How much sugar for Jack Keller Peach Wine (2) recipe

[thrstyunderwater]

Back in 2011 I made Jack Keller's peach (2) wine recipe. I've done some online digging, realize his website is down, he's passed away, and I can't find the recipe. My 2011 notes have an error, and I'm not sure where.

for 5 gallons:

15lbs peaches
5 lbs bananas
15 lbs sugar

Isn't this too much sugar? I used Cotes des Blanc yeast. The wine was smooth, slightly sweet, and not overly alcoholic. My hand written notes indicate I added 7.5 lbs with the peaches, a week later took out the peaches and added 3.25 lbs sugar. A week later I racked and added 2 lbs sugar. Another week and I added 0.5 lbs sugar. For a total of 13.25 lbs. That still sounds like too much sugar. I just made a batch with 18 lbs peaches, 5 lbs of bananas, and 7.5 lbs of sugar. I boiled the bananas, cooled, and strained. But the peaches fermented, which added a lot of sugar.

Does anyone have this recipe? I see there will be a Jack Keller book published in April 2021. I can either keep adding sugar till I like it, but that will prolong the fermenting/aging process. Is my gut wrong, can Cotes des Blanc handle such a big wine? It sure didn't taste big.

 

[marc1]

His website was visible even after it went down through the wayback machine internet archive

 

[thrstyunderwater]

wayback machine internet archive

Amazing!

 

[Mallerstang]

Looks like you've found it - if not, I have the recipe (yes that is too much sugar!)

 

[thrstyunderwater]

Man I can't believe it's that much!!!! Onward and upward I guess. Glad I can have faith in my notes.

 

[Corkster]

I'm interested in trying this Keller's recipe.
To those with experience with it, does it finish dry, or sweet? My brain is guessing sweet, but I've been fooled by my brain before!

 

[bernardsmith]

A wine OUGHT to finish brut dry and then YOU can stabilize and back sweeten it or YOU can bottle it dry as dust. The thing is that country wines almost always should be sweetened a little to bring forward the flavors of the fruit. Have no idea what the Keller recipe suggested but in my opinion, country wines are more likely to be in balance when the ABV is not more than 12% - so starting gravity needs to be about 1.090. Ignoring the sugar content of the fruit (and you should not IF you are using enough fruit, but Keller's approach is almost always to make a light flavored wine) 2 lbs of sugar per gallon of must will have a gravity of close to 1.090. .