Hello All,

I went against the advice of friends and decided to try and tackle
orange wine. I used a recipe from an old book I found at the library with a
few modifications. Below is the recipe and racking schedule.

Orange Wine:

1. The juice of 25 Valencia oranges. I juiced all twenty five which made a
little more then a gallon of juice. I triple filtered this and it came out a
little less then a gallon, but there was absolutly NO pulp.

2.The Zest of 5 orange peels. I was sure not to grate any of the white stuff
in the peels with this zest.

3. I mixed the zest in 1 1/2 gallons of water and slowly boiled this. While
slowly adding 2 lbs of sugar.

4. At this point I mixed up a standard yest starter.

5. I added 2 tsp of fermax yeast nutrient to teh must.

6. I waited 12 hours and then added the yeast starter to the must.

7. 5 Days later I added another 2 lbs of sugar and racked into a carboy with
an SG of 1.040.

8. 2 months later I racked with an SG of 0.990

I gave the brew a little taste at this point and noticed it still had a
yeastie flavor. It was very dry and tasted rather acidy.

My question is, how should the acid content look in an orange wine and what
should it be? Further more what rolls does acid play in the fementing
process and the aging process?

Any help would be great
Thanks
Mike T.

On 06/05/2004 08:54 PM, Michael Thompson said:
> Hello All,
>
> I went against the advice of friends and decided to try and tackle
> orange wine. I used a recipe from an old book I found at the library with a
> few modifications. Below is the recipe and racking schedule.
>
> Orange Wine:
>
> 1. The juice of 25 Valencia oranges. I juiced all twenty five which made a
> little more then a gallon of juice. I triple filtered this and it came out a
> little less then a gallon, but there was absolutly NO pulp.
>
> 2.The Zest of 5 orange peels. I was sure not to grate any of the white stuff
> in the peels with this zest.
>
> 3. I mixed the zest in 1 1/2 gallons of water and slowly boiled this. While
> slowly adding 2 lbs of sugar.
>
> 4. At this point I mixed up a standard yest starter.
>
> 5. I added 2 tsp of fermax yeast nutrient to teh must.
>
> 6. I waited 12 hours and then added the yeast starter to the must.
>
> 7. 5 Days later I added another 2 lbs of sugar and racked into a carboy with
> an SG of 1.040.
>
> 8. 2 months later I racked with an SG of 0.990
>
> I gave the brew a little taste at this point and noticed it still had a
> yeastie flavor. It was very dry and tasted rather acidy.
>
> My question is, how should the acid content look in an orange wine and what
> should it be? Further more what rolls does acid play in the fementing
> process and the aging process?
>

I can't answer your specific questions, I never made an orange wine.
But I did make a Wineberry wine - it's a type of wild raspberry.
I first tasted this wine when it was 1 year old, and it was very
harsh and tart. The berries are very tart (and acidic?) so I guess
it was to be expected. Anyway, after waiting another year, it
really mellowed out and the wine was pretty good.

If you're tasting you wine at 2 months old, I don't think you should
jump to any conclusions - it's far too soon. After bottling, put
it away for a year, and then if it's still too acidic, wait some
more. When bottling, I always bottle some of each batch in 12 oz
beer bottles, can cap with a crown cap - then I can sample small
batches over time without having to open a 750ml bottle.


--
Joe
http://www.joekaz.net/
http://www.cafeshops.com/joekaz

Joe,

Your probably right, I like so many others in my generation tend to jump
the gun too quick and in teh process end up screwing up something good. I'll
just continue to baby it and hope for the best in a year or so.

Thanks for the tip

Mike


>I can't answer your specific questions, I never made an orange wine.
> But I did make a Wineberry wine - it's a type of wild raspberry.
>I first tasted this wine when it was 1 year old, and it was very
>harsh and tart. The berries are very tart (and acidic?) so I guess
>it was to be expected. Anyway, after waiting another year, it
>really mellowed out and the wine was pretty good.
>
>If you're tasting you wine at 2 months old, I don't think you should
>jump to any conclusions - it's far too soon. After bottling, put
>it away for a year, and then if it's still too acidic, wait some
>more. When bottling, I always bottle some of each batch in 12 oz
>beer bottles, can cap with a crown cap - then I can sample small
>batches over time without having to open a 750ml bottle.
>
>
>--
>Joe
>http://www.joekaz.net/
>http://www.cafeshops.com/joekaz
>
>

I think you are asking the wrong question. Rather than how acid should an
orange wine be, you should be asking if the acidity tastes right to you.
That is how acid it should be. but Joe is right, it is too early to jump to
a conclusion at two months when there is still a yeast flavor. Let it
completely clear and then give it 4 to 6 additional months and then decide
if it is too acid.

I am making an orange wine now. I racked it to secondary after 5 days in
primary and it was already tasting dry and was very acidic. I will worry
about that in another 6 months or so.

