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+--- Thread: First Fruit Wine--Cherries from backyard (/thread-23302.html)
First Fruit Wine--Cherries from backyard - dinhhanh - 11-10-2015
I've been making wine with kits for a few years. In fact, I have 3 carboys of wine that I expect to bottle for my son's wedding in August. So, I know a little. However, I have not used whole fruit and have only made grape wine.
Yesterday, my husband picked enough cherries for me to have 18 lbs after cleaning and pitting. The recipe is for 5 gallons and called for 3 lbs of brown sugar and 9 lbs of cane sugar. I had everything in the fermentation bucket, except the yeast, and I decided to take a peek. There were floating worms, maggots, larvae,if whatever you want to call them. I did a little research and reassured myself that wineries deal with this and worse, and that many home wine makers experience it too. The ugh factor is upsetting me right now. [url=http://downloadgamesfree.mobi/ringtones]Free ringtones downloads[/url]
Today, after sterilizing the thief, test jar, and spoon, I stirred a little--don't worry, the friends are still floating--so that I could get a hydrometer reading. It was 1.150 at a temperature of 74F. According to my hydrometer, this is a 20%+ potential alcohol and 35 Brix. We added water to fill to 5 1/2 gallons when we were making the must, even though the recipe said to add to 5 gallons. The cherries were slightly crushed but not compacted and filled the bucket to the 3-gallon mark on our bucket. Since the specific gravity, brix and potential alcohol, is all based on sugar content, how can I possibly have a correct reading? I'm thinking that the sugar in the cherries is cannot be calculated and that the displacement of the cherries (later the pulp) will all create variables.
The last thing is the yeast. Because I immediately freaked out about the sugar content being so high, I checked the yeast. It is Lalvin QA23. My son bought me supplies locally based on the Midwest Kit. Everything was comparable, but I didn't look at the yeast. In fact, I saw yeast packet and immediately put it in the fridge without checking it. I looked up Lalvin QA23 and from what I was reading, it really doesn't like much sugar.
I guess I am looking for reassurance and possibly advice. Reassurance that the guests floating around in my must will settle out and not be a problem and that Lalvin QA23 will not be a problem. The advice I'm looking for is about the sugar content and whether to rely on the SG.
Thanks.
RE: First Fruit Wine--Cherries from backyard - winoweenie - 11-10-2015
Welcome to the board Dinhhanh. We hav several members who have made wine from fruit. Hopefully one of them will chime in. I just wanted to say Hi! WW
RE: First Fruit Wine--Cherries from backyard - Eiden - 11-29-2015
Hello! Did u tried looking through this forum? I think i saw someone with similiar problem before
