Mango wine - please help!

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Hi guys. I have currently got a batch of mango wine on. It is my first time making fruit wine. Trust me to pick something difficult for my first go!

Anyway, the question I have is, it seems to be separating, as in the middle of the demijohn is normal, but all the heavy pulpy stuff is sinking to the bottom (it is NOT dead yeast). I filtered it through a flour sieve before I placed in the demijohn (because I haven't got any cheesecloths).

It is a 5 litre batch, but I put quite a lot of fruit in it (3kg) because I wanted it to be flavoursome. It was frozen fruit and I let it sit for 48 hours layered in with the sugar to help extract the juice.

I also put in a 1.5L bottle of Don Simon Mango and passionfruit juice. Is it this that's separating do you think? I put 1.9kg of dextrose in it. Start gravity 1.100.

Any other thoughts or advice please as to why it's separating? Is this normal?

I also have a cherry batch on and it is absolutely perfect.

 

[Fireside Ales Homebrewery]

Hi guys. I have currently got a batch of mango wine on. It is my first time making fruit wine. Trust me to pick something difficult for my first go!

Anyway, the question I have is, it seems to be separating, as in the middle of the demijohn is normal, but all the heavy pulpy stuff is sinking to the bottom (it is NOT dead yeast). I filtered it through a flour sieve before I placed in the demijohn (because I haven't got any cheesecloths).

It is a 5 litre batch, but I put quite a lot of fruit in it (3kg) because I wanted it to be flavoursome. It was frozen fruit and I let it sit for 48 hours layered in with the sugar to help extract the juice.

I also put in a 1.5L bottle of Don Simon Mango and passionfruit juice. Is it this that's separating do you think? I put 1.9kg of dextrose in it. Start gravity 1.100.

Any other thoughts or advice please as to why it's separating? Is this normal?

I also have a cherry batch on and it is absolutely perfect.

Hi,
I wouldn’t worry about the separation. This will just be fruit etc falling out of suspension. This is quite normal. I have done a lovely blackberry wine this year from fruit picked locally. Maybe give that a go next year. Take advantage of the wealth of foraged fruits.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Hi,
I wouldn’t worry about the separation. This will just be fruit etc falling out of suspension. This is quite normal. I have done a lovely blackberry wine this year from fruit picked locally. Maybe give that a go next year. Take advantage of the wealth of foraged fruits.

thank you

 

[Jakeyboi]

I got so so drunk on homemade Mango wine when I was 16, be very cautious when drinking!

 

[Fireside Ales Homebrewery]

I got so so drunk on homemade Mango wine when I was 16, be very cautious when drinking!

I think I got drunk on everything when I was 16. I am glad I have a little restraint now. I too have heard that mango wine can be pretty potent stuff though.

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi guys. I have currently got a batch of mango wine on. It is my first time making fruit wine. Trust me to pick something difficult for my first go!

Anyway, the question I have is, it seems to be separating, as in the middle of the demijohn is normal, but all the heavy pulpy stuff is sinking to the bottom (it is NOT dead yeast). I filtered it through a flour sieve before I placed in the demijohn (because I haven't got any cheesecloths).

It is a 5 litre batch, but I put quite a lot of fruit in it (3kg) because I wanted it to be flavoursome. It was frozen fruit and I let it sit for 48 hours layered in with the sugar to help extract the juice.

I also put in a 1.5L bottle of Don Simon Mango and passionfruit juice. Is it this that's separating do you think? I put 1.9kg of dextrose in it. Start gravity 1.100.

Any other thoughts or advice please as to why it's separating? Is this normal?

I also have a cherry batch on and it is absolutely perfect.

I certainly wouldn't worry about the separation but have you accounted for all the sugar including the 3kg of fruit because that's a lot for a 5l batch considering you had 3kg of fruit,1.9kg of dextrose and the 1.5l of juice...

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I got so so drunk on homemade Mango wine when I was 16, be very cautious when drinking!

lol don't worry I'm controlling the ABV!

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I certainly wouldn't worry about the separation but have you accounted for all the sugar including the 3kg of fruit because that's a lot for a 5l batch considering you had 3kg of fruit,1.9kg of dextrose and the 1.5l of juice...

Yes I have - in my post I stated the OG. And I'm stopping early because I want it sweet! Also I want it to taste of actual mango and not be wishy-washy.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

guys - when I next check the gravity, should I stir in the fallen mango beforehand or just use the middle bit which has the true colour?

