New batch concord grape

I started 2 new batches of Concord grape using cooked juice. This morning it has a nice foaming on top but I'm not sure how long I leave it alone or when to skim and stir? My original recipe said ferment 3 days before skimming and straining. Does this seem right? My first batch hasn't come out great so advice is welcome. My recipe is equal parts cooked juice, water and sugar. Very basic. My yeast is Lalvin EC-1118 and a batch Red Star Premier Cuvee

This is what it looks like 12 hours after starting - this layer looks thick

Next time try just crushing the grapes up some to get the juice out, hit it with k=meta for 12 hrs or so, add pectic enzime, wait another 12 hrs. or so. Check the specific gravity, adjust if needed, add half of the yeast nutrient, half of the energizer, and pitch in the yeast. Get it fermenting, let it ferment for a few days and pull the skins out. Press the juice out of them however you can. When the s.g. gets down to 1.060 or so, add the other half of the nutrient and energizer. Stir it every day and let it ferment down. When it gets down to 1.010 or so, put it in the secondary, or wait til it ferments dry and then place in secondary. When the ferment is done and it starts clearing, rack it off the lees and give it a shot of k-meta and let it sit and clear. When clear, time to stabalize, sweeten if needed and stick it in the bottle. Little hint, maybe put the grapes in a ferment bag, makes it much easier to get them out of the must. If you try this, come back on and ask some questions if you have them. Somebody will jump in and answer. Others will probably add to this. It should make a decent wine for you, tho. Good luck with it, Arne.

Thanks I will write that down and try on next batch - for this one shoild Zi skim that sludge or let it keep doing its thing?

stir twice daily. the foam is skins etc floating to top. string will provide oxygen to the yeast and improves fermentation. use a hydrometer to determine when to rack into secondary. three days may not be enough to complete fermentation.

Thanks for your reply! There are no skins in this bucket just juice, sugar, water and yeast. Called my wine making store and he said do nothing - leave it be 1-2 weeks and that thing growing on the top (he had a name for it) was the yeast working and when it was done it would sink to the bottom. Glad I didn't skim it off which was my thinking!

I would stir it every day. Stir the cap in to keep it moist. Other than that, let er ferment. There are as many ways to make wine as there are winemakers. If you kinda follow along with the folks here, they have it pretty well figured out so most all of your ferments come out good. Arne.

Thanks Arne! I am going to go stir my buckets - pretty excited these 2 buckets seem to be doing so well!

Update - Arne - Concord fresh and pressed

Arne I took your advice and made a batch of Concord with the directions you provided. The wine has now been bulk aging for several months. First racked in October then January and today. It is pretty clear and I have added K-meta with each racking. Sadly there was a small glass that would not fit into the carboy/gallon/quart container I had with this wine and I had to drink it! Not bad, a bit tart but def. drinkable and has a nice Concord taste.

At this point I know it needs to sit and age a long time from what I have read - 1-2 years to be good. Do I have to rack every few months or can I just forget about it if its in a carboy with airlock and it is filled right up to the neck? I have not added sorbate or back sweetened or added any clarifier.

Once it gets where it is not throwing any sediment, you do not need to rack again. If you get very little sediment, don't worry about it, if you get a quarter to a half inch, I would rack it off. When you are satisified it isn't dropping sediment any more you can either leave it in a carboy to age or bottle it. If you sweeten it some, don't forget to add k-meta and sorbate. Good luck with it. Arne.

Update

Arne it is that time of the year again and I am starting a batch of Concord! I have learned a lot over the past year and am excited to be starting a batch with some actual knowledge.

The batch I made last year that you helped me with I have bottled one gallon and have a 3 gallon carboy still aging. The bottled wine I sampled and it is pretty good, a bit acidic still but will hopefully soften with more aging. Thank you again for your help with lasts years batch!