Bit of advice required - wine going to be too strong

[PenhowBrewer]

I have just kicked off an elderflower wine - see here https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/elderflower-wine-kicked-off.82171/

I have two full demijohns bubbling away with a brew that had an SG 1.136 or thereabouts, with (coincidently) a champagne yeast with a claimed tolerance of 18%, which means I’m likely to get something around 18% if this ferments right out, as it is likely to do. I still don’t quite understand how I got here as I followed a CJJ Berry recipe. Perhaps the raisins I bought were particularly high in sugars...?

If it doesn’t ferment right out it’s gonna be sweet and I really don’t want a sweet wine, and I don’t want an 18% one either!

Having thought about what I can do for a few days, I have come up with a few options...
1. Dilute it now that it’s just come out of the FV I to the DJ, to create 3 galls - but this feels a bit hit & miss and I may lose some taste/depth etc
2. Kick off another 1 gall brew straight away, aimed at - say - 8%, get it really dry and when everything is complete, blend the two wines
3. Wait and see how it turns out and blend it with a cheapie supermakrket wine

Anyone got any ideas what my best approach is?

Thx in advance

 

[The Baron]

Check the hydrometer in water it may be a wrong reading

 

[PenhowBrewer]

Great shout, Baron. I should have thought of that - always check your kit!
Unfortunately thought, the hydrometer is bang on 1.000 in water

 

[Clint]

Drink less...

 

[The Baron]

post recipe something must be amiss

 

[PenhowBrewer]

Hi Baron

Page 159, ninth edition of CJJ Berry’s First Steps in Winemaking..

I doubled up and used
320g freshly picked & destalked elderflowers
3kg sugar
500g chopped raisins juice of 6 lemons
2 tsp nutrient
2 tsp tannin
Water to 9.5 litres

I can’t see that I have miscalculated any doubling (which would be far from rare )
Any I bought a kilo bag of raisins, and there’s 1/2 left.
Also used one whole 2k bag of sugar, and part of another, which seems to check out.

When I took the original SG, I was very surprised, so I waited 30min and did it again to check I hadn’t misread it. Gave the hydrometer a good spin as well to make sure there were no bubbles etc. stuck to it.

PB

 

[The Baron]

Its going to depend on it fermenting right out or as you said it will possibly end up sweet. I think the best option is as you said to blend it with weaker wine. Set a couple of weaker wines going around 8% as you suggested then 50/50 blend should get you around 13% then. Good luck. If you use cheap 7 or 8% wine it may have little body at least making your own you do have some control over it

 

[PenhowBrewer]

Thx for your thoughts & help, Baron
Looks like I’ll be picking a few more elderflowers tomorrow!

PB

 

[The Baron]

Good luck it'll be alright its just the extra time as probably your lower alcohol wine will probably be finished before the strong one is

 

[Drunkula]

Yep, just threw those figures into the sugar wash calculator and you're talking near 20% and that's without the raisin contribution.

https://homedistiller.org/calcs/sugar_sg

I'd go for option 2

 

[simon12]

Personally I would see how it ends up before deciding what would be best to blend it with.

 

[Tony Palmer]

Best compromise is to start off another fermenter at say < 1060 gravity and once well established fermentation add an equal amout of your heavy wine so it has a better chance to ferment out and remain de-aerated. At about 20% abv in the original it will get stuck

 

[itry]

I have just kicked off an elderflower wine - see here https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/elderflower-wine-kicked-off.82171/

Which cj berry book are we talking about?

I have two full demijohns bubbling away with a brew that had an SG 1.136 or thereabouts, with (coincidently) a champagne yeast with a claimed tolerance of 18%, which means I’m likely to get something around 18% if this ferments right out, as it is likely to do. I still don’t quite understand how I got here as I followed a CJJ Berry recipe. Perhaps the raisins I bought were particularly high in sugars...?

If it doesn’t ferment right out it’s gonna be sweet and I really don’t want a sweet wine, and I don’t want an 18% one either!

Having thought about what I can do for a few days, I have come up with a few options...
1. Dilute it now that it’s just come out of the FV I to the DJ, to create 3 galls - but this feels a bit hit & miss and I may lose some taste/depth etc
2. Kick off another 1 gall brew straight away, aimed at - say - 8%, get it really dry and when everything is complete, blend the two wines
3. Wait and see how it turns out and blend it with a cheapie supermakrket wine

Anyone got any ideas what my best approach is?

Thx in advance

 

[PenhowBrewer]

Hi Itry
It’s page 159, ninth edition of CJJ Berry’s First Steps in Winemaking..

Cheers

PB

 

[PenhowBrewer]

Thanks for the help everyone
I have got another gallon of elderflower on the go, the starting gravity was 1.056.

I’m gonna wait & see how the strong ones go with the 18% yeast, and either blend post ferment if nothing gets stuck, or or mix while ferment is under way if it sticks still sweet.

Cheers all
PB

 

[Tony Palmer]

I believe your heavy wine must will get stuck, and dilution blending is your only hope. The raisins could add around 300g of sugar so at 3300 g in 9.5 litres all in at the starting SG it will not work

Neertheless good luck

 

[johncrobinson]

Its odds on it will stick.
perhaps its a metric/imperial problem in the book.

 

[Keats]

@PenhowBrewer how did this turn out?

 

[Wynott]

@PenhowBrewer I had a similar result with CJJB's recipe, the Elderflower wouldn't ferment out. I thought maybe it had stuck, but it didn't respond to Restart, so I've left it until I have something to blend it with. Or someone with a very sweet palate!

 

[johncrobinson]

I have CJJ.Berry 130 recipes book. All the Quantities of sugar seem about right up to about 3lb max for sweet wine.
That champers yeast is pretty tough stuff so it might ????? ferment out.