medium sweet wine please

[emmaann17]

morning jolly brewers out there I just racked off a gallon of plum wine after it stopped fermenting, the hydrometer reading is 990. I wood like a medium sweet wine in the end do I sweeten now or l8r please??? thanx E :thumb: :

 

[Moley]

If you've stabilised your wine with potassium sorbate you can sweeten now. To get back to medium-sweet you'll need about 6 oz (170g) of sugar, boil it in a small amount of water and allow it to cool.

 

[emmaann17]

Thanx 4 reply will hav to get sum sorbate to stabalise, then will sweeten the wine. :

 

[emmaann17]

Hi Molly,
Thanks for reply, im all new to this cheers emma,
Just a few quick questions ....

I want a approx 15% medium sweet plum wine ... to confirm after fermentation as finished, re rack into another DJ add a camden tablets and potassium sorbate (how much?) then add around 4oz (110g) of sugar to bring it back to medium-sweet.
Do I then re add a airlock?
What do i do next ... leave to clear or re-rack every 30-45 days etc. Do i need to add any further camden tablets etc when bottling?

Really need your help. : : :thumb:

Thanks again emma

 

[Moley]

Hi Molly

:shock: (checks trousers, finds everything where it should be :thumb: ).

to confirm after fermentation as finished, re rack into another DJ add a camden tablets and potassium sorbate (how much?) then add around 4oz (110g) of sugar to bring it back to medium-sweet.
Do I then re add a airlock?
What do i do next ... leave to clear or re-rack every 30-45 days etc. Do i need to add any further camden tablets etc when bottling?

Correct :thumb:
If you want to back-sweeten you need to stabilise first, otherwise there will still be enough yeasties to get their party started again.

1 crushed campden tablet to the gallon followed by half a teaspoonful of sorbate. Re-fit airlock,, or you can buy ‘safety bungs’ (but I don't possess one). Don't use solid bungs, just in case.

If you're leaving it to clear naturally, rack again after a month or so, using another crushed CT. I probably wouldn't rack again but would bottle after another 2-3 months.

 

[emmaann17]

moley, can you get potassium sorbate from wilkinsons?
does your plum wines come out nice then moley?

is it really important to add potassium sorbate?
I just watched a you tube video, this guy didnt add anything and left it 7 months too clear - how mad hey!!!!
thanks for all your help.
emma

 

[Aleman]

I've got some Damson wine in demijohns that is still throwing a sediment after about 5 years . . . . Don't use hot water extraction on plum fruits . . . must bottle the wine soon

 

[Moley]

You can buy sorbate from Wilkinson's, it might be labelled as “wine stabiliser”.

My plum wines usually turn out nicely and I tend to make 5-10 gallons a year, plus a similar volume of damson.

If you want a dry wine you don't need to stabilise. If you want to sweeten it you do, or risk popped corks and exploding bottles. You use non-fermentable artificial sweeteners but I wouldn't recommend that.

 

[emmaann17]

thanks moley,
will go wilkinsons tomorrow and fetch some.
so to confirm to make medium sweet wine - add the sugar when re-racked and CT and PS is added?

Cheers Moley, you are a star and learning lots
Emma