Mistake making by 1st batch of wine

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yeast_help

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I just realized I made a mistake while making my first batch of wine. I added yeast nutrient instead of yeast to the primary fermenter (DID NOT ADD ANY KIND OF YEAST) now, I'm really confused because it did bubble during this past week, and even had sediment when I just siphoned the must into the secondary fermenter... I bought a hydrometer and just read the specific gravity which is just a tiny hair BELOW 1.000 (towards the 0.900 mark) Any suggestions? Did it really ferment without yeast? If not, could I still save it?
 
Welcome to HBT!
You did ferment with yeast, just not the kind you thought you were going to use. Wild yeast floats all around us. Some of it landed in your wine and had a party.
Wild yeast can make some fine wine. Only one way to tell if your wild yeast is good and that is to try a sample.
 
well, since it was my very first time making wine a lady gave me all the ingredients, I read YEAST NUTRIENT (LD Carlson) on the little bottle and added thinking it was actual yeast. What now? Will it taste awful? Doesn't the taste depend on the type of yeast used?
 
Yeast does make a difference but your yeast might be better than what you had intended to use. Wine has been made with wild yeast for thousands of years and there is nothing in there that is going to hurt you. Be aware that your wine is going to be young and not necessarily taste how it will taste after aging.
 
What now?
Proceed as you would if you used yeast. What's the worst that can happen now?

Will it taste awful?
Maybe, but maybe not...

Doesn't the taste depend on the type of yeast used?
Certainly does, but that doesn't mean a wild yeast won't make good wine, if that's what caused the fermentation.
 
JVD- I did not pour the entire bottle of yeast energizer, just a tbs per gallon (I made 5 gallons) and I guess I never had a yeast packet in the first place, that's why I got confused.
Has anybody else experienced making wine with "wild yeast", should I add something to it to make it sweet? I just transfered to the secondary fermerter last night.
 
5 TBS of yeast nutrient is alot- I use about 1 teaspoon for 6 gallons. Still, it should be fine.

How's the wine taste? That's what is going to determine whether it needs to be sweetened. What kind of wine is it, and what's the recipe?
 
I actually added one TEASPOON per gallon, that's what the label said to use, and I followed the recipe from How To Make Homemade Wine, did not add tannin though... I made peach wine


yeastnutrient.jpg
 
Ok, so I am still struggling with my very first batch of wine. I still have not bottled it and intended to do so today, but first I wanted to figure out the alcohol %. I did make a huge mistak though, by not taking a reading BEFORE the wine started the ferment, I actually didn't get a hydrometer until I was ready to transfer the wine from the 1ry to the 2ry fermenter. I beleive it was bubbling (fermenting?) for over a week before I transfered it. So, I took a reading back in September and it was "a tiny hair after the 1.000 mark" and today, the reading is about 0.990???? It went down instead of up? I don't get it.... Could somebody please help?
BTW, I tested today and I liked it!!! it could use a little more sugar, but other than that it's golden!


I just realized I made a mistake while making my first batch of wine. I added yeast nutrient instead of yeast to the primary fermenter (DID NOT ADD ANY KIND OF YEAST) now, I'm really confused because it did bubble during this past week, and even had sediment when I just siphoned the must into the secondary fermenter... I bought a hydrometer and just read the specific gravity which is just a tiny hair BELOW 1.000 (towards the 0.900 mark) Any suggestions? Did it really ferment without yeast? If not, could I still save it?
 
Wine normally ferments down to .995 or lower so it is probably where it is suppose to be. If you are going to back sweeten the wine, make sure you stabilize it before bottling.
 
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