New from MA

[broken-arrow]

Hi all:

New to wine making and picked up what I thought to be an easy recipe. 1 Gal of Welches 100% grape Juice, 1Cup Sugar, 1 Pack of Red Wine Yeast.

The yeast is working fine for about 10 days now but the color of the wine appears to be turning a brownish color.

Not looking for a great wine right now, just getting my feet wet to see if I can do it. My wife is the wine drinker, I'm a Martini man.

Any ideas why it is turning a brownish color and caking up on the bottom of the gallon jug?

Jon

 

[deadwolfbones]

Hi all:

New to wine making and picked up what I thought to be an easy recipe. 1 Gal of Welches 100% grape Juice, 1Cup Sugar, 1 Pack of Red Wine Yeast.

The yeast is working fine for about 10 days now but the color of the wine appears to be turning a brownish color.

Not looking for a great wine right now, just getting my feet wet to see if I can do it. My wife is the wine drinker, I'm a Martini man.

Any ideas why it is turning a brownish color and caking up on the bottom of the gallon jug?

Jon

If I had to guess, it's probably the yeast in suspension turning it brownish, and the cake on the bottom is the yeast cake. Sounds totally normal.

 

[broken-arrow]

If I had to guess, it's probably the yeast in suspension turning it brownish, and the cake on the bottom is the yeast cake. Sounds totally normal.

Will this clear up itself?

 

[deadwolfbones]

Will this clear up itself?

I've never made wine, so I don't know how yeast behaves in wine. In beer, you can do a thing called "cold crashing" to accelerate the yeast dropping, but if you just let it sit long enough the yeast will eventually fall out of suspension on its own. Some yeasts fall out faster than others.

More here: http://noblegrape.ca/colour-concerns/

 

[day_trippr]

Welcome to this den of iniquity known as HBT

Might want to get familiar with the HBT Winemaking forum https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=25

Cheers!

 

[mikerlynch26]

Welcome to HBT! Yup sounds like a normal situation, wine yeast, unlike ale yeast, will create a cake on the bottom of the fermenter and you'll see little bubbles come up the sides, as if it's carbonated. Ale yeast creates a foamy "krauzen" on the top of a beer, which is where all the viable yeast are.

Nice to see another Masshole on HBT!

 

[Cyclman]

Welcome to the hobby, and the group, from CO

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Welcome from Long Island. I've never made wine with Welches, but I have made a small merlot kit and mead. Some red wines become a tawney color.
If is tastes okay that is what matters most, unless you want to enter a competition. Enjoy!

 

[Domminigan]

Welcome from the flatlands of Kansas!
My first cherry wine looked a lot like what you are saying, and I about chucked it. Fortunately, it cleared to a brilliant crystal pink when I forgot about it for a few months.
Just be a bit careful when you start racking it out of the primary; if you agitate it much at all, the yeast cloud will rise and your secondary fermentation will contain a few more of the yeasties that should have stayed behind.

 

[broken-arrow]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the help and information. Making a few little changes form your suggestions.

Best to all of you.

 

[broken-arrow]

Oops!

Just one more question.. As I mentioned I am doing 1 Gallon of Red Wine with Welches Grape Juice. To the grape juice I have added 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 Pack of Red Star Wine Yeast......It has been bubbling away for 2 days now. My thoughts on the sugar were there is already sugar in the Grape Juice so I only put 1/2 cup in. Opinions Please.

 

[mikerlynch26]

I've seen recipes calling for a pound of sugar in a gallon, don't know what that translates to in cups.

 

[deadwolfbones]

I've seen recipes calling for a pound of sugar in a gallon, don't know what that translates to in cups.

A pound is about 2 cups.

 

[broken-arrow]

Need to sweeten my wine a bit anyone know how to do that without starting the fermenting again.