Taking the recent good advice of Darlene V and Jack Keller as guidance,
I started a two gallon batch of zucchini (courgette) wine this week. I
used 16 lbs of fruit, some of them almost marrows, but not mature enough
to warrant taking out the pips. In the hope of gaining extra body, I
assisted extraction by peeling and dicing the fruit, then putting them
in the freezer for 48hrs.

On removal from the freezer, I sprinkled about 1lb. of sugar over the
frozen pulp, again to assist extraction. I had tested a small amount
beforehand and I found that sugar has the same draining effect as salt
does when applied to zucchini or cucumber pieces for pickling purposes.
When the pulp had returned to room temperature, I added two campden
tablets and two teaspoonfuls of pectolase and left it for 24 hrs.

By then the mash resembled a rather thick soup. I added the rind and
juice of three lemons, five simmered bananas, a can of white grape
concentrate, yeast nutrient, tannin, citric acid and bentonite. The SG
at that stage measured 1030, so I calculated that 3.5 lbs of sugar would
be required to take it to 1090-1100 and thus finish at 11-12% alcohol.

When measuring the SG in the hydrometer jar, I was concerned at the
claggy texture of the must juice, so I strained it through a fine-ish
tea strainer. However, the liquid was still quite dense and I am
wondering if that would have affected the hydrometer reading. I have
added 1 kg. of white sugar so far and a general purpose yeast. The
volume of the mash came to over 2 gallons without the addition of any
water, and I am assuming that further sugar will be added. The mash is
already rising fast in the primary fermentation vessel.

Do I just let it ferment to dry, or should I add more sugar at some
stage to finish with a medium dry wine?
--
Alan Gould. North Lincolnshire, UK.

You know, I wonder how much starch and dextrin are in zuchinni. I know
it is not much, but combined with the bananas there might be a bit too
much making the solution thick.

But I thought Zuchini was low in carbohydrates (starch and sugar). But
high in fiber (like pectin, and possibly dextrine and polydextrose).
Pectin you have pectinase for....you may try adding some amylase
though....too see if that thins out the must at all. That would take
care of the dextrins.

The thickness of the must is puzzling.

Alan,
Did you add pectic enzyme? In response to your last question, I would let
the must ferment to dry, rack when necessary over the next 7 months or so
(depends on you) until the wine clears. Once the wine is clear and dry, then
stabilize the wine, sweeten to taste, and wait 10 days (or a month) for
additional sediment to drop; and then bottle.
Darlene

"Alan Gould" > wrote in message
...
>
> Taking the recent good advice of Darlene V and Jack Keller as guidance,
> I started a two gallon batch of zucchini (courgette) wine this week. I
> used 16 lbs of fruit, some of them almost marrows, but not mature enough
> to warrant taking out the pips. In the hope of gaining extra body, I
> assisted extraction by peeling and dicing the fruit, then putting them
> in the freezer for 48hrs.
>
> On removal from the freezer, I sprinkled about 1lb. of sugar over the
> frozen pulp, again to assist extraction. I had tested a small amount
> beforehand and I found that sugar has the same draining effect as salt
> does when applied to zucchini or cucumber pieces for pickling purposes.
> When the pulp had returned to room temperature, I added two campden
> tablets and two teaspoonfuls of pectolase and left it for 24 hrs.
>
> By then the mash resembled a rather thick soup. I added the rind and
> juice of three lemons, five simmered bananas, a can of white grape
> concentrate, yeast nutrient, tannin, citric acid and bentonite. The SG
> at that stage measured 1030, so I calculated that 3.5 lbs of sugar would
> be required to take it to 1090-1100 and thus finish at 11-12% alcohol.
>
> When measuring the SG in the hydrometer jar, I was concerned at the
> claggy texture of the must juice, so I strained it through a fine-ish
> tea strainer. However, the liquid was still quite dense and I am
> wondering if that would have affected the hydrometer reading. I have
> added 1 kg. of white sugar so far and a general purpose yeast. The
> volume of the mash came to over 2 gallons without the addition of any
> water, and I am assuming that further sugar will be added. The mash is
> already rising fast in the primary fermentation vessel.
>
> Do I just let it ferment to dry, or should I add more sugar at some
> stage to finish with a medium dry wine?
> --
> Alan Gould. North Lincolnshire, UK.

