Add Sugar in Stages with Champagne Yeast?

[plumsmooth]

I am currently brewing my second batch of Tonic Wine, this time with Turmeric Ginger and Ginseng.

IN general though my question is [and pardon me if this belongs in the Wine forum -- but they didn't have a yeast and fermentation section]:

I am using Lalvin 1118 Champange Yeast aiming for 15% ABV.

Is it best to add the sugar in stages or is it safe to add my Sugar all at once?

Thanks for the help here...

 

[jensmith]

You can add it all at once. However it would be easier on the yeast to start at 1.100 and then add the last little bit of suger near the end of fermenting. If you want your wine to go dry rember to add in that extra 1%abv that you get when you get down to .994.

How did your first tonic wine come out? I have a mix of herbs I take as a tea, I was wondering if they would taste better as a wine, and still give me the health benafits. I have made a vodca tinure that works. But wine sounds more fun


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[fuelish]

I am currently brewing my second batch of Tonic Wine, this time with Turmeric Ginger and Ginseng.

Hmmmm, turmeric, ginger, and ginseng...am interested in seeing how this turns out, have been kicking around the idea of a "medicinal purposes only" mead

 

[plumsmooth]

I guess I would call my first wine more of a Modified Ginger beer/Wine, not that it doesn't have Tonic properties ; and for that matter I suppose it could be called a tonic wine... It came out too good. A little too much zest which creates an aftertaste. However after the first glass I find the palette gets used to it.

I got inspired and followed a recipe on Youtube.
The basic Recipe is Ginger Lemon Sugar and Champagne Yeast.
I actually added my sugar in 2 stages with this first batch because It occurred to me 2 weeks in that the recipe was only calling for 1/2 the amount of sugar to hit 12%.

Anyway I have kind of answered my own question at this point: With a target 13% Potential Alcohol by Volume using Lalvin 1118 [which has around a 17-18 % alcohol tolerance] at around 2lb 5-6oz sugar per gallon, the ferment is taking off like crazy.

It is bubbling out through my airlock and leaking. It is on the top of my Fridge and any time I bump the fridge a few seconds later a massive series of micro bubbles culminate into a series of larger bubbles under one per second.

I have to admit that I added a heat pad for this one. But I am watching the temperature with no desire to see it go above 70. Because of the mass of my 3 gallon carboy the heating pad seems to only be raising my temperature no more than 5 degrees and it current showing around 66 if the stick on led thermometer is accurate.

Unfortunately the Turmeric is staining everything but I really do not care I am having fun watching this one:

 

[plumsmooth]

P.S. I added a yeast starter nutrient this time before rehydration. I think it could have something to do with the level of aggressive fermentation I have achieved besides the addition of a few degrees from my heat pad...

 

[jensmith]

Very impressive! Despite the fun factor of watching this batch explode I would have done it in a bucket, In the shower stall for easy clean up! I can just imagine the staining. A pinch of tumeric can dye anything yellow. How much did you use?


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[plumsmooth]

I have to agree about the bucket. Actually I promised myself this would be the last batch I did in a Glass Carboy. If I can clean it I think I will use the Carboy for Secondary Fermentation. Not to mention straining this puree is challenging luckily I do not have arthritis.

I use organic cotton t-shirt type weave over a funnel with a screen and I wait as long as I can then ring the heck out of it trying to get every last drop. Of course the straining is made more difficult by the fact that I use my High Power Blender to puree everything together before pitching.

What I am going to try next time is a 6 gallon bucket, a nylon must bag; and instead of pureeing I am going to use my juicer and juice everything separately. I am going to remove half of the lemon zest because I feel it imparts too much of a bitter [mostly aftertaste] flavor. Then I am going to put all my juice pulp in a must bag and suspend it probably for the duration of the primary ferment unless someone convinces me otherwise for a tonic wine.

I still do not understand two things:
One: The early removal of the must bag?
Two: The point of Stirring the Must?

At least in my case I get so much aeration in the initial blending of the stuff, I feel stirring would be counter productive as far as the secondary Alcohol generation non reproductive phase!

I literally have streams of bubble every-time I bump my refrigerator...

This current recipe is for 3 gallons:

3 lb Turmeric
1-1/2 lb Ginger
5 lbs Lemons
3 cans of Organic Papaya packed in Pineapple Juice [had in pantry]
Approximately 6-1/2 Pounds of Sugar

Lalvin 1118 with Go-ferm starter Nutrient!

 

[jensmith]

I have to agree about the bucket. Actually I promised myself this would be the last batch I did in a Glass Carboy. If I can clean it I think I will use the Carboy for Secondary Fermentation. Not to mention straining this puree is challenging luckily I do not have arthritis.

I use organic cotton t-shirt type weave over a funnel with a screen and I wait as long as I can then ring the heck out of it trying to get every last drop. Of course the straining is made more difficult by the fact that I use my High Power Blender to puree everything together before pitching.

What I am going to try next time is a 6 gallon bucket, a nylon must bag; and instead of pureeing I am going to use my juicer and juice everything separately. I am going to remove half of the lemon zest because I feel it imparts too much of a bitter [mostly aftertaste] flavor. Then I am going to put all my juice pulp in a must bag and suspend it probably for the duration of the primary ferment unless someone convinces me otherwise for a tonic wine.

I still do not understand two things:
One: The early removal of the must bag?
Two: The point of Stirring the Must?

At least in my case I get so much aeration in the initial blending of the stuff, I feel stirring would be counter productive as far as the secondary Alcohol generation non reproductive phase!

I literally have streams of bubble every-time I bump my refrigerator...

This current recipe is for 3 gallons:

3 lb Turmeric
1-1/2 lb Ginger
5 lbs Lemons
3 cans of Organic Papaya packed in Pineapple Juice [had in pantry]
Approximately 6-1/2 Pounds of Sugar

Lalvin 1118 with Go-ferm starter Nutrient![/QUOTE


I leave my fruit in the fermator untill I rack, usually 1.000 or so. Not sure why you would take it out early. Unless it to reduce the bitterness from the lemon skins. In which case I would bag them seperatly for easy early removal. Or use less
I also slice or corsely chop my fruit. Never puree. Its way too hard to deal with that way. The yeast does a good job of finding the fruity goodness as long as the fruit skin has been broken.

Stirring helps the wine must expell all the bad gasses that are a byproduct of the fermentating yeast. Yeast farts. The yeast also likes a little fresh air to keep it healthy. Getting closed in an airtight jug with all those stinky farts can lead to bad tasting wine. It is possible to have a nice wine all sealed up from the start, just a little more challenging. Its possible keeping it sealed up from the start could slow down the degassing. Open top and agitation help those gasses to escape early.



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