Hello all, I'm attempting my first wine, a Chokecherry, I'm loosely following Yooper's recipe. My question is, I picked a whole slew of chokecherries over the past few days, I picked the darkest ones on each bush, but when sorting through, de-stemming and cleaning, I noticed they were really soft, some to the point the skin would pull off while trying to detach the stems. Now I'm wondering if the berries I picked were maybe too ripe? I'm doing a 15 gallon batch and now I'm afraid of ruining it. Please advise.
New member, need wine advice
- Thread starter StG
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Erik the Awful
Well-Known Member
Too ripe means plenty of sugar for fermentation. Not ripe enough often means tart.
I wouldn't dip the fruit in Star-San, I'd simply wash it and either press it or blend it. It's not a bad idea to simmer the juice, but keep it short of boiling.
If you don't have campden tablets, you definitely need to get some before you start. They'll kill most of the contaminants before you pitch your yeast. If you need a few days for the campden tablets to arrive, freeze the berries. It'll help break down the cell structure, and then you simply thaw them before you juice them.
I wouldn't dip the fruit in Star-San, I'd simply wash it and either press it or blend it. It's not a bad idea to simmer the juice, but keep it short of boiling.
If you don't have campden tablets, you definitely need to get some before you start. They'll kill most of the contaminants before you pitch your yeast. If you need a few days for the campden tablets to arrive, freeze the berries. It'll help break down the cell structure, and then you simply thaw them before you juice them.
Thanks Erik, I'll be using Campden powder, I got the potassium instead of sodium. I was just a little leery of the berries being so soft.I decided to do a 6 gallon batch, got 18 lbs chokecherries frozen, I was planning on 15 gal. but man what a time consuming pain that was. I can't find the dark grape concentrate locally, and 6 pounds of chopped raisins seems like way too much. Anyone have an alternative I could use? I read of some people using frozen grape juice concentrate? I really appreciate everyone's advice!!
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You can leave it out and use sugar to bring up the gravity. I have done it without but prefer the body and flavor with the grape concentrate. It’ll still be good without it!
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Thanks Yooper!!
How much headspace does EC-1118 require?Hello everyone, My primary fermentation is underway, I used a large brew bag, which I folded over the rim of my fermentor like a trash bag, but the bag outside of the must has pulp and must on it from stirring. Should I be worried about that being out of the solution?
I've been stirring it down 2-3 times a day, I was concerned about the pulp and must that is on the mesh of the brew bag that's not submerged ( above the liquid level )
I can, it's been out of the must since Sunday night, will I be ok cinching it shut and submerging it? Or would I be better off leaving it out and stirring gently?
ok, I'll tie it up and stuff it under. I assume you're opening the bag up to stir a couple times a day?
I would think the Co2 would have protected the exposed brew bag, but it had a bunch of pulp in it and I started to get that old fashioned feeling like I really jacked this up. I pitched EC-1118 48 hours ago, and in that time I switched to a larger can, smashed up the chokecherries a bit more ( saw that I missed quite a few), and now the brew bag. Fermentation seems to be going ok and there's no off smells yet, so.........
10-4, Thanks Yooper.
This is day 7 in primary. O.G. was 1.100, this morning it was 1.000, I added 2 lbs sugar, which only brought S.G. up to 1.010. I dissolved another 2 lbs to add tomorrow or Tuesday. With the exception of some fruit that escaped from the bag, everything looks and smells good.
The main reason is, I'm not very smart.
I figured the first run gave me 13.125%, the 2 lbs. I added this morning will make it 14.43%, the next 2 lb. salvo should still be under 16%. I figure if I'm going to spend the time doing it, may as well put some pepper on it. I hope I don't regret it.
Just me talking, but 13% is good! Then, you might be able to have more than one glass before you go to sleep. Also, you might actually be able to taste some of the fruit flavor. But, I am definitely in favor of everyone doing their own thing.The main reason is, I'm not very smart.
ICanSeeBeerlyNow
Member
Just me talking, but 13% is good! Then, you might be able to have more than one glass before you go to sleep. Also, you might actually be able to taste some of the fruit flavor. But, I am definitely in favor of everyone doing their own thing.
In my experience theres a fine line between wine and everclear when it comes to some fruit wines
Also, @StG at some point your yeast will essentially kick the bucket from their own alc content right? Unless you have some high abv yeast.
Good morning all. I racked to secondary on 8/20, I used a 6.5 gal. glass big mouth, and will rack from that to a proper 6.5 glass carboy. I have about 1/2" sediment settled out already, but figured I'd leave it alone for at least a couple weeks. I have the carboy tipped back, away from the spigot, moving sediment to opposite side. EC-1118 still chugging along. I was wondering if I'd be ok racking from the spigot when the time comes, or stick with a cane. The spigot would be much easier, obviously.
ICanSeeBeerlyNow
Member
I usually siphon anyways because you never know what flies or any other bacteria have done to the outside of the spigot and that will get put into your vessel. even a tiny amount of bacteria can muck things up.
even if you sanitize the outside of the spigot that little ball valve inside could have some residue.
It might seem paranoid but I only use the spigot to taste test. Never bottle or rack.
I always use the spigot with no problems during 5 years of making alcoholic beverages. I just wipe inside and out with Star San soaked paper towel. Only time I siphon is my 1 gallon batches.
Hey folks, I was planning on bottling this batch yesterday, added 3/8tsp campden in the morning, then something came up. Will I be ok to bottle today without adding more campden? I didn't want to over sulphate. Thanks for all your advice.
Erik the Awful
Well-Known Member
I also worry about over-sulphating, so I rarely add campden after pitching the yeast. I add enough sugar that my yeast max out and die and can't ferment any more. This means my wine has more kick than some people like (especially since I also use EC-1118).
If your alcohol content isn't high enough to kill the yeast and you still have sugar left, your yeast may pressurize the bottles, but you said you're already at 16%? I think you'll be okay.
If your alcohol content isn't high enough to kill the yeast and you still have sugar left, your yeast may pressurize the bottles, but you said you're already at 16%? I think you'll be okay.
ICanSeeBeerlyNow
Member
I just did that the other day. I forgot about a carboy I had cause I was busy one month and the fermentation seemed to have stopped but there was quite a bit of residual sugar and alot of yeast sediment…
Not wanting to rack and cold crash or use PSorbate I just bottled it and stuck it in the wine fridge.
I guess its just a judgement call cause from my experience doing this the alcohol content seemed so high and it had been a month of slow yeast activity.
All this to say, Ill let you know if my bottles explode. But cooler temps help cause the dormancy.
