Just made my first wine about 6 months ago. It was made out of mayhaw's which is a native fruit in the area I live in in Texas. It came out clear but it was a really dry wine. I was wondering if there is any way I can sweeten the next batch up. I'm making only 5 gallons this time. Any suggestions on how I can turn this dry wine sweet.
Mayhaw wine
- Thread starter Jeremy_84
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DoctorCAD
Well-Known Member
Wine conditioner. That's exactly what it is for.
sandcrazy97
Member
You could always taste it while it's fermenting and add some so2 to it at the desired sweetness to stop the fermentation.
Sulfites don't stop fermentation- that's why winemakers use them all the time as an antioxidant and preservative for wine. Wine yeast are very tolerant of sulfites (campden, potassium meta-bisulfite, k-meta, etc).
If you want to sweeten a wine, it's really easy. Wait until fermentation is completely done and the wine is clear and no longer dropping lees. Rack onto a solution of 1 campden tablet (crushed) and 1/2 teaspoon of sorbate per gallon (all stirred up and dissolved well). Wait three days, then sweeten the wine to taste.
What I like to do is pull out a sample of the wine and add a simple sugar syrup (or honey or juice or whatever I'm using) to several small samples and taste. If I love it at 1.010, for example, then I'll sweeten the whole batch to that SG. One tip- sweeten to just a bit under where you like it, as it tends to get sweeter tasting in the bottle. So if you like it at 1.010, sweetening it to 1.008 is a good idea.
Then, let it sit two or three days to ensure that fermentation hasn't restarted after all, and then bottle.
If you want to sweeten a wine, it's really easy. Wait until fermentation is completely done and the wine is clear and no longer dropping lees. Rack onto a solution of 1 campden tablet (crushed) and 1/2 teaspoon of sorbate per gallon (all stirred up and dissolved well). Wait three days, then sweeten the wine to taste.
What I like to do is pull out a sample of the wine and add a simple sugar syrup (or honey or juice or whatever I'm using) to several small samples and taste. If I love it at 1.010, for example, then I'll sweeten the whole batch to that SG. One tip- sweeten to just a bit under where you like it, as it tends to get sweeter tasting in the bottle. So if you like it at 1.010, sweetening it to 1.008 is a good idea.
Then, let it sit two or three days to ensure that fermentation hasn't restarted after all, and then bottle.
Sounds like a good idea I'm still learning trying to keep the sulfites out o it though. But whatever works works right lol. I just want to nail this recipe mayhaws only grow 6 weeks out of the year so I have limited supply
Clann
Well-Known Member
You could make a flavor pack or F-pack and get sweetness and flavorhttp://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7547
