Wine from garden vine

[Brengirl]

I cut right back our black grape yesterday and picked off all viable fruit. It resulted in approx 4ltrs of juice. The reading of the must is 1.050. I would like to attain about 12% alc. but have not got a clue as to how much more sugar needs to be added. I intend to let existing sugar fement out before adding more but how much is the question. Google confuses me more so can anyone help?

[shirlthegirl43]

You will need to start your wine at about 1.08. Either add a small can of wine concentrate and some grape juice, or make up sugar syrup and add till you get the right start point.

[Mrs Dobby]

Im just about to start juicing the 15lb of grapes we harvested this week to make some wine, hope we get the same sort of quantity of juice, I got a spare demijohn or two waiting for it!!

[Brengirl]

Beware Mrs. Doby I I have popped up to see if fermentation had started. RED GUNGE eveywhere. The airlock had been blown out and hit the ceiling. Lord knows where that is? My linen/towels are ruined. It looks like a blood bath in there. I realise now that I should have used a primary fermenter but that is far too late. HELP!!!

[Mrs Dobby]

Eeek! Im still juicing ours, should have enough for 2 demijohms or so, but after reading this Im not sure whether I should put them in a bucket for a few days first!

[shirlthegirl43]

Oops, always a good idea to let it ferment in a big bucket or in a dj in the sink for the first 24 hours!

[Brengirl]

Famous last words Shirl- but have I lost most of the working yeast? There is a thick trail of gunge down the demijohn. Shall I scrape it all back into a bucket?

[rustylady]

Famous last words Shirl- but have I lost most of the working yeast? There is a thick trail of gunge down the demijohn. Shall I scrape it all back into a bucket?

NO, don't scrape anything back. Yeast keeps multiplying as long as it has sugar to feed on. However, always do your primary fermentation in a bucket, and only put your brew into a demijohn when it has settled a bit.