Watermelon Wine

[Westwind7]

New nutrient with energizer was used for this. Holy Hannah it's like it has a turbo charger. I have never had this vigorous a fermentation.

Big smile here!!! Sooo this new nutrient is called what and you get it where???

 

[Blacksmith1]

Super ferment. I got it at my LHBS for $15.99, it is also available online from the manufacturer for $9.99 + shipping.

Is it normal for this to have a slightly off odor? Almost like it's trying go go bad?

 

[Vinman58]

Super ferment. I got it at my LHBS for $15.99, it is also available online from the manufacturer for $9.99 + shipping.

Is it normal for this to have a slightly off odor? Almost like it's trying go go bad?

Hmm? If the ferment is that rapid may be getting to warm? What temps you got?

 

[Blacksmith1]

no Idea. the house is 72F. the description of the smell is the best I can give. It doesn't exactly smell like it's going bad but very similar almost musty odor.

 

[Vinman58]

no Idea. the house is 72F. the description of the smell is the best I can give. It doesn't exactly smell like it's going bad but very similar almost musty odor.

Yea,if ambient is 72 and a vigorous fermentation you may be Damn near 80 in the fermenter. That's to warm. Proly sulfur you smell.cool er down if possible. Imo.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Put an ice pack in it and stuffed all my others in the freezer. Hope it helps

 

[Westwind7]

no Idea. the house is 72F. the description of the smell is the best I can give. It doesn't exactly smell like it's going bad but very similar almost musty odor.

I haven’t had that experience but maybe your turbocharged nutrient is too vigorous? I don’t know for sure. I brew in my basement which stays cooler than the rest of the house.
Oops; just read the rest of the responses here. What Vinman said....

 

[Blacksmith1]

Sadly being only a few feet above sea level I have no basement.

Day 3 and the activity is slowing. Don't know if it's because it finally cooled or because it's finishing.

@Westwind7 did you remove the organic pulp? I got most of it out of mine before pitching but I'm concerned what's left is turning. This is starting to smell.like a zuccini/summer squash I tried a few months ago. Had to toss that. Could not get past the smell.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Racked it to a carboy cleaned the bucket and put the carboy in it with water and ice packs. This should cool it much better.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Ok, still very active, just checked the temp on the water and the brew. 62F for the water, 66F in the carboy. If that 4degree difference holds at higher temps then my brew was about 76-77 deg before cooling.
all my other brews, with one exception, have done ok at room temp so why would this one be different? That exception had other issues.

 

[Vinman58]

Ok, still very active, just checked the temp on the water and the brew. 62F for the water, 66F in the carboy. If that 4degree difference holds at higher temps then my brew was about 76-77 deg before cooling.
all my other brews, with one exception, have done ok at room temp so why would this one be different? That exception had other issues.

I don't think that 4 degrees will always be the difference. At peak fermentation at ambient room will be higher than after it slows, I try to keep ambient temperature around 58 to 60? Ya gotta do what ya can if you don't have temp control chamber.

 

[Westwind7]

Sadly being only a few feet above sea level I have no basement.

Day 3 and the activity is slowing. Don't know if it's because it finally cooled or because it's finishing.

@Westwind7 did you remove the organic pulp? I got most of it out of mine before pitching but I'm concerned what's left is turning. This is starting to smell.like a zuccini/summer squash I tried a few months ago. Had to toss that. Could not get past the smell.

Yes, I removed all the pulp through a fine strainer then added the nutrient etc after it was cool. Didn’t have a problem at all. ‍

 

[Blacksmith1]

thanks, it's too late to get the last of it out so I hope it will be ok.

 

[Westwind7]

thanks, it's too late to get the last of it out so I hope it will be ok.

I hope so too. It would be a shame to go through all the trouble you did only to have a bad batch. Especially 6 gallons of it. I only ever make one or two at a time.

 

[Blacksmith1]

swapping out ice packs again and again has gotten the fermenter down to 57F. Much lower than any I have done before.

 

[Westwind7]

Blacksmith1 - Any new developments?

 

[Blacksmith1]

I remembered I have a 75 micron brew bag so I ran it thru that. Got.most of the organic out, but also removed.some.of the yeast. So it is now slowly building back up. I 'll let it run it's course and see what I get.

