REFRACTOMETER!!!!!!

My new refractometer just arrived today! Perfect timing since I started those grapes and supposedly they should have enough sugar that I wouldn't need to add 3 pounds to reach a significant alcohol content. I think I'm going to shoot for 14-15%. I calibrated it and tested it out with the juice of the grapes and then with the sugar water added. Tomorrow when I add the yeast and acids and tannin I'll bump up the sugar, right now it looks to be at about 10.5% PA.

On the mead front the Ancient Orange suddenly took an interesting turn and cleared up a lot. I I can see about an inch of lees on the bottom. It'll be about a month on the 13th of April and it needs to sit for another month after that before I can think about racking to a secondary fermenter or even bottling. I was thinking that bulk aging would be a good thing to try with a 1 gallon batch, but I'm not sure I want it to be the Ancient Orange that ages in a jug and not a bottle.

Dissolution, that's the sack mead, is looking clearer but not crystal and that one needs at least 2 more months in the cabinet.

I finally racked the blueberry spice into bottles last night and tasted it. It was watery and had a strong alcohol taste but that was all. I'll admit I was really disappointed in this first batch of my own wine, not made from a kit. Partly, I think problems arose because I wasn't sure what I could or should add to fill the carboy with and often water is on hand but not the best choice. I also think I am too conservative when it comes to ingredients and rather than adding over the amount of puree or juice I top of with water.

Lessons learned.