Plum Wine - Help!

[DaveWine]

Hi Everyone,

I’m new to brewing. I currently have two batches of plum wine fermenting in buckets in my cupboard at 21 degrees. One batch I started 5 days ago and the other 4 days ago with the same ingredients (brewing sugar, sugar, campden tablet, pectolase, yeast and yeast nutrient) and have been stirring each day. All equipment sterilised and followed a recipe..

My first batch looks lovely, looks and smells like wine already. The second batch has a layer of foam/scum on the top each day when I stir. It also smells slightly different (but not bad).

Is this normal? Or has something potentially gone wrong? If so any ideas what I have done wrong?

 

[An Ankoù]

Are the buckets covered with, say, a teatowel or something? It's high time you got the wine into into a demijohn or two!

 

[DaveWine]

No they aren’t covered with a tea towel.. should I be doing that?
I followed a recipe which said let it ferment for 7 days before decanting into a demijohn but are you suggesting because of the foam I should do that now instead of waiting?

 

[An Ankoù]

For future reference, yes, you should. A lot of spoiling stuff is airborne and just drops in. Nevertheless, all is not lost- far from it. I would strain the fermenting juice off whatever fruit you've used and funnel it into a demijohn (each one). Don't quite fill it, halfway up the shoulder would be good, and don't use an airlock. put a lunchbag/freezer bag over the top and keep it in place with an elastic band. If it foams over, just clean up the mess, wash the bag and put it back again. When it settles down, rack it into a clean demijohn and top up to the top of the shoulder and fit an airlock.
Many bacterial infections need oxygen to grow and multiply, If they can't get oxygen then they lie dormant so this is a way of keeping them at bay.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Just curious - was this the BrewBitz recipe?

 

[DaveWine]

For future reference, yes, you should. A lot of spoiling stuff is airborne and just drops in. Nevertheless, all is not lost- far from it. I would strain the fermenting juice off whatever fruit you've used and funnel it into a demijohn (each one). Don't quite fill it, halfway up the shoulder would be good, and don't use an airlock. put a lunchbag/freezer bag over the top and keep it in place with an elastic band. If it foams over, just clean up the mess, wash the bag and put it back again. When it settles down, rack it into a clean demijohn and top up to the top of the shoulder and fit an airlock.
Many bacterial infections need oxygen to grow and multiply, If they can't get oxygen then they lie dormant so this is a way of keeping them at bay.

Ahh great thanks for the advice. Appreciated

 

[DaveWine]

Just curious - was this the BrewBitz recipe?

Yes it was.. from YouTube :)

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Damn I’m good!

I love that channel and I’ve watched that video 20 times! I could tell from your description that it was that one. Great recipe. I’m sure it’ll all be ok in the end for you.

 

[DaveWine]

Damn I’m good!

I love that channel and I’ve watched that video 20 times! I could tell from your description that it was that one. Great recipe. I’m sure it’ll all be ok in the end for you.

hopefully it will be as I’ve got 30+ litres.. I’ve never had so many plums as this year!!

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Wow! That’ll last you a while! I’ve made lots of wine but never tried plum. Perhaps I should give it a go lol

 

[DaveWine]

Wow! That’ll last you a while! I’ve made lots of wine but never tried plum. Perhaps I should give it a go lol

At least a weekend . I have only used half for wine as well.. need to pick the damsons next and there is even more of them . Feel free to share a good recipe if you have ever had any luck with damson wine

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Nope haven’t done that either.

If you have freezer space they’ll keep until you’ve drunk the first lot ha ha.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

PS you may have seen their peach / nectarine wine video. It looks like someone has been sick on it

 

[Stevieboy]

Yep - get it in DJs ASAP. An Ankou mentioned tea towels because that's what we used to do years ago, and a lot of those old country wine recipes used to say ..."and cover with a tea towel...."

I've got ancient country recipe book that says .."then place a slice of bread on top.." (for the yeast!!)...

 

[Backtobrew]

At least a weekend . I have only used half for wine as well.. need to pick the damsons next and there is even more of them . Feel free to share a good recipe if you have ever had any luck with damson wine

Damsons are great for making wine and follow what you have done with the plums. Last time I made it was probably 30 years ago and left it for well over 12 months before I touched it, lovely taste.

 

[trummy]

Got to say my Plum was very underwhelming, thin with no body - it was years ago never tried again.
Damson there lies a tale - more or less same recipe each year, sometimes it's wonderful others usually very dry so I mix it with a sweet one and then its ok
!
Too many Damsons? Make some Damson Stout - very strong but very good. Wine glasses suggested.
Tread on here re recipe