 

[Blacksmith1]

So, no ice water bath since running it thru my bag. Temp in fermenter is 71F as of this morning and that smell is greatly reduced. What ever it was it is dissipating. Fermenting has slowed a lot. Still active but not the constant stream of bubbles it was.

 

[Redpappy]

I’m really new to wine, so sorry for the silly questions. I just want to make sure I got the directions right. 2 months after I pitch I rack. 3 months later I rack, and then in 3 months,, if no activity then make your add, then bottle. So that is 8 months in total to bottle correct? How long do you age your wine?

 

[Blacksmith1]

That will depend on the wine. Some can be served as a table wine as early as 3-4 months. Some like the banana I'm planing are said to take 2 years to mature, drinkable in 1.
As for this one, I think I forgot to ask....

 

[Westwind7]

As far as my batch is concerned, it totally depends on how the ferment goes. Sometimes, the action in the airlock will slow to very little action in a couple of weeks. You’ll know when to rack it by watching the gas bubbles escaping. I said two months then rack, but it could be much sooner depending on temperature etc. (Remember, a hydrometer is your best bet in determining when your wine has fermented out fully.) The times I quoted are simply relative. I actually added some time to them to make sure your wine clears out completely. Keep in mind that fruit wines which have heavier amounts of pulp can take time to settle out completely.

 

[Blacksmith1]

I usually wait till the action stops, rack, waIt till it clears, then rack any time I get 1/4 inch or more lees. Once it sits with no change for a week or 2 (sometimes longer) I rack it again and wait to bottle.

 

[Redpappy]

As far as my batch is concerned, it totally depends on how the ferment goes. Sometimes, the action in the airlock will slow to very little action in a couple of weeks. You’ll know when to rack it by watching the gas bubbles escaping. I said two months then rack, but it could be much sooner depending on temperature etc. (Remember, a hydrometer is your best bet in determining when your wine has fermented out fully.) The times I quoted are simply relative. I actually added some time to them to make sure your wine clears out completely. Keep in mind that fruit wines which have heavier amounts of pulp can take time to settle out completely.

how long would you suggest from the time you bottle to the time you can drink it? So far I have only done 1 wine ( strawberry) back in Febuarary.

 

[Westwind7]

how long would you suggest from the time you bottle to the time you can drink it? So far I have only done 1 wine ( strawberry) back in Febuarary.

When making fruit wine, most of mine are drinkable right away but I like to wait a month or more before sampling. All wines get better over time as long as they’re cool and dark.

 

[Westwind7]

Well I decided to uncork a bottle of my watermelon wine just to see how it’s doing.... It’s definitely wine. A little more tart than I expected but palatable just the same.

 

[Seamonkey84]

Thanks for the motivation, I was thinking watermelon then I found a great deal on strawberries and did a batch of that first. But now I just got my first batch prepared. I cut the top off a gallon sized melon, scooped and mashed right in the melon itself. I then poured the contents into a container while straining out most of the pulp to squeeze. I ended up with just under a gallon of juice with some pulp. I added 6 drops of liquid peptic enzyme, a Camden tablet, topped off with some frozen raspberries, and stuck it in the fridge. My plan is to only use the cleared juice after the enzyme has a chance to work for a day or two, then I’m pitching some yeast from a starter/culture I have been maintaining.

 

[Westwind7]

Thanks for the motivation, I was thinking watermelon then I found a great deal on strawberries and did a batch of that first. But now I just got my first batch prepared. I cut the top off a gallon sized melon, scooped and mashed right in the melon itself. I then poured the contents into a container while straining out most of the pulp to squeeze. I ended up with just under a gallon of juice with some pulp. I added 6 drops of liquid peptic enzyme, a Camden tablet, topped off with some frozen raspberries, and stuck it in the fridge. My plan is to only use the cleared juice after the enzyme has a chance to work for a day or two, then I’m pitching some yeast from a starter/culture I have been maintaining.

Sounds great! Keep us updated on how it goes.

 

[dennisedward]

So I have to wait for 8 months for this water melon wine..................

 

[Seamonkey84]

So I have to wait for 8 months for this water melon wine..................

Well depending on your process and yeast, aging can take at least that long. But by the way he words it, his time frame is more for racking and clearing. If you use clarifying agents or cold crash, you’ll prob be cleared for bottling sooner than 8 months.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Ok, I did the first three month racking. Tasted it... Pretty bad. The wife said, and I quote, "This is disgusting!". Smells bad as well. Is this normal at this point?