A question for the science nerds amongst us

[jonmulzer]

And I use the term "nerd" in respect and admiration. I have a specific gravity question. I have a 5 gallon batch of wine that is at 1.120 specific gravity. If I dilute it with one gallon of tap water, what will that bring my specific gravity down to? And how much would I have to add to bring it to 1.090, which would be ideal?

[LCHIEN]

1.100 SG
1.666 Gal

this of course assumes your tap water is at the same temperature and is fairly pure thus having a SG of 1.000

[jonmulzer]

Loring, somehow I knew you would be the one to answer. I ended up going down into the basement and finding the answer in one of my winemaking books. But something told me you would have the answer when I got back.

[JR]

What kind of grapes are you using?

JR

[jonmulzer]

Well, with summer coming on I am making a lighter summer wine to enjoy. It is one made from Welch's concentrate believe it or not and goes down way too easy on a summer day. I use the frozen White Grape and Peach by them. I could post the recipe if you wish. The reason I have the gravity question is I tried to alter the recipe a bit by using more concentrate, and did so without adjusting my sugar addition. That is what happens when I change plans on the fly I suppose. So now instead of making a 5 gallon batch I will have a 6 gallon carboy tied up.

[JR]

I could post the recipe if you wish.

No thanks, that is something I would definitely screw up!

It sounds like fun, though. A couple of my friends get together for a "crush" every year. They buy grapes from a local broker, actually crush them and bottle it up. It's fun to hang out during the bottling, but I'm totally chemistry challenged. It would be vinegar in a day if I was in charge.

JR

[nadz]

please post, sounds like fun

[jonmulzer]

It really is not that hard. There is little chemistry involved in the actual process. Tons going on behind the scenes, but yeast and enzymes take care of that for us. It is an incredibly enjoyable hobby and you could get into it for $100. It balloons from there though if you catch the bug. I spent $75 on a floor corker and $180 on a filter not long after I started, kind of like woodworking. You could do it with a hammer, hand saw and a plane if you wanted to. Just depends on the patience you have.

Are you a wine drinker? I have yet to make a large batch like your friends do. I admire their dedication. I tend to do things from either good kits, juices or various kinds of fruit in small batches. I have 3-6 gallon carboys, a couple of 5 gallons and a couple of 3 gallons.

One of the woodworking projects I have in the plans is a good sized wine rack. I am running out of space on shelves and such in the basement. I am going to start with a 120 bottle capacity rack and see how long that holds me over. I made the prototype the other night in a quick and dirty style just to make sure it would work and get the dimensions right. Now it is off to make the big boy.

[jonmulzer]

please post, sounds like fun

Per gallon of must I add:

Two cans of Welch's White Grape and Peach
16-20oz of sugar by weight (bring gravity to 1.090, the weight is just a guideline)
2tsp of acid blend (I use ID Carlson)
1tsp of pectic enzyme
1tsp of yeast nutrient
Enough water to make up the quantity of must you wish
Lalvin 71B-1122 Narbonne wine yeast

Leave it in the primary for 5-7 days until vigorous fermenation is done. The 71B yeast is low-foaming so you cannot go by the foam. 7 days should do you at ~70F though and then rack into secondary. Rack every 30 days for 2-3 rackings until the wine is clear. Stabilize with Potassium Sorbate and Potassium Metabisulfite and sweeten if desired. I usually sweeten to 1.006, but that is up to personal taste. Allow it to rest for a week or so after sweetening to make sure to fermentation will not resume and then bottle. Can be enjoyed immediately but bottle ages well up to a year. Seems to plateau after that.

I also get better results when making up a yeast starter versus just pitching the dry yeast. I rehydrate the yeast in bottled water at ~100F for 30 minutes and then add 1/4 cup of the must every 4 hours until I get 1 cup and then add that to the must. I think it is the peach that throws off the fermentation on a dry pitch. YMMV of course.

Any other winemakers or homebrewers around here?

[cwithboat]

I use wine kits from Canada (purchased locally). They import juice from vineyards all over the world.
www.winexpert.com
www.advintage.ca/english/

My costs after initial investment for carboys(reusable) and bottles(reusable), are for corks, labels and kits. This results in a 750 ml bottle for anywhere from $2 to $4, although my supplier says this is definitely going up to account for the rise in the Canadian dollar.
One of my more recent productions was an Italian Primativo (Zinfandel), it is in my estimation the equivalent of a $20 bottle of wine. (the kit was $100 and produced 24 bottles +)
On the low end a $45 to $50 kit yields wine better than a $9 1.5 liter store bought wine. (still 24 bottles).

[jgrobler]

Any other winemakers or homebrewers around here?

My dad made beer a few times, not good. At all. Even he gave up. I've mixed up some cream liquers, the closest I ever came.

[Knottscott]

1.100 SG
1.666 Gal

this of course assumes your tap water is at the same temperature and is fairly pure thus having a SG of 1.000

Any concerns with the chlorine in tap water imparting unwanted tastes in the wine?

[jonmulzer]

I use wine kits from Canada (purchased locally). They import juice from vineyards all over the world.
www.winexpert.com
www.advintage.ca/english/

My costs after initial investment for carboys(reusable) and bottles(reusable), are for corks, labels and kits. This results in a 750 ml bottle for anywhere from $2 to $4, although my supplier says this is definitely going up to account for the rise in the Canadian dollar.
One of my more recent productions was an Italian Primativo (Zinfandel), it is in my estimation the equivalent of a $20 bottle of wine. (the kit was $100 and produced 24 bottles +)
On the low end a $45 to $50 kit yields wine better than a $9 1.5 liter store bought wine. (still 24 bottles).

I have used the WinExpert kits. I just finished a Riesling by them for my girlfriend. Their upper-level kits make a superior wine. If you want a good full-bodied red try the KenRidge Founder's Series Super Tuscan. It makes one of the best reds I have ever tasted. Hard to find though, not a lot of distributors. And it can be spendy.

And yes, it certainly saves a ton of money. I am frugal, maybe that is why I enjoy it so much?

[cwithboat]

Any concerns with the chlorine in tap water imparting unwanted tastes in the wine?

If my palate was better I could give you a more educated answer. Our water does have chlorine in it (the amount seems to vary) but the resulting wine does not seem to be badly affected. This may be due to the significant out gassing that occurs during the process. The high end kits are 100% juice, so very little water is added. The less expensive the kit, the more highly concentrated the juice and hence, the more water you add.

[jonmulzer]

Any concerns with the chlorine in tap water imparting unwanted tastes in the wine?

None. While in primary fermentation so much CO2 is produced that it outgasses all of it. You can use bottled water if you wish, but it is highly unlikely you would ever be able to tell the difference. The one thing you cannot use though is distilled water. Yeast needs many of the minerals in tap and bottled water.

What was said above is dead on. The higher end kits and juices are not concentrated. Most of your non-grape wines call for some level of water though and everyone I know of just uses what comes from the tap with no ill effects.