles of RMC that are now 18mo old. I opened my last split last week. Man is this a good one! This one got some good barrel time plus a nice tannin bump. I think this kit as well as the CC Showcase Cabernet/Merlot are the best two kits (red wise) out there.

 

[robie]

Like Dugger suggested, bet it was that the mixture was not stirred really well. It takes a really good stir to keep the must and water from layering on each other.


That enzyme packet looks like it has gotten some poisture inside. I would ask for another fresh packet.

 

[TimTheWiner]

Checked once again yesterday afternoon (24 hours after starting) and I am very pleased to see 1.02. Guess it's a lesson learned. The instructions say to be sure the grapes stay fully submerged until day 10, but I keep pushing and holding it down and keeps floating to the top. Is this normal/ok?

 

[ibglowin]

Yes, the CO2 in the wine will float it to the top. Punch it down a few times each day.