jmccraney
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- Mar 26, 2013
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I started a batch of blackberry wine using Jack Keller's heavy bodied blackberry wine recipe. Unfortunately I scaled up the recipe to 5gal and blindly dumped in ingredients (including yeast) before testing the SG. With 30lbs of berries and 10 lbs of sugar, the OG measurement was of the charts, as in 1.18+.
So first question: is this a realistic measurement or could something have thrown it off? What sg should I expect? Second: was this maybe supposed to be a two gal batch? And third: how do I fix this?
Here's my thoughts on the subject:
Maybe the reading was a little high since I pulled from the bottom right after mixing in the sugar. Still, I think it is way higher than it should be. I want to maintain the rich fruit character, so I'd rather not dilute it with water. Maybe I could pick a second load of berries and ferment that without sugar, then blend those together? Either way, I'll have to wait until after primary is done to mess with it for logistical reasons.
What kind of problems could I encounter with fermenting with a high OG and diluting? I could see a stuck ferment if the alcohol exceeds the yeast's tolerance, but would reducing the alcohol and the O2 from racking be enough to get it going again? Any effect on flavor?
Thanks in advance for the help! I really appreciate whatever advice you can give.
So first question: is this a realistic measurement or could something have thrown it off? What sg should I expect? Second: was this maybe supposed to be a two gal batch? And third: how do I fix this?
Here's my thoughts on the subject:
Maybe the reading was a little high since I pulled from the bottom right after mixing in the sugar. Still, I think it is way higher than it should be. I want to maintain the rich fruit character, so I'd rather not dilute it with water. Maybe I could pick a second load of berries and ferment that without sugar, then blend those together? Either way, I'll have to wait until after primary is done to mess with it for logistical reasons.
What kind of problems could I encounter with fermenting with a high OG and diluting? I could see a stuck ferment if the alcohol exceeds the yeast's tolerance, but would reducing the alcohol and the O2 from racking be enough to get it going again? Any effect on flavor?
Thanks in advance for the help! I really appreciate whatever advice you can give.