Mango wine - too sweet
 

<De-lurk mode engaged>
Hi.
I am brewing some mango wine and took a sample the other day.
It was very flavorful, sparkling (still a bubble or two in the lock) and
terribly sweet.
We made it from 11.5 kg of fruit, 18 litres of water, 6kg sugar, Pectin
enzyme.
Will adding more water allow it to ferment further ?
I failed to take an initial SG (unforgivable I know, but it was very thick
with fruit).
Currently 1.050 - how can I get it down ?
Perhaps only good for distilling ?

RexT wrote:
> <De-lurk mode engaged>
> Hi.
> I am brewing some mango wine and took a sample the other day.
> It was very flavorful, sparkling (still a bubble or two in the lock) and
> terribly sweet.
> We made it from 11.5 kg of fruit, 18 litres of water, 6kg sugar, Pectin
> enzyme.
> Will adding more water allow it to ferment further ?
> I failed to take an initial SG (unforgivable I know, but it was very thick
> with fruit).
> Currently 1.050 - how can I get it down ?
> Perhaps only good for distilling ?
>
>
What yeast did you use? Is it still bubbling?
Ken

Used a Champagne yeast and, yes - It is still bubbling, about 10 per minute.

"Ken Vale" > wrote in message
...
> RexT wrote:
> > <De-lurk mode engaged>
> > Hi.
> > I am brewing some mango wine and took a sample the other day.
> > It was very flavorful, sparkling (still a bubble or two in the lock) and
> > terribly sweet.
> > We made it from 11.5 kg of fruit, 18 litres of water, 6kg sugar, Pectin
> > enzyme.
> > Will adding more water allow it to ferment further ?
> > I failed to take an initial SG (unforgivable I know, but it was very
thick
> > with fruit).
> > Currently 1.050 - how can I get it down ?
> > Perhaps only good for distilling ?
> >
> >
> What yeast did you use? Is it still bubbling?
> Ken

"RexT" > wrote in message
...
> <De-lurk mode engaged>
> Hi.
> I am brewing some mango wine and took a sample the other day.
> It was very flavorful, sparkling (still a bubble or two in the lock) and
> terribly sweet.
> We made it from 11.5 kg of fruit, 18 litres of water, 6kg sugar, Pectin
> enzyme.
> Will adding more water allow it to ferment further ?
> I failed to take an initial SG (unforgivable I know, but it was very thick
> with fruit).
> Currently 1.050 - how can I get it down ?
> Perhaps only good for distilling ?
>
>
By my calculations you added about 5.3 lbs of sugar per gal of water
(forgive my US units) before you ever added the fruit. Normally you would
only add about 2.5 to 3 lbs. It is really hard to tell without a beginning
SG. It might work to water the wine down and let it ferment out. but it may
be way out of balance. It is not going to ferment out the way it is. You
may have to adjust the acidity and other constituents. But then the
alternative is to use it as alcoholic syrup. If you are going to do this,
do it soon, before it stops fermenting entirely.

Ray

If your fermentation is going at 10 bubbles per minute it's far too soon to
worry about the wine being too sweet.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas USA

"RexT" > wrote in message
...
> Used a Champagne yeast and, yes - It is still bubbling, about 10 per
> minute.

William Frazier wrote:
> If your fermentation is going at 10 bubbles per minute it's far too soon to
> worry about the wine being too sweet.
>
> Bill Frazier
> Olathe, Kansas USA
>
> "RexT" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Used a Champagne yeast and, yes - It is still bubbling, about 10 per
>>minute.
>
>
>
I see you beat to the answer. Ah well.
Ken

Ray Calvert wrote:
> "RexT" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> By my calculations you added about 5.3 lbs of sugar per gal of water
> (forgive my US units) before you ever added the fruit. Normally you
would
> only add about 2.5 to 3 lbs. It is really hard to tell without a
beginning
> SG. It might work to water the wine down and let it ferment out. but
it may
> be way out of balance. It is not going to ferment out the way it is.
You
> may have to adjust the acidity and other constituents. But then the
> alternative is to use it as alcoholic syrup. If you are going to do
this,
> do it soon, before it stops fermenting entirely.
>
> Ray

Plus mangoes are very sweet and there is about 25lbs of them in the
must, so this batch might already be at the port level of alcohol now!
Definitely, water it down immediately. For the balance, consider adding
more mangoes, in proportion with the added water.

Pp

Thanks guys, have watered it down a bit and it is still bubbling away.
Stacks of mango falvour - may hit it with a bit of lemon juice later to see
what that does.
Will post in a few months time when it has settled down.
Thanks again,
RexT.
<Lurk mode engaged>

RexT > wrote:
> <De-lurk mode engaged>
> Hi.
> I am brewing some mango wine and took a sample the other day.
> It was very flavorful, sparkling (still a bubble or two in the lock) and
> terribly sweet.
> We made it from 11.5 kg of fruit, 18 litres of water, 6kg sugar, Pectin
> enzyme.
> Will adding more water allow it to ferment further ?
> I failed to take an initial SG (unforgivable I know, but it was very thick
> with fruit).
> Currently 1.050 - how can I get it down ?
> Perhaps only good for distilling ?

What yeast did you use? You could always pitch a more butt-kicking yeast.

"RexT" > wrote in message
...
> Used a Champagne yeast and, yes - It is still bubbling, about 10 per
minute.
>
Sounds like you are right on schedule IMO.

> "Ken Vale" > wrote in message
> ...
> > RexT wrote:
> > > <De-lurk mode engaged>
> > > Hi.
> > > I am brewing some mango wine and took a sample the other day.
> > > It was very flavorful, sparkling (still a bubble or two in the lock)
and
> > > terribly sweet.
> > > We made it from 11.5 kg of fruit, 18 litres of water, 6kg sugar,
Pectin
> > > enzyme.
> > > Will adding more water allow it to ferment further ?
> > > I failed to take an initial SG (unforgivable I know, but it was very
> thick
> > > with fruit).
> > > Currently 1.050 - how can I get it down ?
> > > Perhaps only good for distilling ?
> > >
> > >
> > What yeast did you use? Is it still bubbling?
> > Ken
>
>

> wrote in message
...
> RexT > wrote:
> > <De-lurk mode engaged>
> > Hi.
> > I am brewing some mango wine and took a sample the other day.
> > It was very flavorful, sparkling (still a bubble or two in the lock) and
> > terribly sweet.
> > We made it from 11.5 kg of fruit, 18 litres of water, 6kg sugar, Pectin
> > enzyme.
> > Will adding more water allow it to ferment further ?
> > I failed to take an initial SG (unforgivable I know, but it was very
thick
> > with fruit).
> > Currently 1.050 - how can I get it down ?
> > Perhaps only good for distilling ?
>
> What yeast did you use? You could always pitch a more butt-kicking yeast.
>
Lalvin EC1118 is a great one for that!