Ray

"Michael Thompson" > wrote in message
om...
> Hello All,
>
> I went against the advice of friends and decided to try and tackle
> orange wine. I used a recipe from an old book I found at the library with
a
> few modifications. Below is the recipe and racking schedule.
>
> Orange Wine:
>
> 1. The juice of 25 Valencia oranges. I juiced all twenty five which made a
> little more then a gallon of juice. I triple filtered this and it came out
a
> little less then a gallon, but there was absolutly NO pulp.
>
> 2.The Zest of 5 orange peels. I was sure not to grate any of the white
stuff
> in the peels with this zest.
>
> 3. I mixed the zest in 1 1/2 gallons of water and slowly boiled this.
While
> slowly adding 2 lbs of sugar.
>
> 4. At this point I mixed up a standard yest starter.
>
> 5. I added 2 tsp of fermax yeast nutrient to teh must.
>
> 6. I waited 12 hours and then added the yeast starter to the must.
>
> 7. 5 Days later I added another 2 lbs of sugar and racked into a carboy
with
> an SG of 1.040.
>
> 8. 2 months later I racked with an SG of 0.990
>
> I gave the brew a little taste at this point and noticed it still had a
> yeastie flavor. It was very dry and tasted rather acidy.
>
> My question is, how should the acid content look in an orange wine and
what
> should it be? Further more what rolls does acid play in the fementing
> process and the aging process?
>
> Any help would be great
> Thanks
> Mike T.
>
>
>

"Michael Thompson" > wrote in message
om...
> Hello All,
>
> I went against the advice of friends and decided to try and tackle
> orange wine. I used a recipe from an old book I found at the library with
a
> few modifications. Below is the recipe and racking schedule.
>
> Orange Wine:
>
> 1. The juice of 25 Valencia oranges. I juiced all twenty five which made a
> little more then a gallon of juice. I triple filtered this and it came out
a
> little less then a gallon, but there was absolutly NO pulp.
>
> 2.The Zest of 5 orange peels. I was sure not to grate any of the white
stuff
> in the peels with this zest.
>
> 3. I mixed the zest in 1 1/2 gallons of water and slowly boiled this.
While
> slowly adding 2 lbs of sugar.
>
> 4. At this point I mixed up a standard yest starter.
>
> 5. I added 2 tsp of fermax yeast nutrient to teh must.
>
> 6. I waited 12 hours and then added the yeast starter to the must.
>
> 7. 5 Days later I added another 2 lbs of sugar and racked into a carboy
with
> an SG of 1.040.
>
> 8. 2 months later I racked with an SG of 0.990
>
> I gave the brew a little taste at this point and noticed it still had a
> yeastie flavor. It was very dry and tasted rather acidy.
>
> My question is, how should the acid content look in an orange wine and
what
> should it be? Further more what rolls does acid play in the fementing
> process and the aging process?
>
> Any help would be great
> Thanks
> Mike T.
>

I'm working on a grapefruit wine right now and have the same results so far
for the most part, very acidic taste etc. However, from what I have read,
most citrus wines need at LEAST a year before they can be appreciated, and
the taste improves as the wine clears with each racking (once a month).
Give it time and it should come around, it has a long way to go yet.

Ray,

Thanks for the reply.

>I think you are asking the wrong question. Rather than how acid should an
>orange wine be, you should be asking if the acidity tastes right to you.

Indeed my pallette is of first concern. And at this point is was WAY yo
acidic.

>That is how acid it should be. but Joe is right, it is too early to jump
to
>a conclusion at two months when there is still a yeast flavor. Let it
>completely clear and then give it 4 to 6 additional months and then decide
>if it is too acid.

Sounds like a plan. However if indeed the wine is still too acidic what
steps are usually taken to reduce the amount of acid. Is this what tanin is
used for?

Santos,

Thanks for taking the tiem to give me your advice.

>I'm working on a grapefruit wine right now and have the same results so far
>for the most part, very acidic taste etc. However, from what I have read,
>most citrus wines need at LEAST a year before they can be appreciated, and
>the taste improves as the wine clears with each racking (once a month).
>Give it time and it should come around, it has a long way to go yet.

I was on a racking schedule of once every two months but I think I might
bump that up to once a month to get things clarified and to keep a closer
eye on things.

Thanks Again
Mike

"Michael Thompson" > wrote in message
om...
> Ray,
>
> Thanks for the reply.
>
> >I think you are asking the wrong question. Rather than how acid should
an
> >orange wine be, you should be asking if the acidity tastes right to you.
>
> Indeed my pallette is of first concern. And at this point is was WAY yo
> acidic.
>
> >That is how acid it should be. but Joe is right, it is too early to jump
> to
> >a conclusion at two months when there is still a yeast flavor. Let it
> >completely clear and then give it 4 to 6 additional months and then
decide
> >if it is too acid.
>
> Sounds like a plan. However if indeed the wine is still too acidic what
> steps are usually taken to reduce the amount of acid. Is this what tanin
is
> used for?
>
>
>
>
No, tannin adds a different kind of bit. If it remains too acid you can:
1) Dilute with water. (I don't recommend this)
2) Sweeten it. Sugar will mask the acid and, in fact, sweet wines demand
higher acid.
3) Use it for blending with a low acid line.
4) Reduce the acid with a ML fermentation, cool stabilize it (may not work
with orange), or add calcium carbonate.

Racking more frequently will not speed clearing, it may slow it. Do not
rack unless there is significant sediment that has been on the bottom for an
extended period. If you want to speed up clearing use some fining agents.
Betonite or one of the others.

Ray

"Michael Thompson" > wrote in message
om...
> Santos,
>
> Thanks for taking the tiem to give me your advice.
>
> >I'm working on a grapefruit wine right now and have the same results so
far
> >for the most part, very acidic taste etc. However, from what I have
read,
> >most citrus wines need at LEAST a year before they can be appreciated,
and
> >the taste improves as the wine clears with each racking (once a month).
> >Give it time and it should come around, it has a long way to go yet.
>
> I was on a racking schedule of once every two months but I think I might
> bump that up to once a month to get things clarified and to keep a closer
> eye on things.
>
> Thanks Again
> Mike
>
>
>