Wine Chemistry and how I screwed up my first year of wine……

IMG_2872I got some bad news today. I had 100 mls of my wine analyzed and received my finished Wine Panel Results today. Everything seemed OK except for my Fructose concentrations that were off the map. Normally the glucose to fructose ratio should be from .74 to 1.05. Mine was .09 which is about ten times more fructose than there should be. The error in Fructose level happened when we picked the first batch of grapes too early. The early grapes only had a brix of 18. I panicked and started researching a solution. The first article I found suggested adding table sugar to titrate the brix layer up. NEVER DO THAT! Lesson learned the hard way. We tried to save the crop by then adding another 200 pound of grapes to the must until we got our brix layer diluted out but apparently there was just too much fructose added and when the glucose levels reached 1.7 g/l resulting in a 14.4% alcohol level, the fermentation ended leaving a bunch of less digestible fructose for the dying yeast. I guess I could add a bunch of brandy to it and make port but I really want my first bottled Zin to be chemistry wise , like a zin and not a port. It’s back to the beginning, At least this years grapes look promising. Now if I only pick them at the exact right time. Im going to start testing random grapes when the stems turn brown for that perfect day in September or October. Gina suggested we just get drunk on this batch and all will be good again. I’m too depressed to jug it out and give it too the homeless alcoholics. Anyone need 20 gallons of sweet wine with a 14% alcohol content? Ill keep a little around just to remind me to respect that brix content and pick grapes on the perfect day.

ADDEN: Today, Irirna at the office claimed the 20 gallons. We are makeing PORT. Old Russian Recipe. The adventure in Desert Wine Begins.

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