Newbie question. I'm getting brave, after 2 kits and then 2 from just
concentrates, then 1 from real fruit (pumpkin), I'm ready now to
experiment with a flavor I like: Peach and Mango.

I have purchased peach concentrate that has a recipe with it, but I want
to add mango. So I went to Jack Keller's website and got a mango recipe
to see how you prepare the mango. Looks like I would peel and remove
seed, mash and then pour the peach concentrate and water over it and
then go from there.
The question is:
if I add 4-5 pounds of mango mash -- should I reduce the sugar? A
straight peach wine calls for 6 pounds of sugar for 3 gallon batch. By
adding this mango, should I start out with less sugar?

I'm guessing I should always try for 1.950 or something like that on the
hydrometer - so could add more sugar upon the initial mix if need be...
I'm just thinking if I go too high the yeast won't "take".

Any thoughts?
DAve

hi dave- in our experience w/ stone fruit wines we've observed that a
little more sugar isn't neccessarily a bad thing. We've found that if you
add more fruit, add proportionately more of everything. If you're
substituting mango for peach product, then keep the same ratios. When we
find real fruit to be sweeter than a bought product (more or less, vice
versa, & subjective to say the least) tweaking the sugar by a 1/2 lb or so
ain't a big deal. 12 lbs (poor transcription!) was a big deal (going on 4
weeks in the primary.) Red Star's pasteur champagne & premier cuvee as well
as lalvin ec-1116 & 1118 are pretty tenatious at upper levels % alcohol. you
can massage them with yeast enhancers &/or nutrient to keep them going if
they appear to be stalling (1st hand experience.) We've started stone fruit
wines as high as 1.130 & wrangled them into mighty tasty product. Of course
they kick like a bee-stung mule but, winter is soon upon us... So we say
keep the sugar & learn from the experience!. hope this helps.
regards, bobdrob


"DAve Allison" > wrote in message
.. .
> Newbie question. I'm getting brave, after 2 kits and then 2 from just
> concentrates, then 1 from real fruit (pumpkin), I'm ready now to
> experiment with a flavor I like: Peach and Mango.
>
> I have purchased peach concentrate that has a recipe with it, but I want
> to add mango. So I went to Jack Keller's website and got a mango recipe to
> see how you prepare the mango. Looks like I would peel and remove seed,
> mash and then pour the peach concentrate and water over it and then go
> from there.
> The question is:
> if I add 4-5 pounds of mango mash -- should I reduce the sugar? A straight
> peach wine calls for 6 pounds of sugar for 3 gallon batch. By adding this
> mango, should I start out with less sugar?
>
> I'm guessing I should always try for 1.950 or something like that on the
> hydrometer - so could add more sugar upon the initial mix if need be...
> I'm just thinking if I go too high the yeast won't "take".
>
> Any thoughts?
> DAve

I hope there was a slip of a digit (numerical or appendage to a hand) as an
SG of 1.950 would have no chance of fermenting. Now if you meant 1.095 then
everything would be fine.

When making wine with fruit, don't follow exactly a recipe that says to ad a
certain amount of sugar. Instead, add the fruit you want. Add the water
and then add enough sugar or honey to bring the SG up to the level that will
yield the alcohol you want. If you are really getting brave, use honey
instead of sugar and turn it into a melomel (mead with fruit) instead of a
wine.

