Plum Wine Color
spud
bit deeper than strawberry, not as deep as cherry. This surprises me
as most of my reading didn't lead in this direction for color.
The plums were not subjected to hot or boiling water to set a color as
I didn't expect any color other than usual yellow or yellow-orange.
How delicate is this color, what can I do to keep it red?
BTW it sure tastes nice.
Steve - Noobie
Oregon
Marc
Newbie myself and I also have a gallon of plum wine in secondary right now.
It has the same delicate red color that you describe. Not sure of the
variety of the plums but there are the common purple skin plums that grow
here in Québec. I didn`t really expect a different color as I haven't read
anything that suggested me a different color.
Marc
"spud" <midn...@theoasis.com> a écrit dans le message de
news:3qbaq09g9q5jmkpp6...@4ax.com...
spud
I got the yellow-orange idea from searching this ng's archives. There
was al bit of a dicussuion of a red color to plum wine, more of a
strawberry intensity that the deeper red this batch I have is showing.
Another post dicussed boiling the skins to extract color then adding
it to the fermenting must. IIRC this person seemed to think this
technique had no effect on the flavor of the finished wine though....
So did you use boiling water or cold soak to get your red? I didn't
and just get a feeling looking at it that it might be short lived.
I'd like to keep the red if possible, place in a dark enviornment,
bottlein dark bottles, etc. Anything else that can help preserve the
color you know of?
Steve - Noobie
Oregon
On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 08:13:32 -0500, "Marc" <marcm...@yahoo.ca>
wrote:
Marc
them a bit. Since they got frozen, they almost turn into a purée by
themselves after defrost. I just poured boiling water on them and fermented
it for about a week before transfering into secondary. No special treatment
for color extraction. I suppose the freezing operation and the pectic
enzymes added to the must has something to with it. If there are ways to
fix the color of a wine, I'm not aware of them yet, but I sure would like to
hear about it. But can a wine loose its color over time ? I don't know
about that either.
Marc
spud
From what I've read using boiling water as you did helps sets the
color of some wines.
I cut and pitted the plums then froze them. I didn't use boiling
water though for the soak. Just tap water along with the usual
additions.
So it seems we may have an experiement of sorts between you and I for
plum color. The routines sound enough alike with the exception of
adding the water. Do plums need boiling water to set the color?
How much plum did you use and how's it's flavor so far. Are you
making a dry table wine or do you intend to sweeten you wine.
The batch I have is still in the primary, going to dry, but it sure is
good, so far. I removed the skins after 4 days, there was enough
tannin in it by then to get a decent pucker but not so much as to take
for ever to age. I used 20lbs. of plums and 1/2lbs. of raisins for 3
gallons.
Take Care,
Steve - Noobie
Oregon
On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 17:37:03 -0500, "Marc" <marcm...@yahoo.ca>
wrote:
Bob
"Marc" <marcm...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:A8tpd.14278$eJ.2...@wagner.videotron.net...
VERY definitely. That is why wine should be kept away from oxygen and
light. There is no oxygen or light in your stomach. You know what you have
to do....
Dar V
have; certain fruit wines can lose their color. I try to avoid this by
keeping the carboys covered and away from light as much as possible. I also
try to keep my wines in a dark place, away from light - I usually do this by
covering my wine racks with something like a towel, sheet, etc.. I did
convert an old entertainment center to wine storage, by putting my wine
racks in it, and then rigging a curtain rod on the front so that the
curtains cover the whole front of the entertainment center.
Darlene
"Bob" <B...@BOB.BOB> wrote in message
news:QvKdnRGAibe...@pghconnect.com...
spud
Do you have plans for cranberry wine this year? I've seen some
attractive prices on cranberry in the stores last week. Can you get
them fresh were you are. We can't, the drive to the bogs is 4 hours
and part of the fun of making wine, I think, is scrouging and making
decent wine on the cheap. The gas to there would kill the cheap part.
Last year we made one with 2lbs. per gallon cranberry and 1lbs raisin
per gallon. It turned out to light in flavor and too high in alcohol.
So we thought to try 3lbs. per gallon with the raisins and keep the SG
at 1.095 or less.
Anyway I hope you're having a good holiday.
