Again with the Wine (whine)

bottles actually bottled

bottles of port

SG WTF?

Today is all about the bottling.  Washing 25 wine bottles and scraping off the old labels is a royal PITA!  Moving forward - there are 15 bottles in the dishwasher and I washed 9 by hand because they were the ones that didn't fit in the dishwasher.  Ironically, the ones I washed by hand got filled first and here is the photographic evidence!  I put the dishwasher on super wash so it is taking a Loooooong time to get finished.  I'll finish bottling when they are out.

I used the hydrometer again - and though I do not understand the information here is the data:

SG: 1.028

Brix: 7.2


Am now thoroughly convinced that this Brix/SG stuff is crazy magic/alien technology and I will never be able to either a. measure it correctly or b. make any sense of the data collected.

Science aside, the wine is clear and very red/pink.  It is sweet and also has a kick to it.  The stuff I put into the brandy bottles I served at dinner on Sunday and it was very potent and was well received.

So - now to Office Depot to buy labels to print and put on the bottles and to finish up the bottling.

Next experiment?  Beer!

This Wine Never Ends!

Yesterday, October 7, added 3 large bottles of E & J Brandy - VS.

Today, October 8, measured Brix and SG.  Brix=2.5  SG= 8.

Bottled port into the 3 empty Brandy Bottles.  I anticipate this will be the "party bottle" to bring to upcoming events.

So...all that remains is bottling the rest in proper wine bottles.  This must wait til I have someone to help me with the corking which is pretty strength-related!  Also my hand is jacked up at the moment from a cat bite! OUCH!

To cap this all off - here's the total rundown of activity to date - straight from my little "wine journal" I've been keeping.

6/29/14
Began Plum Port.  20 lbs plums, 10.5 pounds sugar, 5 gal water, campden tablets.
6/30/14
Added yeast and nutrient
7/2/14
Brix 27
SG 1.115
7/10/14
Put wine into secondary fermenter.  Tastes NASTY.
7/20/14
Brix 10
SG 1.04
Added 2c sugar, 2c water
8/2/14
Brix 21
SG 1.0875
Decaneted, Removed sediment, returned to secondary
9/7/14
Brix 6
SG 1.0237
Decanted, removed sediment, returned to secondary
Added 1c sugar, 1c water
10/5/14
Brix 30
SG 1.1292
Decanted, removed sediment (little sediment), returned to secondary
Bottled 1 bottle
Bottled dregs
Tastes pretty good - but very little alcohol I think.
10/7/14
Added 3 bottles E&J Brandy-VS.
10/8/14
Brix 2.5
SG 1.1

Seriously - looking over these numbers I don't get the Brix/SG stuff at all.  I'm recording it in the hopes of understanding it later.

Wine Continued...

October 5, 2014

Secondary Fermenter decanting

Brix is 30

Decanted and removed the dregs- in which there was practically no sediment at all!  The wine is a clear ruby color and tastes really good.   I don't think there is much alcohol content. The Brix was 30, SG 1.1292.  I calculated the original SG against the SG at the end of the main part of fermentation and the alcohol content is about 10% or so I think...  This will be remedied by fortification.  Apparently, port is a fortified wine with an alcohol content around 19-22%.  I'll need to add a few bottles of brandy to it to make it more potent.  Okay - brandy shopping I will go!

 I bottled one bottle and the dregs I put into a couple of beer bottles and put in the fridge.

I am going to do the fortification and bottling today.  Let's hope I have enough wine bottles!

I am going to call the wine - Little Red Hen - because all by myself I made it after I asked for help.

But I will not drink it all by myself - I will be giving it away as Christmas Presents.

My first real bottle of wine!

Wine color is beautiful!