I have my first batch of muscadine wine in a carboy. It has been there approximately 4 months. I tried it tonight. It has a beautiful color, but it is way too sweet to even drink! Any way I can correct this now in order to save this wine?
Too sweet wine
- Thread starter Rhino
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Maybe, depending on why it's too sweet. What was the recipe?
Did you take any hydrometer readings? And lastly, what kind of yeast did you use?
Did you take any hydrometer readings? And lastly, what kind of yeast did you use?
I used pasteur Champagne yeast. I did not know that should not have too much space for air at the top of the carboy. I had read that you could add sugar water to top it off. I added the sugar water on Saturday. I did a taste test today and it way too sweet.
You added sugar water and you're wondering why it's sweet?
Why don't you think about that and get back to us.
Now, here's what you need to know. The remaining yeast will start eating that sugar. Congratulations! You've just restarted the fermentation. You MIGHT be able to stabilize it, but I wouldn't bother.
DO NOT BOTTLE. Best case scenario is that the corks will pop out of the bottles. Worst case is that the bottles will explode in a shower of wine and glass. You'll have to wait until it stops fermenting again.
In the future, add that sugar water before you start your wine. You'll be better off.
Does anyone else have better advice?
Why don't you think about that and get back to us.
Now, here's what you need to know. The remaining yeast will start eating that sugar. Congratulations! You've just restarted the fermentation. You MIGHT be able to stabilize it, but I wouldn't bother.
DO NOT BOTTLE. Best case scenario is that the corks will pop out of the bottles. Worst case is that the bottles will explode in a shower of wine and glass. You'll have to wait until it stops fermenting again.
In the future, add that sugar water before you start your wine. You'll be better off.
Does anyone else have better advice?
You'll want to top off with boiled and cooled water or similar wine. Adding sugar water is just feeding the yeast.
If you already stabilized and your SG readings are too high you may have a blending wine. Rack to a sanitized carboy, top off and air lock until you have another batch to bottle. Then you can blend your too sweet wine with a dry wine to taste.
That's what I'd do anyway.
Hard to give advice when we don't know starting SG and current SG!
No need to be a smart-ass, Will. Sarcasm and nastiness will not be tolerated.
Definitely need some more info from the original poster as to what's going on now. If you haven't added anything except sugar water, you may be able to add some fresh yeast and ferment that sugar out. It'll boost the alcohol, though, so might give you some rocket fuel.
Let us know what the original recipe was, and we'll see if we can help you.
My apologies Rhino. Yooper, I can cut out the nastiness. Sarcasm is a bit more difficult.
Started this batch on 09/27/08.
Recipe:
30 lbs. muscadines
15 quarts of water
10 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
5 yeast nutrient tablets, crushed
5 Campden Tablets, rushed
1 pkg. champagne yeast
The very first SG: 1.021
Last SG (taken on 1/17/09) 1.110
Like I said this is my very first batch ever. It seems like whenever I start reading about making homemade wine, I read a different way to do things. I've had a lot of fun, but it can be confusing also. But I'm not giving up. Can wait til summer to try some new ones!
I just started another batch of muscadine on 01/18/09. The second time seems like it is a little easier!
Recipe:
30 lbs. muscadines
15 quarts of water
10 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
5 yeast nutrient tablets, crushed
5 Campden Tablets, rushed
1 pkg. champagne yeast
The very first SG: 1.021
Last SG (taken on 1/17/09) 1.110
Like I said this is my very first batch ever. It seems like whenever I start reading about making homemade wine, I read a different way to do things. I've had a lot of fun, but it can be confusing also. But I'm not giving up. Can wait til summer to try some new ones!
I just started another batch of muscadine on 01/18/09. The second time seems like it is a little easier!
I'm not understanding your SG readings. They aren't correct. could you check them again?
Also, here is my favorite winemaking site: winemaking: The Basic Steps
That's a link to the basic steps page, but if you do down on the page, it has links to more detail instructions on each step.
I'm not sure what advice to give you now, until I figure out what the current ABV is and how much sugar you already have in there. That's why I needed to have you recheck the SG readings- those don't make any sense. Maybe they are backwards, but I don't know.
