ok, started a batch of plum wine, and am wondering how i should keep
records on this, what should i record? acid level, inital SG,
ingredients added, starting SG, yeast type, camden added, ammout
nutrients, enzymes?

On Sep 1, 8:59 pm, Tater > wrote:
> ok, started a batch of plum wine, and am wondering how i should keep
> records on this, what should i record? acid level, inital SG,
> ingredients added, starting SG, yeast type, camden added, ammout
> nutrients, enzymes?

in my opinion, I'd add
carb source
acid adjustment and by what means
where you primaried (sp?), ambient temp average and fluctuation,
same temp details for secondary,
how often you stirred the primary,
SG on move to secondary
what the secondary was made of,
what you put in the secondary ferm lock,
whether you racked or transferred to secondary,
what filter (mesh, none) you used if you tranferred,
whether or not you light-shielded this batch
whose recipe you followed and why,
fruit condition on starting,
fruit processing work prior to pitch,
fruit pluck-to-pitch time,
whether or not you hydrated the yeast and if so under what conditioned
If you used adjuncts used for more than one batch, ID of previous and
following batch
(later)... amount, date and reason for clarifying agent pitches,
clarifying agent prep details, date to "considered complete" results.

That's my list, in addition to your own, of "things I wish I had
recorded but didn't" on my own previous batches!

Good luck

Sean

On Sep 1, 11:30 pm, snpm > wrote:
> On Sep 1, 8:59 pm, Tater > wrote:
>
> > ok, started a batch of plum wine, and am wondering how i should keep
> > records on this, what should i record? acid level, inital SG,
> > ingredients added, starting SG, yeast type, camden added, ammout
> > nutrients, enzymes?
>
> in my opinion, I'd add
> carb source

??????

<sniped a good list>

some of your items would be moot, as I would end up doing them the
same regardless of batch(stirring, type of secondary, rack or
transferred, etc.) to help reduce variables in batch changes.

acid adjustments and what recipie are issues I am having problems
with, but can understand why recipies differ. my batch of plums had a
high acid content, which meant i had to use a different recipie that
allowed fruit/water ratios to get acid levels in the right area.

I suppose some of it depends on what your goals would be, getting a
good process worked out(me), setting up a failsafe way of making
wine(me), or trying to optimize the fruit(you), or altering processes
to improve certain characteristics(you)

but dont let the rest of the readers stop. I'd like to have a list of
everything on the label, while looking technical, it'd allow me to
open a bottle of wine, taste, expectorate/chug, and find out what i
did wrong/right.

On Sep 1, 9:56 pm, Tater > wrote:
> On Sep 1, 11:30 pm, snpm > wrote:
>
> > On Sep 1, 8:59 pm, Tater > wrote:
>
> > > ok, started a batch of plum wine, and am wondering how i should keep
> > > records on this, what should i record? acid level, inital SG,
> > > ingredients added, starting SG, yeast type, camden added, ammout
> > > nutrients, enzymes?
>
> > in my opinion, I'd add
> > carb source
>
> ??????
>
> <sniped a good list>
>
> some of your items would be moot, as I would end up doing them the
> same regardless of batch(stirring, type of secondary, rack or
> transferred, etc.) to help reduce variables in batch changes.
>
> acid adjustments and what recipie are issues I am having problems
> with, but can understand why recipies differ. my batch of plums had a
> high acid content, which meant i had to use a different recipie that
> allowed fruit/water ratios to get acid levels in the right area.
>
> I suppose some of it depends on what your goals would be, getting a
> good process worked out(me), setting up a failsafe way of making
> wine(me), or trying to optimize the fruit(you), or altering processes
> to improve certain characteristics(you)
>
> but dont let the rest of the readers stop. I'd like to have a list of
> everything on the label, while looking technical, it'd allow me to
> open a bottle of wine, taste, expectorate/chug, and find out what i
> did wrong/right.

Fair enough You may think them moot today, but what if you change
your methods in the future? Are you sure you will remember exactly
when you stopped doing it one way and started doing another? I dont
think there is a failsafe way of making wine, but if you find one, do
publish it!

You got me thinking Sean, I think I might make a standard form for for
this kinda jive, one I can print out and fill out the boxes each time
or fill out electronically preferably. It would make it less painful
to record such stuff each time. I dont think I would record every
item every time, but cant hurt to have the option right?

