First Kit concern...

[jiml]

I tried to plan my first kit so that I would be in town during the first week of fermentation just in case I had issue with it getting stuck.

However, I have a last minute work trip I have to take tomorrow. I started my kit yesterday(12/4) around noon. By 6pm, I saw about 8 bubbles a minute. By this morning(12/5) at 8am, I have about 40 bubbles a minute.

At this point is there any reason I should worry? I get back on Thursday so I doubt my fermentation will be done by then.

The kit is a WineExpert Italian Barolo. My temp is stable around 68F.

I did make some first time mistakes when doing this kit. I read the instructions many many times but just doing the process for the first time, I forgot to take my hydrometer reading prior to pitching yeast(I had everything sitting right beside me sanitized and my excitement to pitch made me go stupid. Once i pitched the yeast, I decided against taking a sample. My only concern after that would be did I stir it well enough after I added water. I had to stir pretty well to get the oak powder mixed but without the hydrometer reading, I have no idea if I did it enough.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!

If you pitched the yeast on 12/4 - you should be alright until Tuesday when you get back.

Even thought you didn't take an initial reading - still take SG readings - as these will help you along the way.

When the SG gets down between 1.000 - 1.005, rack the wine into the secondary fermentor.

It sounds like you stirred it well enough.

 

[jiml]

Thanks for the reply.

This forum is invaluable. Been reading for a few weeks now.

For curiosity sakes, what would happen if I didn't get the juice mixed well enough? Would it just be a slow fermentation because the juice is sitting at the bottom and mostly water on top?

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome to the forum. Yes you will be ok until you return. Usually the starting sg on kits are fairly standard so maybe someone else that made that kit can give you an idea. Going forward keep taking readings and record them. Your fermentation may be a bit slower but with it actively moving it will help mix your ingredients. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[cpfan]

Everything sounds good. I understand your first timer's concerns, but if your temperature is decent (and it sounds like it has started, so no concerns), you are unlikely to get a stuck fermentation.

Not stirring the must well enough may make your initial sg reading inaccurate. It may make the ferment slow to start. Once it gets started, the vigourous ferment should mix the ingredients (as Dan/Runningwolf already said).

One nitpicky point. You are making a Winexpert Italian Barolo. Winexpert makes three Barolos, two of which are Italian Barolos. Please remember to be specific about which product line that you are making. For some questions, it WILL make a difference.

Steve

 

[Wade E]

Before you leave make sure your lid on the primary bucket is snapped down so that all the gases are stuck in there to protect your wine in case it does finish early as it may since it started so fast and is doing so good. Like Cpfan said, some of these kits can be pretty different even within the same brand name due to much more juice in the larger kits and even grape skins or fruit flowers and such that either add aroma and flavor or just added body and complexity. They can even have much higher starting gravities to be more like the commercial wine it is replicating.

 

[frohe]

Ok, never done a kit; maybe one of these days. But, shouldn't the target SG for a kit to be moved off the primary to the secondary be the same as for fruit wines (in the 1.040 - 1.030 range)?

I know it's convenient to plan things out by a number of days between actions but I was taught years ago that the driving force behind everything is the SG, e.g. getting out of the primary when the SG reaches 1.040 to 1.030 then racking when the SG is at 1.000 to .0995.

I've been doing my fruit wines this way all these years and it seems to work.

 

[Wade E]

Some kits directions state to ferment to dry in primary while others state to rack at about 1.015 or what ever. I myself prefer to almost always ferment to dry in bucket just like beer except with beer I just coninue to leave it in there for a few more weeks where as with wine I rack as soon as its done fermenting. Racking at 1.040 is not a wise thing to do as you are likely going to leave too much viable yeat behind making your wine stop fermenting early or youll just have to rack into 2 vessels as to have enough space for a very active fermentation still and trying to put that violent wine or beer in a carboy with not enough room will make a mess you DONT want to clean up!!!!

 

[jiml]

The kit was Vintners Reserve World Vineyard Italian Barolo.

I followed the instructions(outside of getting the SP) so I airlocked it from the beginning. If it finishes early, I don't think that should be an issue.

If this goes well, I am planning on trying some RJ kits, maybe an amarone. Of course I am going to do a white wine as my wife would kill me otherwise if I just did reds.

 

[Wade E]

Just so you know the s,maller red kits IMO can be very thin on body and flavor where as a bigger kit with the grape skins can be very commercial like with body and flavor. The white wines can be also but there is much less of a difference when it comes to this.

 

[jiml]

Well last night did not go well.

I am fermenting in our large walk in closet as it is the most stable temperature wise in the house(or at least i thought). The past two weeks, I have been monitoring the temp in that closet. Never really went out of the 68-72F range. I felt that would be my best best.

Last night, sit the sack around 11pm and the temp of the closet was sitting at 71F. Woke up this morning and it was 80F(air temp). Fermenter was sitting around 78F. Naturally, I started a little panic. Used the closet door back and forth to lower the temp of the room. Now I am back to 75F. I closed the air vent a good deal because I know what happened.

Last night was one of coldest nights so far and my heat ran a lot. Since that room is closed off, it got more heat than the rest of the house. I am hoping that closing the vent a little more than half way will prevent it from happening again.

I might have to get a heat belt and close the vent completely in the closet.

 

[Brian]

Jiml, not to worry as it didn't make a mess you are OK. Fermentation temps are variable and even at 78 deg you were well within the range. if you can control the temps to around 70-75 without the belt I would not use one but if you plan on closing all the heat off to the room I agree you should get one. They keep the temp pretty consistant.

 

[jiml]

Just checked my SG as it has been 5 days. I was shocked to see it is 1.000 already. Per the instructions, I racked to a carboy to finish fermenting.

My closet temp stayed stable around 72 degrees(my wife thought I was nuts having her check it multiple times a day while I was on travel for work) after I adjusted the air vent.