Got questionable instructions for juice bucket

[miccbull]

Hi everyone! This site seems like an excellet community.

I've made kits with the precise instructions before so I have an idea of the steps. But I bought a bucket of Regina juice (Chateauneuf du pape) yesterday and the instructions I was given were a little vague.

1. Loosely fit the lid (or use an airlock) in the lid and put it on an angle (rest one side on a 2x4
2. Let it sit for a 3 weeks-1 month, when the wine gets around 0.995 SG siphon to carboy
3. Put in a Tbsp of metabisulfate
4. Let it sit for 2 months.
5. Bottle.

These instructions seem very terse and a good way to come out with a bad batch of wine... or am I wrong?

Should I use bentonite at the start?
What about chitosan/kieselsol?
What about degassing?

Can someone possibly give me some proper advice for this bucket? I'd like to have it bottled in 3-4 months, and drinkable in 4-6. I'm not in a rush, but I don't want to bulk age it for a year.

Thanks

 

[Julie]

Hi miccbull,

Welcome to wniemakingtalk. Don't follow those instructions.

By the sounds of it, the yeast as already been added to the must. Loosen the lid, stir daily and when the sg is down to around 1.010 - 1.000, snap the lid down or rack to a carboy. I leave my wines ferment dry in primary, so I rack when it is dry, normally around .994. add k-meta and normally I will rack and k-meta once every three months, I usually let my wines age anywhere from 9 months to a year in the carboys. Because I rack every three months and age for several months, I don't normally need to degass but if you don't age ion carboys yes you need to degass. And yes you can add bentonite at the beginning. Making a juice bucket really is not much different than a kit.

 

[miccbull]

Thanks for the advice Julie.

I think the yeast is natural yeast. What do I need to add when I rack (when dry)/degass?

Michael

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

Hi everyone! This site seems like an excellet community.

I've made kits with the precise instructions before so I have an idea of the steps. But I bought a bucket of Regina juice (Chateauneuf du pape) yesterday and the instructions I was given were a little vague.

1. Loosely fit the lid (or use an airlock) in the lid and put it on an angle (rest one side on a 2x4
2. Let it sit for a 3 weeks-1 month, when the wine gets around 0.995 SG siphon to carboy
3. Put in a Tbsp of metabisulfate
4. Let it sit for 2 months.
5. Bottle.

These instructions seem very terse and a good way to come out with a bad batch of wine... or am I wrong?

Should I use bentonite at the start?
What about chitosan/kieselsol?
What about degassing?

Can someone possibly give me some proper advice for this bucket? I'd like to have it bottled in 3-4 months, and drinkable in 4-6. I'm not in a rush, but I don't want to bulk age it for a year.

Thanks

Hey Michael,

Julie hit it on the head. I wouldn't worry about bentonite, chitosan/keiselsol at this stage in the game. Over the next few months, as your continue to rack, add your K meta to ensure your wine doesn't get spoiled. In due time the wine should clear on it's own.

If you see months later that the wine is still cloudy then you can try a fining agent.

If you don't plan on back-sweetening your wine (adding wine after fermentation is complete) then you need not worry about potassium sorbate. Just make sure your hydrometer is reading below 1.000.

As far as what to add as your racking, just some k meta to keep it from getting spoiled. You should be good to go.

Oh, and if you have an issue with gas in your wine, rack your wine a couple of times hard, allowing the wine to hit the bottom on carboy with some force. This should get the gas out.

 

[jpsmithny]

If the yeast has already been added, so be it1 The only thing I would add is some yeast nutrient. It really helps the yeast stay healthy and prevent H2S.

I am only speaking from experience.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Here is a tutorial on basic juice fermentation. This will fill in some of the blanks.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f71/basic-juice-fermenting-guide-14202/

Welcome to WMT by the way.

 

[Kraffty]

isn't TBSP a tablespoon? it's 1/4 teaspoon meta for 6 gallons isn't it?
Mike

 

[jpsmithny]

Hi everyone! This site seems like an excellet community.

I've made kits with the precise instructions before so I have an idea of the steps. But I bought a bucket of Regina juice (Chateauneuf du pape) yesterday and the instructions I was given were a little vague.

1. Loosely fit the lid (or use an airlock) in the lid and put it on an angle (rest one side on a 2x4
2. Let it sit for a 3 weeks-1 month, when the wine gets around 0.995 SG siphon to carboy
3. Put in a Tbsp of metabisulfate
4. Let it sit for 2 months.
5. Bottle.

These instructions seem very terse and a good way to come out with a bad batch of wine... or am I wrong?

Should I use bentonite at the start?
What about chitosan/kieselsol?
What about degassing?

Can someone possibly give me some proper advice for this bucket? I'd like to have it bottled in 3-4 months, and drinkable in 4-6. I'm not in a rush, but I don't want to bulk age it for a year.

Thanks

Miccbull, Welcome to the forums.

That's interesting advice that you got. My first time ever making wine was from a juice bucket and the advice I got was " You don't have to do anything".

