Sampling first tea bag wine

[MrsCordial]

It's about five weeks since I put this together, with an awful lot of cock-ups along the way and a stratospherically high SG as I put far too much sugar in. Fermentation has slowed to the point that I have to stand and watch for several minutes before I see a bloop. I'm curious, so wanted to try a wee sip, and start monitoring the SG.

SG: I don't know how to present the figures, but as the hydrometer bobs in the sample (it's listing slightly - what's responsible for that?) it's sitting at about the number 60. That corresponds to nothing I've read about what the SG of a wine should be! What does it mean? And how should I properly represent that figure - 0.060?

It tastes dry but not unpleasant, and as you bring the glass to your nose you get that whisky note. Not undrinkable, but I'm not looking for a wine glass-ful any time soon. It might be nice with fizzy water.

I made a second batch, my first ever wine, the Ribena, is still bubbling a little, and I have a pear wine on the go too. I'm just collecting apple and pear juice for ciderry, which is pure experimentation! Is a cider yeast really vital, or will wine yeast do?

[zazen999]

What is the first and last reading on your hydrometer...it should be about 0.9 something to about 1.1 something. There should be no 0.06. The sugar has mostly turned to alcohol when it goes under 1.

[Hazel at the Hill]

As Zaz says, there's something a bit odd about the hydrometer reading. Can you take a pic? Also, it should not be listing to one side - can you do a test with the hydrometer in some tapwater - if it isn't bang on 1.000, the then it's not working correctly.

[MrsCordial]

I was having an amusingly bad day when I made the first tea bag wine. I hugely over-estimated how much sugar to put in (an odd one as in cooking my mantra is 'add with care as you can't take it out'!) so I ended up with an SG of 140 (where to start a liqueur, according to my hydrometer!).

This is my hydrometer in water:



And in the sample:

[shirlthegirl43]

You want it to be sitting at the .99 or lower (less hydrometer out the top of the liquid) for wine - however, if you started with that high a reading you may have to make another batch of tea and 'water' it down, possibly adding more yeast too. Can't guarantee it will work so it may be an idea to start afresh and try blending the two.

[zazen999]

That's a reading of 1.06. You are between 1.00 and 1.10. Still loads of sugar to ferment out yet.

I'd add another batch of tea bags, split into two demijohns, top up to the top of the demijohn with some grape juice and get both fermenting out separately. Until it bobs at less than 1. That means the 1 is underneath the liquid. That might sort out your sugar issue.

[MrsCordial]

Oh okay, thanks. When you say there's loads of sugar to ferment out, would it do it if I just let it sit there a few weeks longer?

[MrsCordial]

No, scrap that question. I think I'll make another gallon of wine as Z suggests and split out into two lots.

Thanks everyone

[MrsCordial]

No, scrap that question. I think I'll make another gallon of wine as Z suggests and split out into two lots.

Thanks everyone

[shirlthegirl43]

It might do, I think it depends on your years. Make sure it isn't cold as that will slow the ferment down

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hmm - well if you started at 1.140 and it's now 1.060, that's an alcohol content of nearly 11% - but it's be sweet enough to make your teeth itch, I would have thought.

I'm a bit concerned about your 'test' reading with water - it should be bang on 1.000, not 1.008. I always give the hydrometer a spin in the tube in order to dislodge any bubbles that might be clinging on.

Oh - and I think that your worktop might be wonky.

Edit - just seen Zaz's plan to split into two and ferment on. Great advice.

[MrsCordial]

Well something's wonky, Hazel! I didn't spin the hydrometer. I didn't source it either, DH ordered it. I might ask for something better for Christmas.

[zazen999]

Well something's wonky, Hazel! I didn't spin the hydrometer. I didn't source it either, DH ordered it. I might ask for something better for Christmas.

Just spin it in water at 20 deg c and if it reads 1.000 then it should be fine. If it doesn't then get a new one. But a hydrometer is the standard tool of the trade.

[MrsCordial]

I'm still going with the wonkometer - forgot to test it at 20 degs, and now I've washed up and put everything away I'm feeling too lazy to get it all out again, so I'll assume for now that it's recording accurately and mistakes are user error...

I've done as Zazen suggested. I added a litre of red grape juice (hoping that wasn't a mistake due to sugar content, but I felt it would be okay diluted with 4L of water) along with the tea bags-infused water. Also added yeast and yeast nutrient. DH suggested I siphon off everything that was in the original DJ to get rid of the sediment, so I did. Isn't it amazing how much wine can end up on the floor when you've never used a siphon before and the business end develops a mind of its own?!

So, I now have two DJs each containing the equivalent of half the old wine (just under half a gallon each as some was left behind with the sediment), a tsp of yeast and tsp of nutrient, 500ml of red grape juice and the rest water. One reads '40' (is that 1.040?) the other '36' (1.036? Still struggling with reading a hydrometer.). I'm assuming these will go down fractionally when I top up to the neck in a couple of days. I don't really know what the numbers mean; I'm guessing they're not great but this is a rescue exercise!

I'm really interested to see what will happen now. Thank you so much for all the help.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Isn't it amazing how much wine can end up on the floor when you've never used a siphon before and the business end develops a mind of its own?!

Oh yes.