Noob first batch questions

Hello I am new to the forum and really hope to benefit from the community

I have minimal wine making experience; Ive made some pretty raunchy jailhous wine with some buddies but want to make it a serious hobby, so for my first serious time at this I am making two batches of strawberry wine..

6lbs strawberries
7cups water
2 1/2 lbs granulated sugar
red star pasteur champagne yeast

For second batch i was considering adding raisins and 1 can welches white grape juice

I have several quesitons:
I have several chemicals camben tablets, acid blends, tannin, yeast energizer ect. should I add desired chemicals such as yeast nutrient and energizer (read from successful threads) and allow to sit for a week before adding my yeast? Second, should i put my mashed fruit into a bag and allow to sit n the must or can i just have it floating inside my container? Also I have 5 gallon bucket im not sure if i should keep the lid snapped over it and use a red-neck air lock of allow the lid to just sit on top of my must? I think its several little things that has prevented me from making a decent tasting wine, so Im really hopin for some help, thanks!

A week is too long to let the must sit before pitching yeast. 24 hours is a good amount of time.

The raisins and grape concentrate will throw off your sugar ratio on the second batch so be sure you watch your specific gravity. The hydrometer is your friend here.

If you put your fruit in a bag, it will be a lot easier to take it out when you are ready to rack to secondary, but there is nothing saying you can't just have the fruit floating.

Lately, I've been just keeping my lid sitting on top of the bucket with some paper towel stuffed into the hole where the airlock would go. Makes it a lot easier to stir to oxygenate my yeast, but still keeps the bad stuff out.

Most important is to have fun with the whole process. Take notes, and learn along the way.

thank you! simple answers have the best way of answering dumb questions!

Am I just going to use my air lock after it gets racked? for secondary anaerobic fermentation?

How big of a batch are you making? You only have enough strawberries for a gallon batch, actually, you really need more. Starting with 6# you really would need to do an fpac.

Get a hydrometer before you start, you really cannot make a good wine without one.

Do not just throw in sugar, shoot for a reading of 1.080.

Listen to what Julie is telling you! She is right on.

We leave the lid off the primary, just cover it with a towel, tightly sealed with a bungee. The oxygen can get in, but no bugs. At least that's our theory.

Welcome aboard!!!

I agree 6#'s will only cover 1 gallon. Make sure you take readings before adding sugar or acid blindly.

I would also use pectic to help extract juice and color from the strawberries.

I would freeze the strawberries - make sure they are good and frozen - then let them thaw out. The strawberries will juice much easier.

Add your k-meta in wait 12 hours, add in your pectic, wait 12 hours, adjust your sugar and acid levels, add in the yeast nutrient, and then pitch your yeast.

Try to get your SG around 1.080 - 1.085.

thanks for all the feedback!!

Here's how it ended up over the last 5 days.

1.5 gallons total must
6lbs strawberryies
1/4 cup raisins
1 can white grape juice
2.5 lbs sugar

Got my hydrometer julie thanks i realize its value for sure but it was a little high! like 1.300 high at the time of adding yeast. Julie what do you mean by an fpac? after adding in the chemicals like 3352 suggested and waiting the past 5 days im at about 10% alcohol n it seems to be doing well. Mike im going to actually use your suggestion i think it makes alot more sense then just setting the lid on top.