The wine I started earlier this month had settled down a lot, without much visible sign of continuing fermentation. As the demijohn had a certain amount of scum on the sides and a thick must at the bottom, as well as those bloated, floating raisins I put in to help kickstart fermentation, I decided it was sensible to transfer it to a fresh demijohn to mature.

I took a measurement and it has dropped to 0.997 from the initial reading of 1.080, suggesting an ABV of about 11% (10.89 according to the calculator). That is fairly much what I would expect from what is going to be a pale rose. I also took a sip of what was left in my sample tube and it isn’t quite ready for consumption just yet. I’d characterise it as very sharp, with acidity overwhelming other parts of the flavour profile.

What I need to do now is be patient. It can spend another 3+ months in the demijohn, quietly mellowing, and then I can make a judgement on whether it has been a success.