Strawberry wine questions

[eternalricemuncher]

My questions are:

1) When is the vinegar infection a danger?
Basically I mixed strawberries with water and sugar and when it came to straining off the fruit pulp because of the thick syrupy nautre of strawberries the whole event was very unsterile and took a long time with lots of air exposure- can the vinegar bacteria grow where theyre is sugar or can it only grow where there is alcohol?

2) How do you strain off fruit in a sterile way? if it is not going through a fine muslin cloth is it ok to put it through a coarse one or will the wine then have rotting fruit pulp still in it?

3) my recipe said nothing about heating the strawberries but because they are so expensive I got old ones to get a discount. Then I blanched them for 10 seconds in boiling water. since I cooked them do I now need a pectin destroying enzyme?

Thankyou for your help

 

[PCharles]

Regarding Strawberry Wine

Hi, It would be helpful if you could post your recipie and details such as your initial specific gravity.

In regards to the fruit, I used a thin meshed bag to hold the fruit. I tied a string around the bag so much. After several weeks I removed the bag with the strawberryies. I then moved the must to my carboy. Additional racking helped to remove the sediment.

I was wondering if you added any acid blend. Yeast like acid and it helps to prevent bacterial contamination.

Have the yeast started working?

If you provide the details, I'm sure you will get some good advice.

Paul

 

[eternalricemuncher]

Ok I put in
12lb/6kg strawberries
12lb/6kg sugar
5 teaspoon citric acid
5 teaspoon tannin
nutrient and yeast
1 litre white grape juice (cos not enough fruit)
Then enough water to bring to 6 gallons.
After 24 hours fermenting the airlock is currently bubbling 13 times per minute

 

[eternalricemuncher]

It is a C J Berry recipe but the thing is his quanities are per gallon of water so when you add all the stuff its more than a gallon of wine. The room temperature is 21C

 

[maddog]

Infection is possible at any time although the probability changes with a few factors. When it's actively fermenting in a primary the amount of CO2 given off, keeps the must protected from air and bacteria.

A low pH in the must helps keep bacteria from growing. You can get litmus paper to test it with for a few bucks. Most of the books I have seen suggest less than 4 for ph.

Low alochol also makes it easier for bacteria to grow after the wine is finished.

Did you put any campden tablets in your must? Sulfites help kill bacteria and native yeasts that can cause problems.

As far as straining, I usually use a mesh bag to put my fruit in as Paul mentioned. If you didnt do that you can wait for it to settle to the bottom and rack the wine into a secondary fermentor at about 2 weeks. You may have to rack it a few times to remove all the fine particles. You can filter, but filtering in the open oxidizes the wine. I would just rack it a few times.

I would add the pectic enzyme. I usaully add it before the yeast. Not sure how it will work during fermentation.

 

[PCharles]

Looking OK

It sounds like you are fine. After fermentaion slacks off... about 10-14 days, clean all equipment including a strainer. Pour your must through the strainer and put it in your carboy. Rack it again in about three weeks. That should have you on track.

I'm glad to see you added acid blend. Things should turn out fine.

Paul

 

[mmadmikes1]

Sorry Charles to disagree, don't pour the wine though a strainer. That is way to much exposer to air. leave it in and let it settle out. This is going to be kind of a low flavor high octane with only 1`2 pounds for 6 gallons. Mine just finished and I added a f-pak so total strawberries for 6 gallons was 36 pounds. Read how to make an f-pak or add more fruit before you stabilize. Strawberry wine I make has become a local favorite. People bring me berries now

 

[Tom]

I agree w/ Mike. let it settle and then rack.

 

[eternalricemuncher]

strawberry

Sorry Charles to disagree, don't pour the wine though a strainer. That is way to much exposer to air. leave it in and let it settle out. This is going to be kind of a low flavor high octane with only 1`2 pounds for 6 gallons. Mine just finished and I added a f-pak so total strawberries for 6 gallons was 36 pounds. Read how to make an f-pak or add more fruit before you stabilize. Strawberry wine I make has become a local favorite. People bring me berries now

I already put it through the mesh bag exposing it to a lot of air hence why I wasasking for future how to avoid that. Its cos it was so thick and syrupy that it took a long time to strain. If I had left it to strain it would never have gone through the cloth hence me wondering if the strainer was too fine. I had to sqeeze it through manually.