In article >, Dar V
> writes
>Alan,
>Did you add pectic enzyme?
I used pectolase - is that the same thing?

>In response to your last question, I would let
>the must ferment to dry, rack when necessary over the next 7 months or so
>(depends on you) until the wine clears. Once the wine is clear and dry, then
>stabilize the wine, sweeten to taste, and wait 10 days (or a month) for
>additional sediment to drop; and then bottle.
Thanks Dar, I shall do all that.

To an initial must SG of 1030, I have added 1kg sugar up to now. For two
gallons to finish at say 12% alcohol, I think I will need 1.5 to 2lbs
more to go in yet. ?? TIA
--
Alan Gould. North Lincolnshire, UK.

In article . com>,
Droopy > writes
>You know, I wonder how much starch and dextrin are in zuchinni. I know
>it is not much, but combined with the bananas there might be a bit too
>much making the solution thick.
>
>But I thought Zuchini was low in carbohydrates (starch and sugar). But
>high in fiber (like pectin, and possibly dextrine and polydextrose).
>Pectin you have pectinase for....you may try adding some amylase
>though....too see if that thins out the must at all. That would take
>care of the dextrins.
Thanks, but I'm struggling a bit with terminology here.
>
>The thickness of the must is puzzling.
The thickness was mostly due to fibres from the 16lb. of zucchini flesh.
So much juice etc. was extracted that I have not had to add any water to
make up the initial fermentation volume I wanted of about 2.5 gallons.
--
Alan Gould. North Lincolnshire, UK.

Alan,
I'm not familiar with pectolase...but if it says on the package that it
increases juice yield from fruits by breaking down cellular structure, and
helps eliminate pectin haze from pectin rich fruit, then it should be the
same or close.
Your starting SG was 1.030 (right?)...okay then that means your
potential alcohol by volume is about 4% if your must ferments to dry. If you
want 12%, yes you will have to add more sugar, but my suspicion is that it
may be a bit more than you're thinking. However, my suggestion would be to
take an SG reading before you add any additional sugar (write it down), then
add what you think you need to add say, 1.5 lbs of sugar, make sure it
dissolves in the must by stirring, then measure the SG again (write it
down). Now, you're going to have to do some calculations....if your initial
SG was 1.030 and your SG before you add the sugar is 1.000, then you already
have the potential alcohol by volume of 4%. Now, you add the sugar, stir and
say your new SG reading is 1.030. Well, that means you have added enough
sugar to raise your potential alcohol by another 4% (if your must ferments
to dry again) 4% + 4% = 8%. Do you kinda see where I'm going with this...?
Because we use different measurements kg and lbs, I don't want you to end up
with rocket fuel, so see how things go, take SG readings, and let me know.
It is always easier to add more sugar in smaller increments to increase your
potential alcohol by volume, than to add too much sugar and have rocket fuel
which will need to age before you can drink it. Good-luck.
Darlene

"Alan Gould" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, Dar V
> > writes
>>Alan,
>>Did you add pectic enzyme?
> I used pectolase - is that the same thing?
>
>>In response to your last question, I would let
>>the must ferment to dry, rack when necessary over the next 7 months or so
>>(depends on you) until the wine clears. Once the wine is clear and dry,
>>then
>>stabilize the wine, sweeten to taste, and wait 10 days (or a month) for
>>additional sediment to drop; and then bottle.
> Thanks Dar, I shall do all that.
>
> To an initial must SG of 1030, I have added 1kg sugar up to now. For two
> gallons to finish at say 12% alcohol, I think I will need 1.5 to 2lbs
> more to go in yet. ?? TIA
> --
> Alan Gould. North Lincolnshire, UK.

In article >, Dar V
> writes
>Alan,
> I'm not familiar with pectolase...but if it says on the package that it
>increases juice yield from fruits by breaking down cellular structure, and
>helps eliminate pectin haze from pectin rich fruit, then it should be the
>same or close.
I think the name derives from pectin and haze, I'll check it.

