First Batch of Wine

[cmgxsolutions]

I have been homebrewing for less than a year so I am pretty inexperienced but have made 25g of beer. Some people I know make wine so I figured I would give it a shot. I purchased 5 gallons of barberra grape juice from a winery and pitched my starter 11/10. To start the barberra was very sweet so I anticipate the alcohol content would be high. Unfortunatly I did not get a hydrometer reading because the hydrometer I ordered arrived broken. Active fermentation started in a day and lasted several days. I racked it to secondary on 11/24. I purchased a gallon of barberone wine to top it with. Not sure if this was a good choice but it sounded like barberra so I gave it a shot. This is what I used to top off the carboy. It is now 12/3 and I am still getting a bubble every 5 seconds! Shouldn't this thing be done by now? Also it doesn't smell like wine... it smells very sour and tart. It doesn't look infected or anything but it still doesn't smell like wine. What am I looking at to go from this point to an enjoyable glass of wine?

Thanks
Dan

 

[Yooper]

I have been homebrewing for less than a year so I am pretty inexperienced but have made 25g of beer. Some people I know make wine so I figured I would give it a shot. I purchased 5 gallons of barberra grape juice from a winery and pitched my starter 11/10. To start the barberra was very sweet so I anticipate the alcohol content would be high. Unfortunatly I did not get a hydrometer reading because the hydrometer I ordered arrived broken. Active fermentation started in a day and lasted several days. I racked it to secondary on 11/24. I purchased a gallon of barberone wine to top it with. Not sure if this was a good choice but it sounded like barberra so I gave it a shot. This is what I used to top off the carboy. It is now 12/3 and I am still getting a bubble every 5 seconds! Shouldn't this thing be done by now? Also it doesn't smell like wine... it smells very sour and tart. It doesn't look infected or anything but it still doesn't smell like wine. What am I looking at to go from this point to an enjoyable glass of wine?

Thanks
Dan

Tell us more about the juice, and about your sanitation. Was the juice sulfited, or was it innoculated with yeast at the winery? "Sour" and "tart" aren't good descriptions and would make me worry, but if it's just the aroma that is off, I would taste a sample.

Also, buy a new hydrometer ASAP!

 

[cmgxsolutions]

Like I said this is my first time. The seller told me it was innoculated with yeast. The sour/tart smell have been evident from the primary fermentation. For santization I did primary in the pail the juice came in. I clean all equipment using one step. I just stuck my nose to the airlock... smells tart if you could imagine it as a taste it would make you pucker... not sayin it smells bad or spoiled just tart... idk if that makes sense

 

[Yooper]

Like I said this is my first time. The seller told me it was innoculated with yeast. The sour/tart smell have been evident from the primary fermentation. For santization I did primary in the pail the juice came in. I clean all equipment using one step. I just stuck my nose to the airlock... smells tart if you could imagine it as a taste it would make you pucker... not sayin it smells bad or spoiled just tart... idk if that makes sense

Once you finished primary, you racked the wine into a sanitized carboy and added the other juice? And the other juice was pasteurized, or otherwise sanitized?

 

[cmgxsolutions]

I topped off with wine that I got from the store. The smell didnt change after I racked it smelled the same during active fermentation.