torilen
Well-Known Member
Well, I made a white grape cherry wine (using Welch's bottled juice, and backsweetening with Welch's White Grape concentrate). I bottled it tonight. I got two full wine bottles, plus a good amount of extra - not sure how much extra, because I used whatever was handy to put it in the fridge.
I bottled the two wine bottles...one for my mom for Mother's Day, and one for my sister in June.
The wine tastes a little on the cheap side...maybe it will get better as it sits in the bottle for another month or two? Hopefully? BUT...and here is the greatest thing...it does not have that yeasty flavor that my wines and ciders have had in the past. I have made mistakes, asked questions, read, and learned.
I took the wine off the yeast when it was just about done fermenting...I didn't want it to finish completely, it was starting to lose the fruitiness. Honestly, I should've stopped it a couple of days sooner...another lesson learned. I then let it sit in the fermenter for another week to age and condition a bit.
It still had some of that yeasty flavor, though...and I was afraid it was going to take a long time for that to go away. I had just read, however, that potassium sorbate, sulfites, and other stabilizers help get rid of that yeasty smell/flavor. I had some...but haven't used it yet. (I pasteurize my alcohol to stop fermentation so I can bottle).
I tossed some k-sorbate in, and voila la...two days later it is fairly drinkable. Add in the concentrate for backsweetening today, and it is
a not-too-bad-wine. I really should've stopped it a couple of days sooner, though, and left more of that fruitiness in it.
Two great things from this batch of wine, though - Lessons learned.
1 - it really does take patience and a bit more science and materials than I have been using in the past. No problems there...I have a third gallon sized fermenter now, so I can allow things to sit and age a bit.
2 - I have two gift bottles of wine to give to family. It ain't great wine...but I will say it is as good if not a bit better than the cheap stuff we all buy at Walmart. And the best part is...I made it myself.
I bottled the two wine bottles...one for my mom for Mother's Day, and one for my sister in June.
The wine tastes a little on the cheap side...maybe it will get better as it sits in the bottle for another month or two? Hopefully? BUT...and here is the greatest thing...it does not have that yeasty flavor that my wines and ciders have had in the past. I have made mistakes, asked questions, read, and learned.
I took the wine off the yeast when it was just about done fermenting...I didn't want it to finish completely, it was starting to lose the fruitiness. Honestly, I should've stopped it a couple of days sooner...another lesson learned. I then let it sit in the fermenter for another week to age and condition a bit.
It still had some of that yeasty flavor, though...and I was afraid it was going to take a long time for that to go away. I had just read, however, that potassium sorbate, sulfites, and other stabilizers help get rid of that yeasty smell/flavor. I had some...but haven't used it yet. (I pasteurize my alcohol to stop fermentation so I can bottle).
I tossed some k-sorbate in, and voila la...two days later it is fairly drinkable. Add in the concentrate for backsweetening today, and it is
a not-too-bad-wine. I really should've stopped it a couple of days sooner, though, and left more of that fruitiness in it.
Two great things from this batch of wine, though - Lessons learned.
1 - it really does take patience and a bit more science and materials than I have been using in the past. No problems there...I have a third gallon sized fermenter now, so I can allow things to sit and age a bit.
2 - I have two gift bottles of wine to give to family. It ain't great wine...but I will say it is as good if not a bit better than the cheap stuff we all buy at Walmart. And the best part is...I made it myself.
