Two weeks ago I started a 1 gallon batch of Welch's . I decided to try it
with the juice in cartons because that's all they had on that day. I used
two 64oz cartons and added 1.25 lbs of sugar. Well I was going off a
concentrate recipe and now I am thinking that I should not have added so
much sugar. I got the concentrate recipe off Jack Keller's website but
didn't realize that he also had a recipe for non concentrate. I did
something kind of dumb; I forgot to get a specific gravity reading from this
batch before the fermentation. I think I put way too much sugar in it
because the wine has stopped fermenting and I cant get it to start
again(despite numerous attempts) and the gravity is currently 1045. I used
my VinoMeter to measure the alcohol and it reads at 16 percent, though
doesn't taste that strong. I know the VinoMeter may not be accurate due the
sweetness of the wine.

Any suggestions, what would you all do in my position.?

Should I stabilize it and bottle it as a very sting wine cooler?
Should I dilute it with more grape juice and start the fermentation again,
turning the one gallon batch into 2 gallons or something?

Thanks,

David

I had a similar issue with one of my batches I made a batch of Niagara grape
wine using two can of juice and I think it was 1.5 lbs of sugar it measured
1.09 sg. I used red star champagne yeast and fermented till dry. I then
mixed this with the sweet concord wine to taste and let clear. I then split
the batch for bottling. Half I bottled as is and the second half I added
corn sugar and bottled in beer bottles for wine coolers. One month later I
started drinking the still wine three months later was my birthday and I
served the coolers then my friends still beg me for more a year later. This
makes a very light wine that is great for the hot summers in Alabama. I have
made more of the still wine using a similar recipe but have not tried any
more of the wine cooler however I am currently refining a sparkling Concorde
wine that so far has a great potential.

pwrgek


"news-server.triad.rr.com" > wrote in message
om...
> Two weeks ago I started a 1 gallon batch of Welch's . I decided to try it
> with the juice in cartons because that's all they had on that day. I used
> two 64oz cartons and added 1.25 lbs of sugar. Well I was going off a
> concentrate recipe and now I am thinking that I should not have added so
> much sugar. I got the concentrate recipe off Jack Keller's website but
> didn't realize that he also had a recipe for non concentrate. I did
> something kind of dumb; I forgot to get a specific gravity reading from
> this
> batch before the fermentation. I think I put way too much sugar in it
> because the wine has stopped fermenting and I cant get it to start
> again(despite numerous attempts) and the gravity is currently 1045. I
> used
> my VinoMeter to measure the alcohol and it reads at 16 percent, though
> doesn't taste that strong. I know the VinoMeter may not be accurate due
> the
> sweetness of the wine.
>
> Any suggestions, what would you all do in my position.?
>
> Should I stabilize it and bottle it as a very sting wine cooler?
> Should I dilute it with more grape juice and start the fermentation again,
> turning the one gallon batch into 2 gallons or something?
>
> Thanks,
>
> David
>
>