Jim

On Sep 2, 10:30 pm, snpm > wrote:
> On Sep 1, 9:56 pm, Tater > wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Sep 1, 11:30 pm, snpm > wrote:
>
> > > On Sep 1, 8:59 pm, Tater > wrote:
>
> > > > ok, started a batch of plum wine, and am wondering how i should keep
> > > > records on this, what should i record? acid level, inital SG,
> > > > ingredients added, starting SG, yeast type, camden added, ammout
> > > > nutrients, enzymes?
>
> > > in my opinion, I'd add
> > > carb source
>
> > ??????
>
> > <sniped a good list>
>
> > some of your items would be moot, as I would end up doing them the
> > same regardless of batch(stirring, type of secondary, rack or
> > transferred, etc.) to help reduce variables in batch changes.
>
> > acid adjustments and what recipie are issues I am having problems
> > with, but can understand why recipies differ. my batch of plums had a
> > high acid content, which meant i had to use a different recipie that
> > allowed fruit/water ratios to get acid levels in the right area.
>
> > I suppose some of it depends on what your goals would be, getting a
> > good process worked out(me), setting up a failsafe way of making
> > wine(me), or trying to optimize the fruit(you), or altering processes
> > to improve certain characteristics(you)
>
> > but dont let the rest of the readers stop. I'd like to have a list of
> > everything on the label, while looking technical, it'd allow me to
> > open a bottle of wine, taste, expectorate/chug, and find out what i
> > did wrong/right.
>
> Fair enough You may think them moot today, but what if you change
> your methods in the future? Are you sure you will remember exactly
> when you stopped doing it one way and started doing another? I dont
> think there is a failsafe way of making wine, but if you find one, do
> publish it!

On Sep 1, 10:59 pm, Tater > wrote:
> ok, started a batch of plum wine, and am wondering how i should keep
> records on this, what should i record? acid level, inital SG,
> ingredients added, starting SG, yeast type, camden added, ammout
> nutrients, enzymes?

Recently I"ve started what I call a sugar curve. A graph with the lbs
of sugar I've added on the bottom axis and the SG on the vertical
axis. As I add sugar to get to my desired %PA I plot the points. I
use a regular school ruler with a 1cm = 1lb sugar scale on the bottom
and a 1mm = .001 sg. Of course I start the vertical scale at
sg=1.000. I like this scale because if works good on a regular size
sheet of paper.

The reason I do this is that I've made calculation errors causing me
to add too much sugar to get my inital %PA. Doing it graphically, it's
hard to mess up. Just assume a somewhat linear relation ship between
the sugar added and the SG. I keep this record because I'll reuse it
to add sugar for sweetening after stabilization. Unless the volume
has changed the linear relationship still stands somewhat true. I
usually just start a new graph just above the one for PA for
sweetening. Redraw the two axis right on the top data point (make the
top data point the origin for the new graph) . Also I have sometimes
marked dates on this graph as SG reduces from fermentation.

hap

On Sep 10, 4:42 pm, hap > wrote:
> On Sep 1, 10:59 pm, Tater > wrote:
>
> > ok, started a batch of plum wine, and am wondering how i should keep
> > records on this, what should i record? acid level, inital SG,
> > ingredients added, starting SG, yeast type, camden added, ammout
> > nutrients, enzymes?
>
> Recently I"ve started what I call a sugar curve. A graph with the lbs
> of sugar I've added on the bottom axis and the SG on the vertical
> axis. As I add sugar to get to my desired %PA I plot the points. I
> use a regular school ruler with a 1cm = 1lb sugar scale on the bottom
> and a 1mm = .001 sg. Of course I start the vertical scale at
> sg=1.000. I like this scale because if works good on a regular size
> sheet of paper.
>
> The reason I do this is that I've made calculation errors causing me
> to add too much sugar to get my inital %PA. Doing it graphically, it's
> hard to mess up. Just assume a somewhat linear relation ship between
> the sugar added and the SG. I keep this record because I'll reuse it
> to add sugar for sweetening after stabilization. Unless the volume
> has changed the linear relationship still stands somewhat true. I
> usually just start a new graph just above the one for PA for
> sweetening. Redraw the two axis right on the top data point (make the
> top data point the origin for the new graph) . Also I have sometimes
> marked dates on this graph as SG reduces from fermentation.
>
> hap

Hap, I'll be excited to see how this works out....I am a learner...my
intuition, at least at this stage, seems to murmur that it might not
be so simple, because of the variance in sugar content of different
grapes/fruit/ingredients. I am guessing you're looking for "If I add
this much sugar, the SG will go up this much."

I wonder if your X-axis shouldnt use "no sugar added SG" as the zero-
point, rather than 1.000, since the information you seek is not truly
"water plus your sugar", but is rather "used ingredients plus your
sugar"

I have also been led to understand that the two measures you quote,
seemingly assuming interchangability, SG and PA, are not of equal
quality and parlance. SG is more accurate and reliable it seems. We
are heading into the murky less-chartered waters of metrology here, so
I shall step aside and wait on this groups reliable and stalwart
resident metrologist, who shall surely steer you right in due course.

Good luck freind! Ignore all that stems from my status of learner, as
corrected by those who really know their stuff.