Hours per week?

[jrupjr]

How many hours per week do you think you are spending on making wine? I have only been doing this for about 3 weeks and i am starting to see a lot of time put into this. Not complaining, it is a lot of fun and was looking for a hobby and I am now addicted.

Most of my time now is rereading the instructions and this forum about 5 times for each step to make sure I am doing it right. The down side for me is the cleaning and sanitizing everything over and over. Need to get a process down and better layout of the new space in my basement.

I would say 6-8 hrs per week right now doing ACTUAL WORK (does not include reading this forum, which would double that number)

I have 6 batches going right now and starting another this weekend and a batch of my first beer this weekend too. Should keep me very busy for a while.

 

[Pumpkinman]

What kind of beer are you starting?
I have my carboys in my office, all 14 of them...lol...so this is full time...lol!!
I would get a carboy cleaner, it attaches to a drill and you can clean a carboy in a minute instead of using that dreaded brush that doesn't want to reach the sides..
I have a bunch of spare carboys as well, this makes racking a bit easier.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

I've been making wine for over 10 years now, so I have a process worked out to minimize time spent. I've also accumulated more equipment over the years which helps my efficiency. In reading your post, I wonder if you're over doing the cleaning/sanitizing. In everything you read, they'll stress sanitation highly; but I find that many people take it over the top. I tell my students to remember that the sanitation steps you take are primarily to protect the wine, not you. The wine when properly made won't support germs that could make you sick. But unsanitary conditions could harbor bacteria that can damage the flavor of your wine.

I tell students to focus on cleaning equipment right after use. At this time, everything is soft and wet and generally cleans easily. Then let it dry and it's ready for the next use after a simple rinse with K-meta solution. It is very similar to your kitchen practices; you wash your dishes BEFORE putting them in the cupboards and you don't think twice about grabbing a plate and eating off of it. But if you put the dishes away dirty, and let them mold and rot in the cupboards, you'd have a huge job to overcome each time you decided to eat. Remember that the fruit you're using isn't likely perfectly sanitary. Wine does have the ability to overcome some obstacles. The real problem begins when you have dirty equipment or winemaking area. Things that destroy wine get started on the spills or dirty equipment you have laying around and those organisms are there waiting to feed on your next project.

As for my time? I probably spend 2 hours a week on it. Most of the time is involved collecting fruit, starting the wine, and bottling. I make maybe 100 gallons a year.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Lon,
I'd probably spend less time if I wasn't introduced to Skeeter Pee and it's variations...LOL....I must blame some of this indirectly...on you!
Great post, I have to agree that having extra equipment helps speed the process.

 

[jrupjr]

I just started my Skeeter Pee and a Dragaon's Blood last night. Might do another this weekend.

Lon, you are probably right but since these are my first batches, I am not taking any risks in having one go bad from poor sanitation. I have enough other things that can go wrong being a newbie. lol

Tom, I am doing a Brewer's Best American Amber Ale for my first beer kit. Very excited.

I see you are from Poughkeepsie. My bro and sis went to Marist. I have golfed up at Apple Greens? I think the name of it is, a bunch of time.

And now I have to get one of those carboy cleaners. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Rocky]

John, I think you will find that over time you will spend less time. Early on, I know that I over did the attention to the wines and was checking things over and over although there was really nothing to monitor that closely. The more wine you make the more comfortable you will become with the process and the more confidence you will have. As Lon points out, you will also amass lots and lots of "labor saving" devices and tips. Wine making is a long process but it is mostly "unattended" vs. "attended."

You specifically mentioned cleaning and sanitizing, which is very important but does not take all that much time. As Lon points out, clean everything when you are done using it and store it carefully so that it is ready when you are for the next use. Bacteria has to have organic material to live on and thrive and clean glass or stainless steel is not organic. You do have to be a little more careful with plastic items but I have found that, for example on my fermenters, if I clean the with detergent and hot water, dry them and put them away, there is never an issue.

