Post date: Oct 21, 2012 12:57:18 PM
This was fairly promising - Constance and I like this well enough, and it's very simple. I think that some of the strangeness we saw in the first batch was the result of my Campden tablet disaster (put in 5 instead of 1). So I'm trying again, this time with only 1/2 a tablet, and I'm also adding a little yeast nutrient, since that seems to be a generally good thing.
2 11.5 oz cans Welch's concord grape juice concentrate
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 Campden tablet
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1/2 tsp tartaric acid
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
1/8 tsp grape tannin
Water to make 1 gallon
1/2 pkg Lalvin 71B-1122 wine yeast
10/21/12 9AM
Mixed them all up in a one gallon jug (except pectic enzyme) BUT only filled to just below where the neck begins - this fermentation is supposedly quite energetic (esp. now that I'm not gassing the yeast, and adding yeast nutrient), 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.
10/21/12 1:45PM
Added pectic enzyme.
10/21/12 3:30PM
Rehydrated full package of yeast in 4 oz 101° F water (will use half for this wine)
10/21/12 3:45PM
Pitched 2 oz of liquid (1/2 pkg yeast)
12/1/12 9PM
Racked. It's still actively fermenting, just very slowly. Even unfinished, it's a lot smoother than the previous batch, and the Concord grape character seems less overwhelming than before. Gravity is 1.038 (4.9% PA). Didn't get an initial reading, but it's probably at about 8% right now. Sweet, but not cloying.
12/14/12 5:30PM
Racked. Fermentation seems to have stopped, wine is pretty clear, but gravity has not changed. I think it's going to stay like this - that's ok, but it is a bit sweet. Maybe I'll mix it with something overly dry when I bottle it - the Tart cherry wine, maybe.
1/27/13 12PM
Racked. FG is 1.034. A little less sweet. I'm done with this wine - going to stabilize and bottle. It's already very clear, and there was no sediment on the bottle I racked off. Maybe it will be good for wine coolers.
7/20/13 2PM
Racked. I decided I'm going to blend it with the tart cherry wine that is too sour. Did a quick test and I think that will work - it won't be great, but it will be drinkable.
8/24/13 2PM
Blended with the tart cherry juice wine to make 2 gallons. Added two campden tablets to restabilize just in case. Bottled into 9 750s and 2 375s. This may need to age for some time - there is still a sort of odd flavor from the cherry, and a bit of bitterness. Not too sweet, and the concord grape flavor seems to have mellowed a little. Not terrible. I think the flavor will be better chilled.
About a month later
Bottle bombs! Two shattered bottles, 3 popped corks. Looks like the yeast from the cherry wine decided to finish off the fermentation of the concord grape sugar. Salvaged what I could and put back into a gallon carboy to ferment out.
8/31/14 11AM
Fermentation is finally done :-) It's dry, and the flavors have blended and mellowed somewhat. Bottled into 5 750s. The name of the wine is now, of course - Cherry Bomb.