beginner- need help

[EricaM]

This is my second time making wine, and I used a kit. When we opened the juice bag, some of it spilled. Now the gravity measurement is slightly under. It's 1.046 and the range is supposed to be 1.048-1.060.

I added yeast and then thought maybe a little bit of table sugar would be good to bring the gravity to where it's supposed to be. Is this something I should do? If I don't add sugar, will it still work out and just have lower alcohol? This is a mango cooler that I'm making for relatives that like sweet drinks, so it's not a big deal if alcohol content is off by a couple of %.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Do you know what yeast is being used? Table sugar will make up for the Sg reading but not the flavor if you just top it up with water. I am assuming you used the amount prescribed by the instructions. this will already have you diluted.
Yeast tends to use all available sugars so unless you intend to backsweeten or it is a yeast with a low tolerance to alcohol it won't be sweet.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

how much did you spill? How big of a batch? If you only spilled 1/4 or 1/2 cup out of a 3 or 5 gal batch, leave it alone. If you spilled more, then you may want to make it up.

If you need to make some up, I would use some mango nectar. Unless you lost a lot, this should take care of it.

 

[EricaM]

Do you know what yeast is being used? Table sugar will make up for the Sg reading but not the flavor if you just top it up with water. I am assuming you used the amount prescribed by the instructions. this will already have you diluted.
Yeast tends to use all available sugars so unless you intend to backsweeten or it is a yeast with a low tolerance to alcohol it won't be sweet.

Thanks for the reply. Yeast is lalvin ec 1118. This kit has a separate sweetener liquid that is supposed to be added later.

 

[EricaM]

how much did you spill? How big of a batch? If you only spilled 1/4 or 1/2 cup out of a 3 or 5 gal batch, leave it alone. If you spilled more, then you may want to make it up.

If you need to make some up, I would use some mango nectar. Unless you lost a lot, this should take care of it.

It was probably about 1/4 cup, from the juice bag meant for a 5 gallon batch. Thank you for putting my mind at ease about leaving it alone. Mango nectar is an interesting idea, though. It's also on sale at the grocery store this week. I'll think about it.

 

[Coffee49]

Kits are usually reliable and easy 1118 is the standard yeast. You could hit it with a hydrometer prior to adding sweetener bag, the instructions usually give a reading prior to adding sorbate and sullfite if your there then continue following instructions, should be ok

 

[Mallerstang]

... You could hit it with a hydrometer prior to adding sweetener bag...

Maybe don't hit it with the hydrometer - those things break really easily

 

[bernardsmith]

I agree that the spillage is not likely to create a significant problem but if the range is supposed to be between 1.048- 1.060 and your batch is siting at 1.046 then it looks like you have added a little more water than you might have. This is a relatively low alcohol wine (about 6.5 - 8% ABV

 

[EricaM]

Maybe don't hit it with the hydrometer - those things break really easily

Heavy for it's size, though. I forgot about the hydrometer, drank some of the wine left in the sample tube, and got hit in the teeth with the hydrometer. I won't do that again.

 

[EricaM]

I agree that the spillage is not likely to create a significant problem but if the range is supposed to be between 1.048- 1.060 and your batch is siting at 1.046 then it looks like you have added a little more water than you might have. This is a relatively low alcohol wine (about 6.5 - 8% ABV

Yes, I might have also added a little too much water as well. I'm going to let it go. It's fermenting well already, and the people I'm making it for don't care about the ABV. From online calculators, it looks like I'll only lose about 1% anyway.

 

[bernardsmith]

IMO, EricaM, it's always best to taste and you can taste any wine you make from the moment you begin to assemble ingredients. What you are always looking for is a richness of flavor that you want and the "brightness" of flavor - the "zing" that comes from the right amount of acidity that balances the dryness/sweetness of the wine.The latter you can only really determine just before bottling but the former you can monitor and tweak even from day one.

 

[EricaM]

IMO, EricaM, it's always best to taste and you can taste any wine you make from the moment you begin to assemble ingredients. What you are always looking for is a richness of flavor that you want and the "brightness" of flavor - the "zing" that comes from the right amount of acidity that balances the dryness/sweetness of the wine.The latter you can only really determine just before bottling but the former you can monitor and tweak even from day one.

Thanks. I thought I'd mostly stick to the kit for the first couple of times to make sure I've got the process right. I may try tasting the mango tonight, to see what it's like. It smells good. The red kit I started 3 1/2 weeks ago already tastes pretty good. There's something missing, but I'm guessing it will get better after it sits for a while.

I'll be experimenting a bit more soon. I've got about 20lbs of wild blueberries in the freezer and plan to make some wine from them next. I also got some welch's juice that I'm thinking of putting in with the blueberries. The guy at the wine store said I wouldn't need to add sugar, but all the online recipes say to add sugar to blueberries. I'm thinking I should check with hyrdometer and then decide whether it needs extra sugar to get to a good starting gravity. That will be more of a taste and tweak project.

 

[Mallerstang]

Heavy for it's size, though. I forgot about the hydrometer, drank some of the wine left in the sample tube, and got hit in the teeth with the hydrometer. I won't do that again.

Ouch - that's exactly the kind of thing I would do! Today I couldn't find my stapler at the office and seriously thought I might have to have to look in the fridge for it, until a helpful coworker located it behind something else on the desk... Is it nearly weekend yet?