 

[miccbull]

If the yeast has already been added, so be it1 The only thing I would add is some yeast nutrient. It really helps the yeast stay healthy and prevent H2S.

I am only speaking from experience.

I've never head of yeast nutrient. Can you perhaps give me a few more details? I'd like to do everything possible to ensure a good batch.

Here is a tutorial on basic juice fermentation. This will fill in some of the blanks.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f71/basic-juice-fermenting-guide-14202/

Welcome to WMT by the way.

Thanks! I read through your resource. Everything was quote clear. One question I have is when racking, if there isn't enough liquid to get up to the proper volume in the carboy, do you top off with an old bottle of wine, or?

isn't TBSP a tablespoon? it's 1/4 teaspoon meta for 6 gallons isn't it?
Mike

Thanks for clarifying this.

 

[miccbull]

Is there any other supplies I should have on hand, other than k-meta, sorbate and some yeast nutrient?

SHould I add some yeast as well, or will the natural yeast suffice?

 

[sour_grapes]

Here is a good thread on yeast nutrients.

 

[djrockinsteve]

If the juice is fermenting you can leaving it alone. If you are concerned sulfite the juice, wait 12-24 hours and add a good commercial yeast that is fully under way as in creating a starter. You don't want 2 yeasts competing.

Your main ingredients of most wines would be…
Potassium Metabisulfite (not sodium)
Potassium Sorbate
Yeast Nutrient
Yeast Energizer (Super Ferment)
Pectic Enzyme (dry or liquid)
Sparkolloid or Bentonite. (I prefer Spark)
Oak chips or cubes

Is the Tbsp. on the tutorial? It should be teaspoon. Let me know.

 

[djrockinsteve]

When you start fermentation start with 6 gallons. You will lose 1/2 gallon (due to mass) by then end of fermentation. Now you have 5 1/2 gallons. After it has cleared and you rack you can use the 1/2 gallon to top off.

Maybe you will have an extra bottle worth during aging which can be used to top off after aging.

If you ever fall short either top off with a cheap similar wine, add 8 million marbles, open up a bottle or two of last years batch or as I do, have numerous size carboys and bottles to use.

Start with 6 gallons and it should work out.

 

[miccbull]

It turns out the SG is already down to 1.0! It's been fermenting for awhile in the cooler it seems. The only measurements I can take are temp and specific gravity, so I'm not sure how to determine if I should add yeast nutrient/energizer or pectic enzyme, at this point?

It looks like it is actually says 1 teaspoon ok k-meta, I must have read the paper too quickly.

 

[sour_grapes]

If the SG is truly down to 1.000, you shouldn't add yeast nutrient at this point. I think it is too late for yeast nutrient, and too early for k-meta. Wait until the SG is stable, presumably at some value less than 1.000 (like, say 0.996). The standard advice is that it should read the same SG for three days in a row.

What is the temperature? If it is low, the fermentation will proceed slowly.

How does it taste? Does it taste sweet at all, or does it taste like (very young) wine?

 

[miccbull]

The temp after spending the day inside was 68F. perhaps I'll wrap it in a heating blanket to bump it up to the low 70's. I didn't think to taste it but it did smell very sweet. Perhaps I'll give it a taste when I get home. If I rack it at 0.996 can I skip using the sorbate and only add 1/4 tsp of k-meta? If the sorbate greatly reduces the risk of tainted wine I'd add it anyway, but I am seeing lots of people leave it out once they are more skilled at making wine.

 

[sour_grapes]

The party line is if you will let this ferment to dry (i.e., no sugars left), and are NOT intending to backsweeten, and you will let this sit for a few months before bottling, then you can forgo the sorbate.

 

[miccbull]

My wine seems to have stopped fermenting at 0.998. There is no pressure showing in the air lock. What should I do?!

 

[djrockinsteve]

There are so many questions I need to know to answer. Ingredients already added. Yeast used. When did you rack, how and why. So many people rack to a carboy and have problems.

I saw its fermenting @68-70 degrees that's fine. How often if at all you stirred.

Read in the tutorial section Basic Fermentation.

If you could answer these we may be able to answer. Sorry

 

[miccbull]

I'll answer the best I can. It's a Regina juice pale that has been sitting in the fridge/cooler at the store since sept/oct. I purchased it dec 19th and let it sit in the garage (cool area) until the 20th when I moved it to my basement, 68ish degrees. During this time I released the pressure from the rubber stopper in the lid a few times. On the 22nd, after it had warmed up I gave I a good stir and snapped the lid down with an air lock. It showed what seems like decent pressure in my experience but I didn't notice any bubbling, sg was 1.000, surprisingly low according to the guy that sold it to me when I told him. I gave it a couple days and the pressure was gone (I'm not sure how long it stayed high, but I doubt it was long) so I checked the wine and the sg was 0.998 ( on dec 25th). On the 26th I got the same reading. Now it is still 0.998 but maybe a hair lower, eg can't see the line on the tool as easily.

I've added nothing to it because my initial sg reading was so low. It was stirred once, and is still in the primary, and airlock no longer shows pressure. The wine is still at .998, maybe a hair lower than yesterday, but only a hair.