Re: pumpkin-shredded

Follow-up; It would seem that at least in the case of my pumpkins, whether the pumpkins are shredded or in chunks, I still needed to add the same amount of sugar. My SG was on the low side, so I ended up adding another 2/3 cups sugar which brought my total to 5 cups of sugar on this batch (just what I've added in my previous batches) to get to the appropriate starting SG. Darlene

When I did mine a couple weeks ago, I didn't even record an initial SG reading because I figured it wouldn't be correct. I had so much pulp that I thought the pulp would suspend the hydrometer causing an incorrect reading.

Would it read correctly?

Mine was a 3 gallon batch and I added 10lbs of sugar. It fermented dry in about 4-5 days. I used a recipe on Jack's site but multiplied everything by

a.. 5 lbs grated pumpkin flesh a.. 3-1/4 lbs finely granulated sugar a.. 1/2 oz citric acid a.. 1 tsp yeast nutrient a.. 6-1/2 pts water a.. Montpellier or Eau de Vie wine yeast

David

David, I usually put my fruit in a nylon bag (which has holes, but still keeps a majority of the fruit/pulp in it. I had the same concerns you do, but I tested this one batch 3 or 4 times in a row. I took a test, then stirred and tested again, then stirred some more and tested again. While I made sure to keep as much of the pulp out of the test, the liquid pretty much tested the same all the time (within a small range). I would rather have a general idea of what my starting SG is, then none at all. I believe you need to have above 10% alcohol by volume in order for the wine to preserve well. Jack's recipes are terrific, and I refer people to his site all the time. As I have progressed in my own wine-making skills, I am becoming a bit cautious when it comes to the sugar in any recipe. I (have been a gardener for years) have come to appreciate that fruit or veggies which are grown in different years, or in different parts of the country are not equal to each other, nor are all pumpkins alike (sugar pie versus carving pumpkins). I have observed even with my own strawberries which I have picked from the same place every year, and freeze the same every year; that the sugar content can be very different and therefore this will affect the sugar I use in my winemaking. But it is hard to know how much sugar is in the strawberries already....? I was very surprised this time around when I made my strawberry wine, that the potential alcohol was 15% - since I used the same recipe, prepared it the same way, and yet I ended up with rocket fuel. My conclusion was that the strawberries I picked this year were very sweet compared to previous years, so that even though I used the same amount of sugar, my starting SG was very high. Sometimes posters get perturbed when they follow a recipe and it may not come out like they think it should. My whole point is that a recipe is just that, a recipe, and it may be affected by the fruit/veggie you use. I'm sure your wine will come out just fine. Just remember to take lots of notes, so that when you make it the next time (after you have done numerous tasting trials) you'll be able to make it the way YOU like it. Darlene ;o)

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