first time wine making - is there something wrong?

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katherine

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Hello-
I got some winemaking supplies for my birthday and since we just moved up to the finger lakes, we got some good fresh juice to make cabernet sauvignon with. We also got the yeast they recommended in the store and a book that hasn't been helpful at all.

I rehydrated the yeast as the packet said to, and it proofed just fine. I put this in the bottom of the sanitized bucket and poured the juice from the carboy on top of it. Yes, I stirred it, and after reading lots of instructions it seems like that's not recommended but...

Two days later, there's only a thin layer of bubbles on the top of the juice, and there's a somewhat sulfurous smell filling up the whole kitchen. It doesn't smell terrible, but it makes me wonder if there's something wrong. I, personally, didn't add any bi-sulfate but the vineyard where we got our juice said they already added some to kill the bacteria. I know you wait 24 hours but since the juice came available Friday and I bought the juice and added the yeast Sunday, I can't imagine that would be an issue.

The only things I can think that might be causing this are:

- I didn't add any yeast starter or nutrients to the juice. I HAVE yeast starter, but I don't know if it's too late to add it, or how to add it.
- It gets a little chilly in here at night. The temperature has been getting down to around 50 outside the last few nights, and we haven't turned the heat on yet. However, the bucket's in the kitchen and I can't imagine it gets TOO cold in there (but around 65 wouldn't surprise me)

I mainly don't want to ruin $100 worth of juice, so is there a way to make sure everything's alright with it? Did I kill my yeast and I need to rack it and start over? Or is it just taking a long time to multiply because it didn't have nutrient to kickstart it? Or is it the temperature?

Also, trouble is I'm about to leave town for a few days and so I need to leave really super specific instructions for my boyfriend who's babysitting my juice : )

Thanks!!
 
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65 is ok. Nutrient or energizer a few days late has never hurt in my expirenece. Stir your must. Yeast does need oxygen(gasp the fearful enemy of winemaking) to procreate. Do need to know a few more details? What is your Brix , or SG? If you are not starting with a good sugar level, no amount of yeast is going to have much activity. I'm just barely a newbie myself, But check your sugar, wrap a towel around your must and stir it, you should be fine....
 
You are ok, must smells will change constantly firejohn03 has given you some good advice. Do you have a hydrometer to measure the sugars in your must? If not get one.

And welcome to WineMakingTalk.
 
Ok, the hydrometer reading was 1.087 at 70 degrees, which the chart said adjusts to 1.089. Right for now? (2 days in)

Also, should I be stirring it every day? Is it right to have the lid of the bucket on, which has a little open ventilation valve?

Thanks again for your help!
 
Right now I would put a towel over the bucket, then just set the lid on top. Makes it easier to get in there to stir it up. When it gets down to 1.010 specific gravity or so, then you can snap the lid on and put an airlock in the lid grommet. Or you can transfer it to the secondary (carboy) and airlock it to let it finish fermenting. When it is done fermenting then you can rack it off the sediment and let it start clearing and degassing. Arne.
 
You may wish to warm it up a little at night. I use a large tub of water with an adjustable aquarium heater. You might could get a silver thermal blanket with a lamp and cover the lamp and bucket.
 
Ok, the hydrometer reading was 1.087 at 70 degrees, which the chart said adjusts to 1.089. Right for now? (2 days in)

Also, should I be stirring it every day? Is it right to have the lid of the bucket on, which has a little open ventilation valve?

Thanks again for your help!

Hey Katherine,

Yes you should be stirring it everyday. All the good stuff the yeast like tend to drop to the bottom of the pail. Stirring it suspends it again, allowing yeast to get the food they want. It also allows air to get to the yeast again. At this stage in the game, air is a good thing. It helps them breath. Once you get the SG down to 1.030 or so, air is the enemy.

This debate over bucket snapped closed with valve open vs bucket open with a cloth on top is an argument that can be debated like sports. There really is no correct answer. Personally I snap the lid closed and remove the plug from the valve hole. I place a ball of paper towel over the hole and call it a day.
 

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