What's wrong? Advice please

[TENNISTOWINE]

I am making my first batch of grape wine in over 30 years. I planned to make 5 gal. I used 15# of store bought red grapes and 4 oranges and crushed them and let them sit for 4 days in a crock stirring 2 times daily. Then I added 2 gal water, nutrients , acid bend, tannin, meta, and pectic enzyme and waited 1 day and added 10# sugar dissolved in 2 1/2 gal warm water and hydrated yeast. It was bubbling slightly and the must is/was 70 degrees. I checked yesterday and today and the SG is 1.3. Isn't it supposed to be higher? I don't think my must was ever fermenting vigourously.

 

[AlFulchino]

sounds like you are making sangria of some sort...also pectic often interferes w yeast activity

what was your initial sg? ( at the time of crush and before sugar addition)

 

[Runningwolf]

What was you beginning sg reading. This is the most important reading as everything is based off of it.

 

[TENNISTOWINE]

It was not reading anything. The hydrometer was touching/sitting on the bottom of the cylinder.

 

[AlFulchino]

then how did you read it the second time when you got the 1.13?

 

[TENNISTOWINE]

The first time I could not read it because it sat on the bottom of cylinder. After I added sugar and it has fermented for 4 days it now reads 1.3. NOT 1.03. 1.3 will only have a potential alcohol content of 4 or 5%.

 

[MN-winer]

Do hydrometers go as high as 1.3? That would be like 35% alcohol or something. Can you reread the hydrometer? 1.03 is 4-5% as you say.

 

[Julie]

The first time I could not read it because it sat on the bottom of cylinder. After I added sugar and it has fermented for 4 days it now reads 1.3. NOT 1.03. 1.3 will only have a potential alcohol content of 4 or 5%.

Well why don't you try taking some out and put it into a test tube to measure? And 1.030 will only give you ABV around 4% - 5% not 1.300. Where did you get a hydrometer that went up to 1.300?

 

[AlFulchino]

take a step back and take another look at the Potential alc for a 1.13 sg reading

a 1.13 and then a final of 1.00 will give you 17.6%

was it 1.13?

 

[ibglowin]

If it is 1.3 (somehow) that would be over 40% ABV!

Don't see how any yeast could get started in this potion of sorts......

 

[jtstar]

on your test tube how full did you fill it before putting your hydrometer in it

 

[TENNISTOWINE]

Sorry for the confusion. I am learning to read hydrometer. It is now at a reading of SG 1.03 which is PA of 4%. What can I do to get alcohol % higher? Does this mean it did not have enough sugar to begin with?

 

[TENNISTOWINE]

I filled it slowly until it was overflowing and the hydrometer never floated. Does that mean it did not have enough sugar?

 

[MN-winer]

Something is fishy here. If the hydrometer never floats, meaning it sinks to the bottom then you have a SG of less than .990 - lots less. Is it possible you have a crack in it and its taking on water or maybe the wine thief is not full enough to allow for you to take a proper measurement? I think we are missing a piece of the puzzle or maybe I'm not reading these posts correct.

Maybe you should post your recipe here. Adding sugar will make the hydrometer float - YES.

 

[Julie]

Sounds like you have too big of a primary bucket, there was not enough volume to take a reading. You need to syphon some into a test jar and take your readings that way. At this point it is too late to figure out what your starting gravity would be.

 

[Julie]

I filled it slowly until it was overflowing and the hydrometer never floated. Does that mean it did not have enough sugar?

what was overflowing?

 

[TENNISTOWINE]

I started a batch of wine and at the beginning I could not take a SG reading because the hydrometer would not float in the test cylinder as i filled it up and when it got full it overflowed (the test cylinder). I added sugar and let it sit for 4 days and now it tests SG 1.03 I should have taken a reading at the beginning but since I didn't does this reading now of SG 1.03 mean nothing? I am wondering what to do now? It has been 5 days since adding yeast. Should I add more sugar to get the PA level higher or does the PA level now mean nothing since I did not take a reading at the beginning? Should I just continue to take SG readings and if so when should I put the must in a carboy?

 

[robie]

Maybe that hydrometer has a crack and is leaky!

 

[TENNISTOWINE]

No the hydrometer is not cracked or leaky - maybe no good though? I may have to forget about the hydrometer reading since I did not get a reading before I added sugar and yeast. Can someone please advise on what I can do now besides just throwing the must in the compost pile?

 

[robie]

Put your hydrometer in some tap water and see if it reads close to 1.000.
The water has to be distilled water at 60 F to read exactly 1.000, but tap water will read close to it. At least this will tell you if the hydrometer is OK.