 

[Boatboy24]

I've only been at this about ten months now. At first, everything took me a VERY long time. In fact, I think I spent over an hour and a half starting my first kit. I haven't timed it recently, but I think I'm down to under 45 minutes now, including clean up. Might even be 30. Like Lon said, all my stuff is clean and shiny when I'm done using it and it's ready to go for the next run with just a quick spritz of KMeta. I've started keeping some KMeta solution in many of my carboys, just sealed with solid bungs. They are ready to go on a moments notice. So, starting a kit, all I really need to do is spritz the spoon, primary and hydrometer and I'm off to the races. As you do more, you'll find you spend less time. But I walk through the winemaking area pretty much daily, just to check airlocks, etc. That only takes a minute though.

Since I started, I've gotten additional equipment, and have things sort of laid out to make it more efficient. Bottling still seems to take me a while though. Probably because I'm hunched over, or sqatting for so long it just seems like an eternity. Need to get an All-in-one wine pump...

 

[TedLarsen]

I agree with everything everyone has said. I have been making wine about a year now -- so hardly an expert! -- but I am already infinitely more efficient at >everything< than I used to be.

The most time-consuming part for me, now, is hauling everything up and down the stairs (since I do not have a sink or tub in the basement). That's also one of the reasons, among many, I personally have moved towards Better Bottles instead of glass.

 

[Fabiola]

I was spending more time in winemaking at the beginning because I was in my learning process, now that I just repeat the previous steps can spend less time making wine, that also gives you more drinking time...

 

[grapeman]

As you get more efficient at making wine, you will spend less time making more and then you have more time to spend on quality control. Quality control takes a bit of self control also to keep from sampling an ounce or two out of your 57 carboys full of wine you have in various stages.

 

[Stefani]

Cleaning is most of my work. Cleaning and sorting used wine bottles as they are gathered for me by friends and relatives, clean and sanitize after a process and I do sanitize before I begin a process just for peace of mind. The only scheduling that I'm monitor closely is when the must is in the primary. The mixing of the must first day, pitching 24 hours later (few seconds) then checking SG a few days later. Degassing by way of paddle is something that takes time on the 5-6 gallon batches. On the gallon batches splash racking seems to suffice.

I spend a few minutes every few weeks monitoring the airlocks and making sure they have ample liquid and see how the wine ion the carboys are clearing. I tape post-it notes on the carboys with next recommended rack or bottling time. I'm pretty lazy so often I rack from carboy to carboy or bottle on my schedule which could be up to 4 to 6 weeks after the date I put on the carboy post-it.

In addition I tend to time the processes with my wines so I'll end up working on 2 to 3 wines in one session, Bottling wine first, then next racking wine on the next oldest wine and then racking from the primary for the most current batch. I leave a few filled wine bottles uncorked for the topping off of the carboys of the other batches. This way I only have to sanitize my siphon once at the beginning and the end of the last siphon.

I agree with Rocky. After the wine gets to the secondary, wine making doesn't take all that much time.

There is an exception to this. I love to have friends come over and help with the bottling. This is fun to have them bottle then sample... err bench test the wine.

I use their descriptive the characteristics of the nose and the taste as part of my labeling. Those who have participated are honored to see their descriptions on the labels. Of course, no one leaves with out a bottle or two.

John, I think you will find that over time you will spend less time. Early on, I know that I over did the attention to the wines and was checking things over and over although there was really nothing to monitor that closely. The more wine you make the more comfortable you will become with the process and the more confidence you will have. As Lon points out, you will also amass lots and lots of "labor saving" devices and tips. Wine making is a long process but it is mostly "unattended" vs. "attended."

You specifically mentioned cleaning and sanitizing, which is very important but does not take all that much time. As Lon points out, clean everything when you are done using it and store it carefully so that it is ready when you are for the next use. Bacteria has to have organic material to live on and thrive and clean glass or stainless steel is not organic. You do have to be a little more careful with plastic items but I have found that, for example on my fermenters, if I clean the with detergent and hot water, dry them and put them away, there is never an issue.

 

[Midwest Vintner]

Typically, 10-20 hrs, but during bottling times, much more than that.