> Your starting SG was 1.030 (right?)...okay then that means your
>potential alcohol by volume is about 4% if your must ferments to dry. If you
>want 12%, yes you will have to add more sugar, but my suspicion is that it
>may be a bit more than you're thinking. However, my suggestion would be to
>take an SG reading before you add any additional sugar (write it down), then
>add what you think you need to add say, 1.5 lbs of sugar, make sure it
>dissolves in the must by stirring, then measure the SG again (write it
>down). Now, you're going to have to do some calculations....if your initial
>SG was 1.030 and your SG before you add the sugar is 1.000, then you already
>have the potential alcohol by volume of 4%. Now, you add the sugar, stir and
>say your new SG reading is 1.030. Well, that means you have added enough
>sugar to raise your potential alcohol by another 4% (if your must ferments
>to dry again) 4% + 4% = 8%. Do you kinda see where I'm going with this...?
>Because we use different measurements kg and lbs, I don't want you to end up
>with rocket fuel, so see how things go, take SG readings, and let me know.
>It is always easier to add more sugar in smaller increments to increase your
>potential alcohol by volume, than to add too much sugar and have rocket fuel
>which will need to age before you can drink it. Good-luck.

Thanks again Darlene, I already have the good luck to be in this most
helpful group. I used an SG table in the Boots Home Wine Making and
Brewing book by B.C.A.Turner. It told me that at 1030, a must is at 3.7%
and it contains the equivalent of 12 oz. sugar to the gallon. To finish
at 12% the must would need to be at 1090 and would need to contain 2lb.
12 oz per gallon. That is an increase of 4lb. for two gallons. That
sounded rather a lot to me, so I put in 1kg., i.e. 2.2 lbs of sugar
leaving about another 1.5 to 2 lbs to be added. I didn't check the SG at
that point, partly because I wondered if the denseness of the must might
be affecting the hydrometer reading. Later on there will be clear must
under the pulp.

This more or less seems to tie in with what you have advised. At the
moment the must looks like Dr. Quatermass has been at it, but when it
quietens a bit I will check the SG and add more sugar depending on the
reading. I take it that by 'rocket fuel' you mean a much higher alcohol
level than required, but wouldn't Gervin GP yeast stop working before
that amount of alcohol had been reached.?

--
Alan Gould. North Lincolnshire, UK.

Alan,
Your source on the SG is correct - I usually round up. Sounds like you
got it covered. Didn't they have a tall skinny cylinder beaker-like thing
you could buy to use to measure your SG? I just draw off about 1 cup of
must, pour it in the cylinder, and put my hydrometer in; then I don't have
to worry about the fruit mucking things up.
Typically, those of us who make the fruit/veggie wines shoot for 11-12%
alcohol by volume. Some yeasts can tolerate higher alcohol levels though,
and I'm not familiar with the yeast you're using, so I'm unsure. I do know
you can feed small amounts of sugar to a yeast to increase your alcohol
level. If you go too high though, you can end up with a rocket-fuel taste
which will take awhile to get rid of. What I mean by that is you'll have to
let the wine age a bit to get rid of that taste. Hope this makes sense.
Darlene


