stuck with fruit wine

[benm]

I have made a number of batch's of fruit wine (using different fruits) but all seem to have the same slightly unpleasant taste to them. Apart from the elder berry wine i made.
I have also tasted it in other wines my friends have made.
I am very careful with cleaning equipment etc. and am sure the wine has not gone bad.
Can anyone help me here... I would love to have some finished wine that is easily drinkable....
Thanks Ben

 

[PCharles]

Stuck Fruit Wine

Ben, Did you add acid, check total acid level, and check specific gravity/brix level, when you started. I'm new at this, but I've read that it is improtant to have a low pH to encourage the yeast and keep back unwanted bugs. Adequate sugar levels are also important (SG about 1.080 or higher) are needed to produce the desired ETOH, which also inhibits bad bugs.

Also, it is a good idea to add yeast nutrient and yeast energizer. Did you yeast ever take off during early fermentation?

Addition of K-Meta (1/4 tsp per gal) will also surpress bad bugs. Yeast can tolerate the K-Meta.

I hope these suggestions help.

Paul

 

[ffemt128]

I have made a number of batch's of fruit wine (using different fruits) but all seem to have the same slightly unpleasant taste to them. Apart from the elder berry wine i made.
I have also tasted it in other wines my friends have made.
I am very careful with cleaning equipment etc. and am sure the wine has not gone bad.
Can anyone help me here... I would love to have some finished wine that is easily drinkable....
Thanks Ben

You would almost have to post your recipe to be able to diagnose the problem. Can you describe the unpleasant taste. Did you back sweeten the wine? Did you add an f-pac. The fruit wines I have made I back sweetened and also added f-pac to bring out more of the fruit flavor.

 

[BobF]

How old are the wines you're tasting? With time the simililarities will diminish and the taste will be better. Assuming they're properly clarified before bottling

 

[Julie]

As ffemt128 has stated. You need to post your recipe. Without the recipe all we can do is take a wild shot as to what is going on.

 

[benm]

hello all,
thank you for your reply's.
My last wine was made using 1 kg of strawberry's, a kg of sugar and a litre of water, with wine yeast and yeast food.

I left the fruit (cut up) in the brewer until it finished fermenting and have just racked it of to a clean container, had a taste and noticed to same flavor.

Reading through this site I fear I have been to primitive in my wine making.

 

[benm]

Julie,
wow just see your list of what you have made,
I am now feeling very small on this site and have realised that I know very little.
haha

 

[Julie]

LOL, Benm, I don't think you are primitive. We have all been there,done that.

First thing, go out and buy a hydrometer. This will measure the sugar in your must and give you better control of what you are making. When making fruit wines, start your must out around 1.080. This will give you roughly 11% alcohol. Higher alcohol levels can mask the fruit flavor in the wine and leave the fruit in until you have a hydrometer reading around 1.010, then pull the fruit out. I shoot between, 1.000 and 1.010.

What type of yeast are you using? I usually use Lavlin 71B 1122 for my fruit wines, this yeast will pull forward some of the fruit flavor.

And get an titration acid test kit. Fruit wines acid should be around .55% to .65%. I usually shoot for around .65% to .75%

Once you do these things, I think you are going to fine your wines are a lot better, hope this helps.

 

[benm]

I shall give it a try asap...
well the only yeast i have is generic red or white wine yeast.
I will however try to source some from the net.
Is it important to keep the temp of the wine when brewing at a constant? The weather here in London is quite changeable and so the temp of my wine change's alot.
Ps. do you have any other tips you could impart to me?
Ben

 

[FTC Wines]

I find when you back sweeten a fruit wine it makes a huge difference in taste. They taste flat & blah if fermented dry, add a little sweetener & WOW. How much is your taste. Roy, Fightingtown Creek Wines