Steve - Noobie
Oregon
>Darlene wrote
Dar V
Yes, I do have plans for cranberry wine. I usually wait until after
Thanksgiving, when they usually go on sale and buy them. They look pretty
fresh, but I'm too far away to pick them from a bog. Then, I throw them
into the freezer for a few months to break the fruit down before I make my
wine. The cranberry wine we had this Thanksgiving was a batch I made in
2002 at 12% Alcohol by volume. I shoot for a starting SG of 1.090 (close to
yours) - otherwise you have to wait a long time for the wine to smooth out.
Rocket fuel...ah yes...been there, but I'm learning. Good-luck.
Darlene
Wisconsin
"spud" <midn...@theoasis.com> wrote in message
news:0frhq0lv460utb458...@4ax.com...
gwoolam
It would seem to me that once the fuit is frozen the cell walls are broken
and extended time would have no advantage. Just curious.
Thanks
"Dar V" <ask...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:pguqd.421$NO5...@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
Dar V
freezer to put the excess in. I've noticed that when I freeze a whole bunch
of say strawberries or zucchini, that if I open a quart up after about a
month of being frozen, that it is pretty much like it was when I froze it.
If I open something up after it has been frozen 6 months or longer, it has
broken down further. I can also say "yes" there is something to freezer burn
for certain things; so you can freeze things too long.
I think it all depends on the item you are freezing and some you should
not freeze. Watermelon will not benefit from freezing. I prefer to freeze
most fruits or veggies for at least a month before I make wine out of it,
but at the same time I don't worry if I freeze something for 6 months and
then make wine out of it. I prefer to freeze pumpkin for a bit because that
is so hard to begin with. I think zucchini benefits from 6 months of
freezing, because I always get a lot of liquid from it after its been frozen
that long - I think my wine will be better for it. There are some who
believe only a week or so, and it'll be fine; and they are right, it does
break down a bit in that week....
Darlene ;o)
Wisconsin
"gwoolam" <gwo...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:nZwqd.24866$fC4....@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com...
Ben Rotter
> Does freezing fruits for months have an advantage over freezing for days??
> It would seem to me that once the fuit is frozen the cell walls are broken
> and extended time would have no advantage. Just curious.
There's not really an advantage. Darlene is right that the fruit does
deteriorate with time. The lower the temperature, the slow the rate.
Various studies have shown that the freezing of fruit juices at
temperatures below –18 C (0 F) preserves the flavours of the juice
almost perfectly.
Darlene also mentioned freezer burn. This is due to oxygen exposure,
and does not directly have anything to do with freezing duration.
Ben
Improved Winemaking
http://members.tripod.com/~BRotter/
Ben Rotter
> From what I've read using boiling water as you did helps sets the
> color of some wines.
> Do plums need boiling water to set the color?
I find it hard to believe this claim. I've never done a controlled
experiment, and I haven't heard of anyone else doing so either, but I
don't see why colour would be "set" by heat. I suspect fruit quantity
and use of pectin enzymes play a far more significant role in colour
extraction.
As far as maintaining colour is concerned:
*avoiding light exposure is critical and good advice
*minimising SO2 additions is important - as SO2 bleaches colour
*avoiding oxidation is also helpful
HTH,
spud
>>spud wrote
>> From what I've read using boiling water as you did helps sets the
>> color of some wines.
>> Do plums need boiling water to set the color?
>Then (Ben Rotter) wrote:
>I find it hard to believe this claim. I've never done a controlled
>experiment, and I haven't heard of anyone else doing so either, but I
>don't see why colour would be "set" by heat. I suspect fruit quantity
>and use of pectin enzymes play a far more significant role in colour
>extraction.
>
>As far as maintaining colour is concerned:
>*avoiding light exposure is critical and good advice
>*minimising SO2 additions is important - as SO2 bleaches colour
>*avoiding oxidation is also helpful
>
>HTH,
>Ben
Thanks
Steve - Noobie
Oregon
B0B
"Ben Rotter" <benr...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:be57c79f.04113...@posting.google.com...
> "gwoolam" <gwo...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> > Does freezing fruits for months have an advantage over freezing for
days??
> > It would seem to me that once the fuit is frozen the cell walls are
broken
> > and extended time would have no advantage. Just curious.
>
> There's not really an advantage. Darlene is right that the fruit does
> deteriorate with time. The lower the temperature, the slow the rate.
> Various studies have shown that the freezing of fruit juices at
> almost perfectly.
>
> Darlene also mentioned freezer burn. This is due to oxygen exposure,
> and does not directly have anything to do with freezing duration.
It does if the freezer is frost-free and constantly defrosting and
refreezing the outermost layer of fruit.