"Alan Gould" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, Dar V
> > writes
>>Alan,
>> I'm not familiar with pectolase...but if it says on the package that
>> it
>>increases juice yield from fruits by breaking down cellular structure, and
>>helps eliminate pectin haze from pectin rich fruit, then it should be the
>>same or close.
> I think the name derives from pectin and haze, I'll check it.
>
>> Your starting SG was 1.030 (right?)...okay then that means your
>>potential alcohol by volume is about 4% if your must ferments to dry. If
>>you
>>want 12%, yes you will have to add more sugar, but my suspicion is that it
>>may be a bit more than you're thinking. However, my suggestion would be to
>>take an SG reading before you add any additional sugar (write it down),
>>then
>>add what you think you need to add say, 1.5 lbs of sugar, make sure it
>>dissolves in the must by stirring, then measure the SG again (write it
>>down). Now, you're going to have to do some calculations....if your
>>initial
>>SG was 1.030 and your SG before you add the sugar is 1.000, then you
>>already
>>have the potential alcohol by volume of 4%. Now, you add the sugar, stir
>>and
>>say your new SG reading is 1.030. Well, that means you have added enough
>>sugar to raise your potential alcohol by another 4% (if your must ferments
>>to dry again) 4% + 4% = 8%. Do you kinda see where I'm going with
>>this...?
>>Because we use different measurements kg and lbs, I don't want you to end
>>up
>>with rocket fuel, so see how things go, take SG readings, and let me know.
>>It is always easier to add more sugar in smaller increments to increase
>>your
>>potential alcohol by volume, than to add too much sugar and have rocket
>>fuel
>>which will need to age before you can drink it. Good-luck.
>
> Thanks again Darlene, I already have the good luck to be in this most
> helpful group. I used an SG table in the Boots Home Wine Making and
> Brewing book by B.C.A.Turner. It told me that at 1030, a must is at 3.7%
> and it contains the equivalent of 12 oz. sugar to the gallon. To finish
> at 12% the must would need to be at 1090 and would need to contain 2lb.
> 12 oz per gallon. That is an increase of 4lb. for two gallons. That
> sounded rather a lot to me, so I put in 1kg., i.e. 2.2 lbs of sugar
> leaving about another 1.5 to 2 lbs to be added. I didn't check the SG at
> that point, partly because I wondered if the denseness of the must might
> be affecting the hydrometer reading. Later on there will be clear must
> under the pulp.
>
> This more or less seems to tie in with what you have advised. At the
> moment the must looks like Dr. Quatermass has been at it, but when it
> quietens a bit I will check the SG and add more sugar depending on the
> reading. I take it that by 'rocket fuel' you mean a much higher alcohol
> level than required, but wouldn't Gervin GP yeast stop working before
> that amount of alcohol had been reached.?
>
> --
> Alan Gould. North Lincolnshire, UK.

In article >, Dar V
> writes
>Alan,
> Your source on the SG is correct - I usually round up. Sounds like you
>got it covered. Didn't they have a tall skinny cylinder beaker-like thing
>you could buy to use to measure your SG? I just draw off about 1 cup of
>must, pour it in the cylinder, and put my hydrometer in; then I don't have
>to worry about the fruit mucking things up.
Yes, I have one of those. For testing mash, I put the hydrometer in
first, then I put a small funnel in beside it. Then I put a tea strainer
onto the funnel and pour liquid through it until the hydrometer rises.

> Typically, those of us who make the fruit/veggie wines shoot for 11-12%
>alcohol by volume. Some yeasts can tolerate higher alcohol levels though,
>and I'm not familiar with the yeast you're using, so I'm unsure. I do know
>you can feed small amounts of sugar to a yeast to increase your alcohol
>level. If you go too high though, you can end up with a rocket-fuel taste
>which will take awhile to get rid of. What I mean by that is you'll have to
>let the wine age a bit to get rid of that taste. Hope this makes sense.
Very helpful thanks. I'll get a drinkable wine from it somehow.
--
Alan Gould. North Lincolnshire, UK.

Hi guys,

strange things happened while trying to send this message the first
time so my appologies if it came through twice. Anyway, just thought
i'd pitch in here to clear up the pectolase issue. Yes you are right
that pectin enzyme and pectolase are the same things, just two
different names. You will find that enzymes tend to be given names
ending in 'ase,' e.g. amylase for breaking down starches.

Regards,
Michael

In article .com>,
MBaker > writes
>Hi guys,
>
>strange things happened while trying to send this message the first
>time so my appologies if it came through twice. Anyway, just thought
>i'd pitch in here to clear up the pectolase issue. Yes you are right
>that pectin enzyme and pectolase are the same things, just two
>different names. You will find that enzymes tend to be given names
>ending in 'ase,' e.g. amylase for breaking down starches.
>
Thanks Michael. The pectolase seems to be doing its job very well.
--
Alan Gould. North Lincolnshire, UK.