If there is not enough fruit in it any suggestions for an ultra fruity top up of the bottle when I rack? more white grape juice instead of water?

 

[eternalricemuncher]

I dunno how I could have put more strawberries in it was so thick the liquid already! How do you strain 36 lbs in 5 gallons?

 

[Tom]

Next time making fruit wine add it to a paint straining bag. Then just pull out when 1.015

 

[mmadmikes1]

I dunno how I could have put more strawberries in it was so thick the liquid already! How do you strain 36 lbs in 5 gallons?

I fermented 25 pounds in an 8 gallon primary. The other 11 pounds was made into a f=Pak. 30 pounds fills a 5 gallon bucket. Like wade says use a paint strainer bag you buy in paint section at Lowes. They come 2 to a pagkage for $3. I don't strain. when you ferment the berries you get all the flavor and about all that is left is seeds. Strawberry drops out alot so you will rack it several times, probably 4 times. I squeeze the bag when it comes out and some pulp squeezes though. No big deal

 

[eternalricemuncher]

Ok my wine fermented 10 days and now it is one bubble of the airlock per minute ..my friend is saying the fermentation is stuck but he hasnt done brewing in a long time. What do you guys think? thanks

 

[eternalricemuncher]

OK I opened it up and discovered that a layer of spongey foam was on top. I concluded this was the yeast So anyway I took out a sample of the wine.. I dont have a hydrometer yet..it tastes 2/3 of the alcoholic strength it needs to be. and not very sweet. Basically I broke the spongy surface to get the sample and it started bubbling more often so I concluded the sponge needed to be removed or remixed with the liquid. I remixed it in trying not to disturb the bottom. Now its bubbling 5 times as fast as it was.

So my plan unless I hear from you guys is to add some fruit concentrate and maybe another teaspoon of yeast nutrient to correct the lower quantity of sugar for continuing and weak fruit taste. Ill boil the fruit juice first to sterilise it?

 

[Tom]

OK I opened it up and discovered that a layer of spongey foam was on top. I concluded this was the yeast So anyway I took out a sample of the wine.. I dont have a hydrometer yet..it tastes 2/3 of the alcoholic strength it needs to be. and not very sweet. Basically I broke the spongy surface to get the sample and it started bubbling more often so I concluded the sponge needed to be removed or remixed with the liquid. I remixed it in trying not to disturb the bottom. Now its bubbling 5 times as fast as it was.

So my plan unless I hear from you guys is to add some fruit concentrate and maybe another teaspoon of yeast nutrient to correct the lower quantity of sugar for continuing and weak fruit taste. Ill boil the fruit juice first to sterilise it?

Get a HYDROMETER!
you cant make wine without one.
Do NOT do anything (racking) till you get one. !!

 

[eternalricemuncher]

Ok the fermentation has stopped. My conclusion is that it is because there is no sugar left..since it is a taste of alcohol with no sugar. So it stopped after 13 days fermentation. Its now starting again due to the fpack I added 1 bubble per minute so far. Next time I will ferment with all the fruit pulp in without straining so quickly. I figured if Im gonna add fruit juice I need to do fast if the yeast is without sugar it could die ending the ferment so ZERO ferment after 13 days needed restarting b4 yeast death ? Getting hydrometer tomorrow

 

[eternalricemuncher]

the hydrometer says 1020

 

[winemaker_3352]

It is not done fermenting at that SG. Anything less than 1.000 and stable for 3 days is considered complete.

What is the temp? Did you add any yeast nutrient or energizer? What yeast did you use?

 

[eternalricemuncher]

ok. I used a sachet of yeast given to me by the shopowner for strawberry. He had 6-7 different kinds. I put in yeast nutrient. The temperature is 21C in the room at all times. When it stopped after 14 days i tasted it and it was unfruity, no sugar taste with 2/3 of a normal wine strength of alcohol. So I added a strong fruit concentrate and more sugar and that restarted thefermentation which is now going slowly at 1 bubble per minute for the last 24 hours. The slowness is making me think some of the yeast died from starvation but I added sugar before it all died