Questions about bottling and sugar...

[northwich mitch]

Hi all

I have only just registered and this is my first post here so apologies if this has been asked before.

I am about to attempt the Beaverdale 30 bottle rioja brew kit but there is no mention of adding sugar to the mix. Do i need sugar or is it a case of simply getting the kit to ferment?

Also I am being offered screw cap bottles. Are these a viable option or are they a big NO NO?

Thanks for reading, no doubt i will post mroe in due course!

 

[abeyptfc]

alot of the wine kits dont require sugar because ur adding the grape concentrate to it. u can obviously add sugar if u want to increase the %age!
u can use screw caps, probably only once or twice though as the caps get worn and wont be as tight a seal. its alot less hassle than corking aswell, hope the brew goes well sir

 

[Moley]

Welcome to the forum Mitch :

No, you don't need to add sugar to a Beaverdale kit, the bag of varietal grape juice has already had some sugar syrup added to it.

You could add a little more if you wished, that's entirely your prerogative, but you risk throwing the whole thing out of balance.

The only suggestions I would make are that you brew it slightly short, reduce the water and aim for around 28 bottles, and then try to stash at least some of them away for 6 months.

Screw caps: I completely agree with abeyptfc.

 

[Mr.Everready]

I was going to ask a similar question, may as well add it here instead of a new topic, hope you don't mind N.M.

I made up my first ever batch of wine last night, a Solomon Grundy Pinot Grigio. The SG was 1.071, the FG is to be just under 1.000 which gives a ABV of under 10%. The wife would normally go for something nearer 11-12%.
So my question was how to increase the ABV in future ?

2 options then, reduce the water or put some sugar in ? If I was to add sugar, how much would I need to add to take it up say 1.5%, also would the yeast provided cope with the extra sugar ?

 

[Mr.Everready]

PS, I won't be telling the wife it's under 10% if its a nice drop. what she doesn't know............ :rofl:

 

[Moley]

2 options then, reduce the water or put some sugar in ? If I was to add sugar, how much would I need to add to take it up say 1.5%, also would the yeast provided cope with the extra sugar ?

3 options:

1. Brew short.
2. Add sugar, about 4.5 oz (125g) to the gallon to give a 10 point gravity rise. Yes, the yeasties would cope.
3. Let it ferment out, it may go down to 0.990, then you stabilise, then you sweeten to taste.

I'd go for no.3

 

[Mr.Everready]

I'll be leaving this one to see how far it drops, it's bubbling away very nicely at the moment. About once every 6/7 seconds.
Do you just use brewing sugar for wine ? And is it added straight or do you make a syrup ?

 

[Moley]

I never use brewing sugar for anything, can't see the point.

Most of the time I make a sugar syrup, but that's entirely down to personal choice.

 

[Mr.Everready]

Being a n00b here I've no idea what you brew. So what do you brew and what sugar do you use ?

 

[Moley]

Ok, I've updated and turned on my signature lines. Don't pay too much attention to the wine volumes, we haven't drunk all of that, I like to give things time to mature properly. If I never made any more and we drank a bottle a night, we wouldn't run out until early 2013.

I make country wines from fruits and vegetables, using mainly granulated sugar which ferments out completely and imparts no flavour of its own. Occasionally I may use demerara or other brown sugars, which ferment out completely but may impart colour and a slight flavour of their own.

I also make quite a lot of ‘quickie’ wines from supermarket juices, using granulated sugar only.

I brew All Grain beers, so all sugars come from the grains used.

 

[stu9000]

Welcome to the Forum.
If this is a new hobby why not try brewing the Worzels Orange Wine recipe made from Supermarket Orange Juice and Grape Juice. If you do a search you'll find excellent "How To" guides and endless testimonials.
Its a good way to hone your skills and have fun without breaking the bank or waiting eons to see if it came out right.
S

 

[stu9000]

Hey Moley, whats the story with "TC variants: a final 10 litres, never again."?

 

[Moley]

Simple, I've tried Turbo Cider, I've tried a Turbo Perry and I've tried Turbo Vimto.
Didn't like any of them.


You've just reminded me, in an attempt to persuade me otherwise, Evanvine sent me a small bottle of his TC which was well aged, and I mean more than a year. It stayed down my cellar for a few months longer. I thanked him for sending it but never delivered my verdict.

It was crystal clear, nicely carbonated and very smooth to the taste.
Proper maturation does make a huge difference.

But if that's as good as it gets, it's still not to my taste, thanks all the same Jim.

 

[stu9000]

Yep - tried Vimto and it was completely undrinkable, even if you were REALLY really thirsty!
Should have gone for Ribena, but even then :sick:

Thought about trying the WOW with apple, but its not top of the list (which im guessing is what TC is).
Still exploring the WOW, Richards Red and a few kits.

Thats a really serious ammount of brew youre generating.
I bet you've got a nice setup in the garage/cellar, with sinks, water , comfy chairs and soothing music etc.