Adding body after secondary fermentation

Undernourishedboy · Jul 29, 2014

I'm really quite new to wine making after 28 years so need some advice re two brews. I have a plum wine finishing it's secondary fermentation. Although the taste is ok and the abv is high enough it seems to lack body a little. I used banana for body but it doesn't seem to have helped that much. Can I add anything after SF to improve body?
I also have a German Rhubarb clearing or not clearing to be precise. The German recipe calls for the addition of ginger and cloves. I have used pectolase before and after fermenting it. It has been sitting outside in a cool building and I have used Kwickclear. I even had it in the fridge for a day but have had no luck in clearing it. Any ideas, anyone? Or is it supposed to be cloudy due to the spices added? Help needed and appreciated.

Undernourishedboy · Jul 29, 2014

I should have wrote a 28 year absence.

Chippy_Tea · Jul 29, 2014

Did you use 2 ml of kwik clear?

I had a wow that would not clear recently after adding 2 ml of kwik clear, I gave it another 1 ml and that sorted it.

Undernourishedboy · Jul 29, 2014

I did give it 2ml of kwickclear. I'll give it another couple of days then try another 1ml of kwickclear. I'm just keen to get it bottled up for ageing and free up another DJ. Thanks for the advice Chippy.

Chippy_Tea · Jul 29, 2014

I don't know if you are aware that if you bottle into plastic pop bottles (PET) the ageing process is a lot shorter due to the plastic being air permeable, my supermarket juice wines only get a few weeks in the bottles due to lack of storage space and the difference in taste is very noticeable.
You can make a DJ from a plastic 5 liter spring water bottle with a 9mm hole drilled in the top for an airlock, you could age your wine in those before bottling if you prefer glass bottles.

Have a read of this thread if you have never made supermarket juice wines before - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=39846

.

Undernourishedboy · Jul 29, 2014

No I didn't know. That's interesting. So can I use sterilised empty 2L pop bottles? If I have already racked it off the lees and added a Camden tablet it shouldn't restart fermenting therefore shouldn't need an airlock? Also if I put 5L into three 2L bottles it would have a air void at the. Would this also improve the ageing? Thanks again Chippy.

BierMuncher · Jul 29, 2014

A bit of crystal malt always adds body.

hedgerow pete · Jul 29, 2014

I would suggest a tea spoon of glycerine instead to help the body

Chippy_Tea · Jul 29, 2014

Undernourishedboy said:
No I didn't know. That's interesting. So can I use sterilised empty 2L pop bottles? If I have already racked it off the lees and added a Camden tablet it shouldn't restart fermenting therefore shouldn't need an airlock? Also if I put 5L into three 2L bottles it would have a air void at the. Would this also improve the ageing? Thanks again Chippy.

Campden tablets don'tkill the yeast you need to also use fermentation stoper.
I use 1.5 liter bottles so a DJ fills 3 and you have a bit left over for tasting.
I would not leave too much head space as you don't want to risk your wine spoiling.

Chippy_Tea · Jul 29, 2014

hedgerow pete said:
I would suggest a tea spoon of glycerine instead to help the body

I use one per DJ as it also improves mouth feel, the grape juice also helps give it body

Undernourishedboy · Jul 29, 2014

Ok thanks very much for the advice everyone re body, fermentation and the use of used pop bottles. Will definitely go for using a small amount of glycerine in the plum wine for body. Think I will start using PET pop bottles for maturing and short term storage before bottling. I must have been falsely informed re fermentation. Someone told me recently that CT will also kill the yeast. Ok thanks. Now I am correctly informed I will purchase some fermentation stopper.

Undernourishedboy · Jul 29, 2014

The wife has just come back from the local chemist with a bottle of glycerin BP. I know this means it is pharmaceutical quality. It also has on the label that it is 100% glycerin. So is this exactly the same as catering quality and what's more can it be used in my wine? Anyone. Cheers.

Chippy_Tea · Jul 29, 2014

I get mine from the supermarket and its labelled "for food use" i don't know if the one you have is the same.

Undernourishedboy · Jul 29, 2014

Cheers Chippy. Just found on another thread from May this year someone was asking the same question and was given the reply that it was the same stuff. They also claim that the Tesco brand is sweeter than the Boots version. That means it would be better for adding body but not so much sweetness. The bottle is labelled as being for use on sore throats so that's good enough for me. Will test the first bottle on the wife. If it's okay I'll charge her.

Chippy_Tea · Jul 29, 2014

Undernourishedboy said:
. Will test the first bottle on the wife. If it's okay I'll charge her.

:-D

Let us know how you get on.

Undernourishedboy · Jul 31, 2014

Well I added about 3ml of glycerine BP to a DJ of Plum wine. It certainly has not had an impact on the sweetness of the wine. It's still pretty much a dry/medium and the flavour is distinctly plum. But I think the body has improved, just a little bit, but sufficiently. Definitely made a difference.
Chippy, regards to the other advice you gave me, I have bought and used Potassium Sorbate. Thanks. I used it on several other wines that were in the clearing stage. Also collected my 1.5L carbonated water bottles for use in maturing. I have now killed all yeast, but should I wait until I've cleared them before the 'PET bottle maturing stage'?

Chippy_Tea · Jul 31, 2014

Kwik clear usually clears wine in a couple of days so wait until it's clear before bottling, if you are doing this on your own get yourself a bucket clip they are cheap and help stop the racking cane stirring up the sediment, I got mine from eBay.

Undernourishedboy · Jul 31, 2014

Ok cheers mate. I have been racking on my own taking care not to disturb sediment by keeping the cane against the wall of a slightly tilted DJ and then lowering the cane onto the bottom as the level drops. There is certainly a knack to it. Much easier with a DJ but starts aching your arm a little when doing 27 bottles from a fermentation bucket. Probably should buy a clip for the bin too. Unless I can dream something up.

Chippy_Tea · Jul 31, 2014

I use a plastic peg above the clip to hold the cane and lower it as the level drops -

Under Â£3 delivered - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Syphon-Tu...pt=UK_Home_Garden_Food_SM&hash=item258ea95b7a

Undernourishedboy · Jul 31, 2014

Yes I'll certainly get one of these. They have to make bottling easier. Cheers for the advice again.

Adding body after secondary fermentation

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