That's a link to the basic steps page, but if you do down on the page, it has links to more detail instructions on each step.
I'm not sure what advice to give you now, until I figure out what the current ABV is and how much sugar you already have in there. That's why I needed to have you recheck the SG readings- those don't make any sense. Maybe they are backwards, but I don't know.
Tusch
Well-Known Member
Why are you asking for trouble?
nebben
Well-Known Member
At which point was the sugar added? I believe you have added your sugar at the wrong time, or got your measurements backwards on your gravity readings. Either way, that yeast should be able to handle that much sugar given some time.
Hey guys, I have a similar problem, can anyone please help
I had started three batches of fresh California grape juice wine. I was unable to check the S.G. when I started, as I had not in the past when I made it and it turned out fine. However, this time I decided to add Campden tablets when transferring to carboy and I guess I did so too early.
The other thing I did different this time was I fermented the juice in the primary with a lid and air lock on. Fermentation started, did its thing and slowed down after 8 days. I then transferred it into a carboy with 5 campden tablets.
I had just racked my wine today and gave it a taste and its too sweet. I went out and got an Hydrometer and its at 1.004. Don't know if that will help now.
Do you think there is anything I can do? Can I put it back in the primary and add some yeast. Would I need to add nutrient or anything else. Do I need to add something to lower the SO2?
Any help will be great. :cross:
I had started three batches of fresh California grape juice wine. I was unable to check the S.G. when I started, as I had not in the past when I made it and it turned out fine. However, this time I decided to add Campden tablets when transferring to carboy and I guess I did so too early.
The other thing I did different this time was I fermented the juice in the primary with a lid and air lock on. Fermentation started, did its thing and slowed down after 8 days. I then transferred it into a carboy with 5 campden tablets.
I had just racked my wine today and gave it a taste and its too sweet. I went out and got an Hydrometer and its at 1.004. Don't know if that will help now.
Do you think there is anything I can do? Can I put it back in the primary and add some yeast. Would I need to add nutrient or anything else. Do I need to add something to lower the SO2?
Any help will be great. :cross:
nebben
Well-Known Member
You can try a packet of L1118 to finish off that .004 ... I'm not sure how well it would work since there is a bit of sulfur still in the wine and alcohol too. It's pretty strong yeast though, and I believe it would have as good of a chance of lowering that sugar as anything.
rsmith179
Well-Known Member
Do you have a hydrometer? If so, just take readings for the next 3-4 days. If there's no change in the gravity reading, go ahead and repitch. Pasteur yeast works well and should help dry it out. Just be nice to your yeast and make a starter first. You can just take a bit of your wine out of the carboy and pitch the yeast in there to get it started before putting all the yeast in your batch. This will just ensure that the yeast have a jump-start to help fermenting this to dry.
RayvenFear
New Member
So, this is an old post but it goes to something I would like to try. I would really love some thought out input or advice.
I am more on the mead side but my wife, in watching me enjoy what I do, decided to make herself some homemade strawberry wine (before we had the hydrometer). She wound up with something sweeter that "Boone's Farm".
It is already bottled and refrigerated for 2 months (only a gallon's worth) so the fermentation is well done.
If we decided to ferment and correctly work a dry strawberry wine again, and just before we bottled, added this sweet to it, do you think it would work as a blended semi-sweet strawberry wine?
If not, I am thinking to use it as a strawberry liqueur and do vodka and cream and freshly sliced strawberries for dessert type cocktails... I am not going to waste it!
Any thoughts?
I am more on the mead side but my wife, in watching me enjoy what I do, decided to make herself some homemade strawberry wine (before we had the hydrometer). She wound up with something sweeter that "Boone's Farm".
It is already bottled and refrigerated for 2 months (only a gallon's worth) so the fermentation is well done.
If we decided to ferment and correctly work a dry strawberry wine again, and just before we bottled, added this sweet to it, do you think it would work as a blended semi-sweet strawberry wine?
If not, I am thinking to use it as a strawberry liqueur and do vodka and cream and freshly sliced strawberries for dessert type cocktails... I am not going to waste it!
Any thoughts?
DoctorCAD
Well-Known Member
Start a new thread, you'll get better responses
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