Topping up Wild Plum Wine

[PJSfromDFW]

I can't seem to find the forum for beginners, so please excuse any dumb, rookie questions. This is my very first time to brew anything, and I'm starting to think I've picked a doozie, lol. I started out with 25 lbs Texas wild plums, 10 lbs overripe bananas, & 3.5 lbs of golden raisins, then filled primary up to 6 gal mark. I was going for high alcohol, therefore i "fed" a total of 10 lbs sugar to the primary. After removing fruit, and transferring to a 6 gal carboy, it is now only 2/3 full, and had S.G. of 1.008 two days ago. if it gets to 0.999, that will be exactly 16% ABV. i think i need to rack it???? There is a ton of lees, which means even more loss. i need a smaller carboy, correct? I will have to order one online, will the "wine" be okay until it arrives. If I order a 3 gal, I may have enough "wine" overage, it could be used for topping up later. How should that be stored? Thanks very much, in advance, to whom ever can help me (hopefully I'm not beyond being helped).
Sincerely,
Pam

 

[BrewPharm]

It should be fine as it's still probably fermenting and pushing Co2 to fill that head space. Your next transfer is the one you want to nearly eliminate headspace. So order the smaller glass carboy. When you transfer get it to 2" from your stopper. The remainder you can transfer to clean and sanitized wine bottles sealed with balloons. You will use the wine bottles to top off on future transfers. Sorry no one got you any response sooner.

 

[PJSfromDFW]

Thank you, at least somebody replied. I pretty much had to figure it out on my own though. If my husband wasn't being such a ***** about it, I'd give up on this whole wine making thing, but "he's got too much money invested", so I guess I'll trudge on. Right now, it tastes like tart plum vodka. ???

 

[Pataka]

Fruit wines taste all sorts of flavours ranging from barely palatable to downright hideous when they are young, more so when they are still fermenting. I wouldn't worry about the taste now. After a decent aging period in the bottle they will taste like an entirely different wine.

 

[BrewPharm]

Yup. Time and patience are your best friends. When it cleans up and the co2 clears completely in a few months it will be measurably better. Bottle aging will help it that much more.