racking day today @ 31 days and the expected happened. The wine is quite clear and the SG is 1.010 and OG was 1.118 making an ABV of 14.148% The yeast choked out right @ Lalvin specs. ok I know my fault (too much sugar) I must learn how to follow instructions. But anyway, I tasted it and it is very sweet. Now is there anything I can do to fix this? or should I consider it a dessert wine?
Another option would be to dilute the wine some. That might allow the yeast to go back to work.
Still at this point my recommendation would be to let it age then bottle it and enjoy your desert wine.
You could pitch some champagne yeast- but that will increase the ABV even more while drying out the wine. It'll be pretty darn "hot" if you do that, but it won't be sweet any more.
The yeast might bring that SG down a few more points, though, without repitching, even though you're right at the top of the tolerance. If you could coax about 6 more gravity points out of that yeast, it'll be much less sweet tasting and not too hot.
Well I'll let it sit as is for a while and see what happens as it clears fully. there is still bubbles rising in 1 or 2 spots. (maybe outgassing after transfer) only time will tell. I am going to start a fresh batch The right way. Thanks again
what kind of yeast do you use? I am going to use Lalvin EC-1118 this time.
edit: by the way can this recipe be adapted to use regular welch's not frozen? I was thinking of just using 96oz of juice and topping with water to a gallon, being that 2 cans of frozen concentrate make 96oz.
Well, if you're using wine bottles, it is good to cork them otherwise I don't know how you'd seal them. I did some in wine bottles, some in Grolsch (ez cap style) bottles, and a few in beer bottles for a smaller serving size.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jay415
Well I'll let it sit as is for a while and see what happens as it clears fully. there is still bubbles rising in 1 or 2 spots. (maybe outgassing after transfer) only time will tell. I am going to start a fresh batch The right way. Thanks again
what kind of yeast do you use? I am going to use Lalvin EC-1118 this time.
edit: by the way can this recipe be adapted to use regular welch's not frozen? I was thinking of just using 96oz of juice and topping with water to a gallon, being that 2 cans of frozen concentrate make 96oz.
I don't see why not- I mean, it's the same thing, right? Unless the regular welch's has sorbate. That would stop the juice from fermenting. I don't remember now what kind of yeast I used for sure- probably a mix of different kinds over the years. I do know I used the EC-1118 at least once, and I probably used cotes des blanc at one time or another in it. The concord flavor is pretty strong, so I don't think the yeast matters all that much.
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I don't see why not- I mean, it's the same thing, right? Unless the regular welch's has sorbate. That would stop the juice from fermenting. I don't remember now what kind of yeast I used for sure- probably a mix of different kinds over the years. I do know I used the EC-1118 at least once, and I probably used cotes des blanc at one time or another in it. The concord flavor is pretty strong, so I don't think the yeast matters all that much.
I don't think there were any preservatives, So I'll try it.
Welch's Frozen Grape Juice Wine
2 cans (11.5 oz) Welch's 100% frozen grape concentrate
1-1/4 lbs granulated sugar
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
water to make 1 gallon
wine yeast
Bring 1 quart water to boil and dissolve the sugar in the water. Remove from heat and add frozen concentrate. Add additional water to make one gallon and pour into secondary. Add remaining ingredients except yeast. Cover with napkin fastened with rubber band and set aside 12 hours. Add activated wine yeast and recover with napkin. When active fermentation slows down (about 5 days), fit airlock. When clear, rack, top up and refit airlock. After additional 30 days, stabilize, sweeten if desired and rack into bottles.
You say pour into secondary? what do you use to make this in and also what does stabilizing after 30 days mean?
I use a Carlo Rossi (4L size) jug for it. When you fit the airlock on it, it takes a #6 size bung. Those are easy to find in any brew shop.
Stabilize means to ensure fermentation doesn't restart if you add some sugar to sweeten. To do that, you add one crushed campden tablet per gallon (dissolved in a little hot water), and some potassium sorbate. I think it's about 2/3 tsp for 5 gallons, but please check the package to make sure whatever brand of sorbate you buy has the correct amount on it. Overdosing with sorbate can make the wine taste bad.
What you do is add the sorbate/campden to a new carboy (or jug, if you're only making one gallon) when the wine is completely done fermenting. Rack the wine into it gently, so it doesn't splash. Then, wait a few days. After a couple of days, you can sweeten to taste with some sugar. I like to pull out a sample, and add some sugar dissolved in a little water, and add that syrup to taste. When I like that sample, I take the SG of the sample and then sweeten the whole batch close to that SG. It's best to slightly undersweeten- I swear that it's a little sweeter after sitting for a few weeks. So, if I like the wine at 1.010 for example, I'll sweeten it to 1.008.
__________________ Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006
You call me a dog well that's fair enough 'Cause it ain't no use to pretend You're wrong
But when it's my time to throw The next stone I'll call you beautiful if I call at all
I use a Carlo Rossi (4L size) jug for it. When you fit the airlock on it, it takes a #6 size bung. Those are easy to find in any brew shop.
Stabilize means to ensure fermentation doesn't restart if you add some sugar to sweeten. To do that, you add one crushed campden tablet per gallon (dissolved in a little hot water), and some potassium sorbate. I think it's about 2/3 tsp for 5 gallons, but please check the package to make sure whatever brand of sorbate you buy has the correct amount on it. Overdosing with sorbate can make the wine taste bad.
What you do is add the sorbate/campden to a new carboy (or jug, if you're only making one gallon) when the wine is completely done fermenting. Rack the wine into it gently, so it doesn't splash. Then, wait a few days. After a couple of days, you can sweeten to taste with some sugar. I like to pull out a sample, and add some sugar dissolved in a little water, and add that syrup to taste. When I like that sample, I take the SG of the sample and then sweeten the whole batch close to that SG. It's best to slightly undersweeten- I swear that it's a little sweeter after sitting for a few weeks. So, if I like the wine at 1.010 for example, I'll sweeten it to 1.008.
I am gonna order the stuff to make this to, but so i guess i need 3 carlo rossi jugs right? one for primary one for secondary and one for stabilizing? and also how many months is it from primary to drinking this?
I am gonna order the stuff to make this to, but so i guess i need 3 carlo rossi jugs right? one for primary one for secondary and one for stabilizing? and also how many months is it from primary to drinking this?
You could get by with two. You ferment in one, then rack to the other one. It can be done in as little as six weeks to two months.
__________________ Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006
You call me a dog well that's fair enough 'Cause it ain't no use to pretend You're wrong
But when it's my time to throw The next stone I'll call you beautiful if I call at all
The yeast choked out right @ Lalvin specs. ok I know my fault (too much sugar) I must learn how to follow instructions. But anyway, I tasted it and it is very sweet. Now is there anything I can do to fix this? or should I consider it a dessert wine?
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