Recent content by mr2step

GreginND-Thanks for your input! This is my first go at this wine thing. Will leaving the airlock on be ok at this point or should I top it off and put a solid bung on it? I only filled carboy up to the shoulder because I had read that foaming may occur. I never got any foam and have a good 8...

I racked to secondary fermentation 7 days ago into glass carboy. I had starting SG of 1.095 and now today's SG is 1.000 after 14 days of total fermentation time. I used Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast and was trying to get a drier wine. Using the formula of (starting SG-Final SG)/7.32 would...

Thanks everyone. It looks like the sediment is beginning to drop and the juice is clearing. I think secondary fermentation is almost done as I am hardly getting any bubbles in my airlock. Gonna wait another day or so and take another S.G to see where we are at. I am amazed at how much crap has...

Pete1325- I picked my muscadine grapes from my own vines then froze them. Since muscadines don't grow in bunches like Vinerifera I had to hand pick each and every grape. Also, since they don't ripen all at once but rather in stages I had to select the ripe ones from unripe and leave those for...

I was at 1.010 at racking and it was muscadine grapes not just juice. I am using Red Star pasteur Champagne yeast. Initial S.G was 1.085 if that helps. I just am afraid of bacteria growing in the wine during this time. There seems to be enough alcohol but was just curious as to other's...

I just racked my primary muscadine must to a secondary glass carboy 2 days ago. Fermentation seems to still be going on as I am getting bubbles still in the airlock. However, I have noticed that I am beginning to get "stuff" floating on the top of the juice. Is this a normal thing to be getting...

Great stuff everyone. Thanks for the input. I made a trip to the local box store and got myself some 5 gallon paint strainer bags for $3.50/2 and an extra 5 gallon food grade bucket. I just pressed off the skins and boy what a chore! Those mesh netting strainers are so thing it takes forever as...

Robie- Thanks. I did not mean to imply I had NOT been reading and researching this wine making thing as I have very much so. I was just unsure if I had to add the bentonite at the same time I racked to the carboy for the start of secondary fermentation or at later time. This was something I...

Robie- That's great to hear. Thank you. Out of curiosity when do you normally press the skins off the top of the must if it's still in primary fermenation stage and not quite down to the 1.020-1.010 stage yet? I suspect I will be there in next few days at this rate but was curious on slower...

Thanks Robie. My goal was to TRY and get a drier wine so I heard this was a good strain as it tolerates high alcohol well. We'll see. Good news though is that fermentation seems to be going well and am looking forward to racking soon which will open even MORE questions to me even AFTER reading...

Andy123- Nope never heard of that place then again nightclubs open and close so frequently in Ocala I cannot keep up with them, nor do I go to them to be honest. I do have a sneaking suspicion though of what it might be called now though:-) Now, if only Ocala/Gainesville could get a winemaking...

So I posted a quick question about my primary fermentation previously and now I am about to rack to secondary in 2-3 days so am trying to find out what things I need to add to help my muscadine must drop some of it's sediment as it seems to be fairly chunky. I plan to strain it through a mesh...

Well the low temp was due to the fact I was afraid the must was going to go china syndrome on me and burn up and kill the yeast as I had read that mid 60-70's F was a normal range of temps and I was afraid it was going to climb into the 80's so I put the bucket into a large ice cooler and placed...

So I have a 5 gallon batch of white muscadine must in primary. I pitched Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast 2 days ago after hydrating it and then pouring into must. The must temp is approx 72-74 degrees F and still producing frothy bubbles when I gently punch down the cap several times a day...

Hey all. This is my first post here after checking things out for a bit. After bailing on trying my hand at wine last summer after picking all my grapes, I decided to take the plunge this year and just pitched the yeast this morning. I have 5 gallons of must from approx. 31 pounds of bronze...