Ray

"DAve Allison" > wrote in message
.. .
> Newbie question. I'm getting brave, after 2 kits and then 2 from just
> concentrates, then 1 from real fruit (pumpkin), I'm ready now to
> experiment with a flavor I like: Peach and Mango.
>
> I have purchased peach concentrate that has a recipe with it, but I want
> to add mango. So I went to Jack Keller's website and got a mango recipe to
> see how you prepare the mango. Looks like I would peel and remove seed,
> mash and then pour the peach concentrate and water over it and then go
> from there.
> The question is:
> if I add 4-5 pounds of mango mash -- should I reduce the sugar? A straight
> peach wine calls for 6 pounds of sugar for 3 gallon batch. By adding this
> mango, should I start out with less sugar?
>
> I'm guessing I should always try for 1.950 or something like that on the
> hydrometer - so could add more sugar upon the initial mix if need be...
> I'm just thinking if I go too high the yeast won't "take".
>
> Any thoughts?
> DAve

oops. Yes. I meant 1.095. Thanks Ray for the advice, this looks like a
good approach. I'm not a honey lover, so probably won't try that (ever
since I found out honey is just what the bees spit up) - (however, maple
syrup I might try sometime to sweeten a wine (read that on another of
your posts).

I tried to take a reading when I made the pumpkin wine to get 1.095, but
the must was soo dense with pulp that I couldn't get it into the wine
thief to do a hydrometer. So I am guessing the peach recipe amount of
sugar is my best guess, minus some for the mango, and then if for some
reason I can't get the must into the wine thief, at least I'm close.

thanks, DAve

Ray Calvert wrote:
> I hope there was a slip of a digit (numerical or appendage to a hand) as an
> SG of 1.950 would have no chance of fermenting. Now if you meant 1.095 then
> everything would be fine.
>
> When making wine with fruit, don't follow exactly a recipe that says to ad a
> certain amount of sugar. Instead, add the fruit you want. Add the water
> and then add enough sugar or honey to bring the SG up to the level that will
> yield the alcohol you want. If you are really getting brave, use honey
> instead of sugar and turn it into a melomel (mead with fruit) instead of a
> wine.
>
> Ray
>
> "DAve Allison" > wrote in message
> .. .
>
>>Newbie question. I'm getting brave, after 2 kits and then 2 from just
>>concentrates, then 1 from real fruit (pumpkin), I'm ready now to
>>experiment with a flavor I like: Peach and Mango.
>>
>>I have purchased peach concentrate that has a recipe with it, but I want
>>to add mango. So I went to Jack Keller's website and got a mango recipe to
>>see how you prepare the mango. Looks like I would peel and remove seed,
>>mash and then pour the peach concentrate and water over it and then go
>>from there.
>>The question is:
>>if I add 4-5 pounds of mango mash -- should I reduce the sugar? A straight
>>peach wine calls for 6 pounds of sugar for 3 gallon batch. By adding this
>>mango, should I start out with less sugar?
>>
>>I'm guessing I should always try for 1.950 or something like that on the
>>hydrometer - so could add more sugar upon the initial mix if need be...
>>I'm just thinking if I go too high the yeast won't "take".
>>
>>Any thoughts?
>>DAve
>
>
>

ah, nothing like experience. thanks. I picked up a few pointers in this
post. DAve


bobdrob wrote:
> hi dave- in our experience w/ stone fruit wines we've observed that a
> little more sugar isn't neccessarily a bad thing. We've found that if you
> add more fruit, add proportionately more of everything. If you're
> substituting mango for peach product, then keep the same ratios. When we
> find real fruit to be sweeter than a bought product (more or less, vice
> versa, & subjective to say the least) tweaking the sugar by a 1/2 lb or so
> ain't a big deal. 12 lbs (poor transcription!) was a big deal (going on 4
> weeks in the primary.) Red Star's pasteur champagne & premier cuvee as well
> as lalvin ec-1116 & 1118 are pretty tenatious at upper levels % alcohol. you
> can massage them with yeast enhancers &/or nutrient to keep them going if
> they appear to be stalling (1st hand experience.) We've started stone fruit
> wines as high as 1.130 & wrangled them into mighty tasty product. Of course
> they kick like a bee-stung mule but, winter is soon upon us... So we say
> keep the sugar & learn from the experience!. hope this helps.
> regards, bobdrob
>
>
> "DAve Allison" > wrote in message
> .. .
>
>>Newbie question. I'm getting brave, after 2 kits and then 2 from just
>>concentrates, then 1 from real fruit (pumpkin), I'm ready now to
>>experiment with a flavor I like: Peach and Mango.
>>
>>I have purchased peach concentrate that has a recipe with it, but I want
>>to add mango. So I went to Jack Keller's website and got a mango recipe to
>>see how you prepare the mango. Looks like I would peel and remove seed,
>>mash and then pour the peach concentrate and water over it and then go
>>from there.
>>The question is:
>>if I add 4-5 pounds of mango mash -- should I reduce the sugar? A straight
>>peach wine calls for 6 pounds of sugar for 3 gallon batch. By adding this
>>mango, should I start out with less sugar?
>>
>>I'm guessing I should always try for 1.950 or something like that on the
>>hydrometer - so could add more sugar upon the initial mix if need be...
>>I'm just thinking if I go too high the yeast won't "take".
>>
>>Any thoughts?
>>DAve
>
>
>

