My first batch of wine

[gfmonk]

Hi Everyone,

I made my first batch of wine yesterday and I woke up this morning to the top of the top of the fermenter being full of juice as well as the airlock. Is this normal? Do I just clean up the top or do I try to take it off and pour it back into the fermenter?

Thanks for the help!!

Gary

 

[dralarms]

Don't put it back in.

Also you have a little too much in your primary if its coming through your air lock.

Do you have a second bucket you could split the batch until it goes into the secondary?

 

[gfmonk]

Thanks for the reply. I do have a second bucket but I don't have a second lid with a hole in it.

 

[gfmonk]

Should I remove the air lock and replace it?

 

[Rocky]

gfmonk, it sounds like you have snapped down the lid on your primary fermenter and installed an airlock at the beginning of fermentation. I think you could just lay the top on the fermenter without snapping it down (until the SG gets to about 1.020 or so). As noted above by dralarms, do not pour the wine on the top back into the fermenter. I would guess that this wine on the top came up through the airlock and is a concentrated mixture of wine and k-meta solution (assuming you had k-meta solution in the airlock). In any case, it has been exposed to air for a considerable time. Just discard it, clean the top and the airlock (you can leave the airlock in the lid but don't seal the fermenter).

 

[gfmonk]

Thanks Rocky, that's exactly what I did. I locked down the top. I have cleaned the airlock and the top . I put distilled water in the airlock. Is that ok?

 

[olusteebus]

It should be fine. I came home to a lot of peach wine in my two airlocks. I cleaned them and think I am ok. What must of happened is that I left the carboys in my house while I was away for the summer and the ac temp was set at 85. The heat made the wine expand and leak into the airlock.

 

[Rocky]

Thanks Rocky, that's exactly what I did. I locked down the top. I have cleaned the airlock and the top . I put distilled water in the airlock. Is that ok?

A lot of us use sanitizing solution in the airlocks. It is just a little extra protection against the infiltration of bacteria or other organisms that could spoil the wine.

 

[gfmonk]

Thank you everyone for your help. I will replace the current solution with a solution with StarSan in it.

 

[gfmonk]

I just want to make sure that there shouldn't be any activity in the airlock if the lid is just sitting on the bucket.

Thanks,
Gary

 

[Rocky]

There will not be any activity in the airlock. All of the gas is escaping around the edge of the top and the bucket.

 

[gfmonk]

Thanks again!!

 

[Dend78]

yeah actually no need for the airlock until you get to around the 1.020 mark just use a towel to cover the hole so no bugs get in

 

[gfmonk]

Ok, I just smelled and tasted my first batch. It's only been in the fermenter for 4 days. It doesn't taste too bad, but it doesn't smell too good at all!! I'm assuming that's normal (please, please, please tell me it's normal)

 

[dralarms]

Depends on the type. But yes for the most part, 4 days is gonna smell funky.

 

[gfmonk]

LOL, thanks!!!! It's a zin and I figured it was probably ok but you never know.

 

[dralarms]

I had an apple that I almost dumped due to an off oder. My wife convinced me to keep it and it actually is a very nice wine.

 

[gfmonk]

I just locked down the lid on the primary fermenter and filled the airlock. The SG was 1.016.

 

[dralarms]

Like I said before. Too much in the bucket. Can you take some out?

Like maybe a hand full of skins or something.

 

[gfmonk]

I didn't say that right. I meant that I filled the airlock with a sanitized solution. Sorry