 

[Gerryjo]

guys - when I next check the gravity, should I stir in the fallen mango beforehand or just use the middle bit which has the true colour?

Just sample from the clearest bit

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Just sample from the clearest bit

Thank you Gerry. A turkey baster would be handy!

 

[Gerryjo]

Thank you Gerry. A turkey baster would be handy!

They are but improvise using a piece of hose to Syphon into the trial jar.

 

[Tony Palmer]

Your starting gravity is high, and I also think the nutrient level is in need of an increase. So I would add nutrient and do a transfer to aerate it a bit more. You don' mention the pitching rate but for that gravity I would have doubled up the yeast throw. In addition I would have put Pectolase in with the initial extraction. Hope that helps

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Your starting gravity is high, and I also think the nutrient level is in need of an increase. So I would add nutrient and do a transfer to aerate it a bit more. You don' mention the pitching rate but for that gravity I would have doubled up the yeast throw. In addition I would have put Pectolase in with the initial extraction. Hope that helps

It's had 2 large teaspoons of pectolase, 24 hours before the yeast went in. I used roughly a rounded teaspoon and a half of young's super wine yeast compound. SG yesterday was 1.078. that was after 3 days with the yeast in. what do you think?

also my cherry batch went on at the same time, was the same starting gravity and the SG yesterday was 1.030

 

[Tony Palmer]

Problem is called sucrose inhibition. Your best solution now is to dilute back down to about 1060 with clean aerated water. If after 24 Hours still no good fermentation re yeast. Good luck.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Problem is called sucrose inhibition. Your best solution now is to dilute back down to about 1060 with clean aerated water. If after 24 Hours still no good fermentation re yeast. Good luck.

Thank you. Perhaps I ought to mention that I added some water as well at the beginning. So after the fruit was taken out I had about 7L of liquid. I am unclear as to why sucrose inhibition would occur with a starting gravity of 1.100. I followed the instructions on all of the chemicals packaging.

I was expecting it to take a month to ferment, so if it's a quarter of the way done after 3 days, that's a positive sign to me. I realise it goes quicker at the beginning though. I will wait until the yeast stop working before I do anything to it.

I am only a beginner to fruit wine, not wine-making in general. I am going through the experimental stage

 

[Tony Palmer]

Well since you asked. I would have used a yeast that is much more suited to the gravity / alcohol inferred at that starting gravity. I particularly like Lalvin EC 1118 which can take higher alcohol and I also use it in Champagne making. An alternative could be the Gervin high alcohol yeast. Not good practise to switch yeasts mid stream but needs must sometime. I have a lot of experience on High Gravity but it can be a bit complex. Cheers.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Well since you asked. I would have used a yeast that is much more suited to the gravity / alcohol inferred at that starting gravity. I particularly like Lalvin EC 1118 which can take higher alcohol and I also use it in Champagne making. An alternative could be the Gervin high alcohol yeast. Not good practise to switch yeasts mid stream but needs must sometime. I have a lot of experience on High Gravity but it can be a bit complex. Cheers.

Thanks. I am stopping it at 1.020.

 

[jceg316]

I'm quite interested in this as well. A while ago I made a TC with apple & mango juice and all the mango puree settled at the bottom. When I came to bottling it I disturbed the demijohn too much and a lot of the puree got mixed in and ended up in some of the bottles. The bottles with the puree tastes way better and had more of a mango kick to them, but ad thick sludge in each glass . Is there a way to emulsify it? IIRC there was quite a lot of puree.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I'm quite interested in this as well. A while ago I made a TC with apple & mango juice and all the mango puree settled at the bottom. When I came to bottling it I disturbed the demijohn too much and a lot of the puree got mixed in and ended up in some of the bottles. The bottles with the puree tastes way better and had more of a mango kick to them, but ad thick sludge in each glass . Is there a way to emulsify it? IIRC there was quite a lot of puree.

Exactly!! I think when fermentation is done the best plan for me is to put it all through a fine cheesecloth and have to suffer the lack of flavour. Too late for this batch now. Mango wine is a pain! I have put a photo of how it looks now on the next page.

I think next time I will do the same method with the frozen fruit layered in the dextrose, but I will use a sparging bag, and then also filter it through a fine cheesecloth before adding the yeast.

This was supposed to be a present for one of my daughter-in-law's. Hopefully I can save it but if not I will start again after Christmas.