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Fredman · 02-03-2005, 08:12 PM

When making wine from the recipes on the wine list(from fruit) Do you top up? With what water or wine?

masta · 02-04-2005, 12:10 AM

Fred,<?

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Welcome to the forum!

As with making all wines when the fermentation is complete you need to minimize the headspace of the container it is in to prevent oxidation. <O:P></O:P>

Unless you have a similar wine to top off I guess you have to use water.

Check out this post: http://www.finevinewines.com/Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7 7&KW=top

What do you say Country?<O:P></O:P>

Edited by: masta

Hippie · 02-05-2005, 02:52 AM

I use water, almost always the first top up. If you are worried you won't be able to calculate the alcohol content because of topping up with water, wait until the wine is dry and clear, before you sweeten, if you do, and use a vinometer. The vinometer will not work correctlywith a sweet or cloudy wine.

I think alot of people worry too much about topping up and what to top up with, especially before fermentation is finished.

AAASTINKIE · 03-01-2005, 05:39 AM

I racked my second kit to my secondary today, I did a much better job,
on my first one I was worried about getting to much lees so I left a
quart or two in the primary but I saw the lees is quite firm on the
bottom and only left a few ounces this time. I racked into a plastic
primary container for my secondary, the local brew guy (local being an
hour away) doesn't buy this air problem thing (I think he is a beer guy
mostly) I went there to buy a carboy and he said you don't need one and
he showed me his wine in carboys and they were only 1/2 full, so I
thought I could get away with leaving mine in the primary due to still
gassing off so CO2 covering the wine and then when I stablize and fine
will already be in the right container, then I'll transfer to the
carboy. This white wine kit needs to stay in the secondary for 3 weeks.

MedPretzel · 03-01-2005, 05:46 AM

I agree completely!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Country Wine

I use water, almost always the first top up. If you are worried you won't be able to calculate the alcohol content because of topping up with water, wait until the wine is dry and clear, before you sweeten, if you do, and use a vinometer. The vinometer will not work correctlywith a sweet or cloudy wine.

I think alot of people worry too much about topping up and what to top up with, especially before fermentation is finished.

Hippie · 03-01-2005, 06:56 AM

Your local brew guy hopefully is not steering you wrong. If the wine in those half full carboys is fermenting, there may be enough CO2 above the wine to protect it, if not it is oxidising fast. Maybe he is like you say a strictly beer guy and does not know much about wine? There are alot of myths and rumours circulating out there when it comes to winemaking that are not gospel. Be careful. This can get expensive.

Fredman · 03-01-2005, 10:40 PM

Well when I transfered from primary to carboy I had a big space in my carboy. I am hoping that it won't hurt the wine. This wine is from the fresh fruit stage. Even thou the big empty void in my carboy the bubbler was going strong. I will know in about 4 months. That is another question I have. In fruit wine do you add a stabilizer to get it to clear or do you let it do it on it's own?

geocorn · 03-01-2005, 10:50 PM

Couple of points.

Be careful of getting wine information from beer guys. Due to the CO2 in the beer coupled with the fact that you do not age beer, oxygen is not a big problem with beer, but it is HUGE with wine. Always top off to within 2-3 of the bung after fermentation is complete. Did I say ALWAYS!

Second, when using a wine kit, use a 6-gallon carboy. If you use a 5-gallon, it will throw off the balance and will take an extra year to taste good.

Three, stabilizers are used to prevent re-fermenation, not to clear. Fining agents are used to clear and I never get in a hurry to add fining agents. Most wines will clear with little to no help. But, if you need to fine, use Super-Kleer. It is a gelatin-kiesesol combination that will clear most wines within 2 days.

Hippie · 03-01-2005, 11:46 PM

Good advice George.

Fred, if the airlock is going strong, you are probably protected, but you need to get the wine in a smaller container and topped up ans soon as fermentation and outgassing is over.

Fredman · 03-02-2005, 04:59 PM

When I started the wine from fruit stage I had it in my primary fermenter. After it was going it dawned on me that it was a recipe for 5 gallons. So I got on the web and ordered a 5 from Fine Vines(good excuse to put in a order and you know you have to make it worth it and order lots of stuff). Its in a 5 gallon now and I topped it off with water. I tasted it and its kinda bitter but I am hoping its just part of the process(first time for wine from fruit)

. I will see in two months on how it tastes then and then again in two months following.