Dave,
I agree with Ray. If you're playing with a recipe, I usually start off
adding less sugar, and then adding more if I need too. I've played with
enough recipes, that adding too much sugar in the beginning can come back to
haunt you. Since I always shoot for 11-12% with my fruit wines, I like to
play it safe when I'm creating a recipe. It is up to you of course, and what
you like, but you can always add sugar, you can't take it away. Or you have
to wait awhile for the alcohol content to smooth out before you can enjoy
it. Good-luck.
Darlene

"DAve Allison" > wrote in message
...
> oops. Yes. I meant 1.095. Thanks Ray for the advice, this looks like a
> good approach. I'm not a honey lover, so probably won't try that (ever
> since I found out honey is just what the bees spit up) - (however, maple
> syrup I might try sometime to sweeten a wine (read that on another of your
> posts).
>
> I tried to take a reading when I made the pumpkin wine to get 1.095, but
> the must was soo dense with pulp that I couldn't get it into the wine
> thief to do a hydrometer. So I am guessing the peach recipe amount of
> sugar is my best guess, minus some for the mango, and then if for some
> reason I can't get the must into the wine thief, at least I'm close.
>
> thanks, DAve
>
> Ray Calvert wrote:
>> I hope there was a slip of a digit (numerical or appendage to a hand) as
>> an SG of 1.950 would have no chance of fermenting. Now if you meant
>> 1.095 then everything would be fine.
>>
>> When making wine with fruit, don't follow exactly a recipe that says to
>> ad a certain amount of sugar. Instead, add the fruit you want. Add the
>> water and then add enough sugar or honey to bring the SG up to the level
>> that will yield the alcohol you want. If you are really getting brave,
>> use honey instead of sugar and turn it into a melomel (mead with fruit)
>> instead of a wine.
>>
>> Ray
>>
>> "DAve Allison" > wrote in message
>> .. .
>>
>>>Newbie question. I'm getting brave, after 2 kits and then 2 from just
>>>concentrates, then 1 from real fruit (pumpkin), I'm ready now to
>>>experiment with a flavor I like: Peach and Mango.
>>>
>>>I have purchased peach concentrate that has a recipe with it, but I want
>>>to add mango. So I went to Jack Keller's website and got a mango recipe
>>>to see how you prepare the mango. Looks like I would peel and remove
>>>seed, mash and then pour the peach concentrate and water over it and then
>>>go from there.
>>>The question is:
>>>if I add 4-5 pounds of mango mash -- should I reduce the sugar? A
>>>straight peach wine calls for 6 pounds of sugar for 3 gallon batch. By
>>>adding this mango, should I start out with less sugar?
>>>
>>>I'm guessing I should always try for 1.950 or something like that on the
>>>hydrometer - so could add more sugar upon the initial mix if need be...
>>>I'm just thinking if I go too high the yeast won't "take".
>>>
>>>Any thoughts?
>>>DAve
>>
>>