Post date: Aug 16, 2012 1:49:42 PM
I'm still looking for ways to load up the pipeline - I think I'll start a batch of this today.
That seems like just about the simplest wine possible. I'm going to modify the recipe a little to follow best practices (no rag in the top, for example).
Edit: did a little more research and decided to tweak a little by averaging some recipes like this one (especially looking at the comments). As a result I came up with this recipe:
2 11.5 oz cans Welch's concord grape juice concentrate
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 Camden tablets
1/2 tsp pectin enzyme
1/2 tsp tartaric acid
1/8 tsp grape tannin
Water to make 1 gallon
Red Star Cotes de Blancs white wine yeast
Mixed them all up in a one gallon jug BUT only filled to the 3/4 level - this fermentation is supposedly quite energetic, so I don't want to clog the airlock. I will top off after the fermentation settles. Going to pitch yeast in about 6 hours.
8/16/12 6:49AM
Started
8/20/12 8:25PM
Ok, this turned into a major learning experience. I pitched the yeast after 3 hours rather than 6, because I am impatient. Waited. Waited. Waited. After 36 hours with absolutely no activity, I realized that I had my first fermentation that had failed to start. My first thought was "no nutrients!", which in retrospect was stupid, since yeast loves grape juice more than anything. But I boiled up a cup of water with 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient, cooled to 100F, dissolved 1tsp yeast, and repitched. After 24 hours, still nothing. So thought about it some more, and did some research (can't find the webpage now, but concluded I had oversulfited my must (I put a Camden tablet in the airlock, which I attached right after pitching - it got sucked in as the must cooled. I now understand that sulfites kill good yeasts too).
So I followed instructions - took out a cup of must and boiled it to clear out the so2. Dissolved 1/2 tsp yeast when cooled to 105F. Shook remaining must vigorously, over and over in the course of 3 hours or so to drive of so2. Pitched the yeasty must (which had developed a small head), shook vigorously, and put an unfilled airlock on it.after 30 hours, it has finally started the fermentation. Smells right, lots of bubbles. Optimistic. If this works and doesn't spoil, I will be a lot less paranoid about sanitation. I was careful always, but I have never interacted so much with must/wort before a fermentation has gotten going...
8/29/12 2PM
Fermentation has been stopped for several days. Still somewhat cloudy, but lots of yeast on the bottom. Racked. FG 0.998. Tastes nice, very dry, somewhat fizzy - it's clearly wine! I'd drink it now, in moderation, but still has room to improve. Clearly my dramatic intervention a few days ago didn't kill it, and it recovered nicely from my bonehead move with the Campden tablets. Good to know.
9/22/12 10AM
Racked, stabilized with 2 crushed Campden tablets in a cup of boiled water, and bottled. Got 4 and 7/8 bottles. Tastes nice, a little tart, not sweet at all. The wine never really cleared.