Grape Juice and Mango Juice

[Motorhomebrew]

Cool, no boil I assume?

and you didn't top up to top of dj did you? it might foam over into airlock

I did do a ten minute boil. Just incase their was anything hanging around that shouldn't be their. You never know. And no I topped up to the shoulders. Bubbling away nicely. Iv not brewed anything like this before. I assume it will clear and lighten in colour after fermentation?

 

[cheapbrew]

unless it states preservatives on the packaging then no need to boil juices,

and stand your dj's on some towel or similar just in case, the 2nd and 3rd days are usually the most vigorous.

In future only top your dj's to shoulder and when the first few days of busy ferment has passed then top up to the neck

 

[Motorhomebrew]

Right so my wines been in for a week and fermentation has pretty much finished. The air lock moves once every 15 seconds or so and that's with the demijohn topped up to the neck with water. So my question is, will the yeast at the top of the DJs fall out to the bottom and how long should it take to clear?? Will I need to add a camdon tablet?

 

[cheapbrew]

If it's a bubble every 15 secs then its still going, leave it until its down to less than 1 a minute, or until it stops, then take an SG reading. most wines will go to .990. The sediment should be dropping out by then.

You can stop it anything below 1.000 to suit your taste, or if you want more alcohol let it finish and back sweeten.

Once you are happy it has finished rack off sediment into a clean dj onto a crushed campden tab and a tsp of potassium sorbate to stop any further fermentation, then degass and add finings if needed, leave a few days then bottle. You can back sweeten before bottling if needed.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

A word of warning for anyone reading this thread, leave topping up until you have racked to the second DJ as degassing a full DJ is hard work, my method is rack onto a crushed campden tablet, degas, add stabiliser then KwiK Clear finings.

 

[Motorhomebrew]

I'm not going to degas it. I'm going to leave whatever carbonation their is. Abit of a sparkling wine I hope??? Is 1 campden tablet per DJ? And then 1 sachet of finnings per DJ? Also do wilkos sell finnings, campden tablets ? Do I really need the potassium sorbate?

 

[Notlaw]

... do wilkos sell finnings, campden tablets.......

Yes on both counts. I know Wilko at Deepdale had both on Wednesday.

 

[cheapbrew]

Rob,

if you want sparkling wine do not add campden tabs and pot sorbate, it will kill the yeast and stop carbonation, wait til the bubbling stops and its clearing, you can add finings if it isn't clearing on its own, then rack to a clean dj, and prime just like beer and bottle, leave in warm for a week or so to carb up then store somewhere colder

With still wine you either leave it until it stops fermenting and clears on its own, which can take time, or you stop it with campden tab and pot sorb, you need to use them together, used on their own you may be lucky if the yeast is on its last legs but usually it just slows fermentation if used on their own.

 

[Dutto]

Just back from a quick holiday. (Bus tour down to Exmouth. Enjoyable!)

Eight days in and the air-locks are still off-set which usually means that they are still fermenting at least a little bit.

I'm in no hurry to bottle anything but tomorrow I will take the time and trouble to rack them into new DJ's, take a composite SG (across the three DJ's) and stick in a few finings to help them start to clear!

I always drink the SG sample to get a taste so "Watch this space." as they say. :thumb:

Oh, BTW, I did put in about a quarter teaspoon of nutrient into the DJ's just before pitching the yeast.

 

[cheapbrew]

I would expect it to go around two weeks to finish but if conditions are good it could be quicker and if like me temps are colder in the house maybe more like three or four.

Exemouth is lovely spent a nice day there last year.

 

[Dutto]

I would expect it to go around two weeks to finish but if conditions are good it could be quicker and if like me temps are colder in the house maybe more like three or four.

Exemouth is lovely spent a nice day there last year.

The brew has been at a steady 20 degrees (controlled by the new Inkbird) since day one so hopefully it should be nearly there. :whistle:

If the SG is high then I will just sit back and wait another week at least.:thumb:

 

[Motorhomebrew]

I have a heated belt wrapped round mine and reg temp checks bring it at 21c so good temp.

 

[Dutto]

Boy did I get than one wrong!! :nono: :nono:

I worked in the garage today on the Mk.3 Wort Cooler and every so often I heard the "Gloop!" of an air-lock going! Needless to say it was the Grape & Mango still fermenting! Doh!

 

[Motorhomebrew]

Well my air locks have completely stopped now. Theirs some of the yeast at the bottom of my demijohns but most of it is still at the tops of the DJs. If I take a gravity reading and its ready should rack into a FV and add a campdan tablet?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If you are happy with the reading go for it.

 

[Motorhomebrew]

What sould I do about the cake at the top of the DJ?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Be careful when you rack and most will not get through.

 

[Motorhomebrew]

Well iv just racked off into new DJs with limited sediment making it through. So thumbs up. Iv not added the campdan tablets as I want the finished wine to be sparkling. FG 0.995
Making it around 9%abv. Just added finings A will add B in the next hour.
Unfortunately however I wasn't impressed with flavour. I couldn't pick up any mango and it all just tasted a little bland.

 

[Dutto]

Well iv just racked off into new DJs with limited sediment making it through. So thumbs up. Iv not added the campdan tablets as I want the finished wine to be sparkling. FG 0.995
Making it around 9%abv. Just added finings A will add B in the next hour.
Unfortunately however I wasn't impressed with flavour. I couldn't pick up any mango and it all just tasted a little bland.

Hmmm!!

Doesn't bode well for mine then as it has only half the mango juice!

Mine are still giving out the odd "gloop" but hard to determine how often 'cos the Apple Juice is in the same warm cupboard and going like a train. :thumb:

If mine lacks the mango taste then maybe try an all mango juice next time.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I know I keep repeating myself but everyone should try a red grape juice and apple juice, it really is a good one.