New to winemaking, not to beer brewing - have questions!

[dukes909]

Hello all,

I sort of have the winemaking bug after some friends got into it recently. I have been homebrewing beer & cider since 1998(6?..can't remember).

I know I got started brewing beer with an extract kit and it was pretty easy, and I recall, turned out pretty good. So I bought a wine kit (this one) with the same idea.

However, I know that in brewing beer, especially with kits, there are many caveats. So I have a list of questions based on brewing beer!

1) A steadfast rule in homebrewing kits is "throw away the yeast that came with the kit!". Does this apply to this winemaking kit as well?

2) Do I need to aerate the mixture before adding yeast? (I think the one supplied is Lalvin 1118 though I don't have it in front of me - I know it is a Lalvin which I thought is a good name)

3) Can I use a plastic bucket for initial ferment, or do I need to go with glass?

4) Spring water, tap water, distilled water - which?

Those are my initial questions...thanks for any help!
Cheers

 

[Scott]

Welcome dukes,
1. No need the yeast with the kits are made for it. Some may switch out for their own preference.
2. Follow the kit directions but some stirring will be needed prior to pitching the yeast then stir a couple of times a day during ferm.
3. Bucket is best for the oxygen to help the yeasties.
4. No need for distilled, if the water is good for you drinking it's good for winemaking

There are many helpful people here to help. Good luck

 

[bluedog]

Hi dukes,
I'm also a longtime homebrewer that recently jumped into winemaking. I only have a few kits under my belt, but I'm digging it. And this forum is an awesome resource! I'm no expert, but here are some things I've learned so far during the transition:

Maybe it depends on the kit, but the ones I've tried (WE, RJS) supply name brand yeast, unlike a lot of beer kits, which I recall (before going all grain) often came with low end or even unlabeled, generic stuff.

The prevailing recommendation I've seen among winemakers is to stir each day during primary fermentation. I find that an interesting contrast to homebrewers, who advocate aerating before pitching and not again during fermentation.

I'm back to using buckets for primary fermentation, as they're more convenient for the frequent stirring. I was a little surprised to learn that most folks don't even primary under an airlock and in fact will just cover the bucket with a towel or lay the lid on top.

I would definitely go with spring or tap water over distilled, as the yeast will appreciate having the minerals available. I've been using spring, although I don't know why I've been avoiding using tap water since I drink it with no ill effects!

 

[cpfan]

1) A steadfast rule in homebrewing kits is "throw away the yeast that came with the kit!". Does this apply to this winemaking kit as well?

2) Do I need to aerate the mixture before adding yeast? (I think the one supplied is Lalvin 1118 though I don't have it in front of me - I know it is a Lalvin which I thought is a good name)

3) Can I use a plastic bucket for initial ferment, or do I need to go with glass?

4) Spring water, tap water, distilled water - which?

Those are my initial questions...thanks for any help!
Cheers

Welcome to the wine making world.

1) Lalvin yeast is perfectly good. EC-1118 is the commonest one in kits as it is quite forgiving, and handles concentrates well. Although switching to another yeast (often another Lalvin one) can be done, I wouldn't recommend it for this level of kit (mostly concentrate).

2) Most wine kits include bentonite (I'm not certain about this one) that need to be mixed well before pitching the yeast. I stir the reconstituted kit vigourously to make sure that the bentonite is dissolved. This incorporates air into must. I don't stir during fermentation (very few kits call for it).

3) Glass is always better than plastic (IMO). However, few people have a 9-10 US gallon glass vessel to use for primary fermentation. Anything less is too small (again IMO). Plus clean grape skins etc out of a carboy would be a nuisance. So, plastic primary fermenter...YES.

4) Water....do you like to drink it? Then use it. Personally we drink Reverse Osmosis water, so that's what I use. Our tap water sometimes has a chlorine smell that I don't like. Distilled water tastes flat/bland to me.

BTW, linking to the kit is OK, but please tell us the name as well. Sometimes I'm too lazy to follow a link, and other times I don't trust links from new people.

Steve

 

[dukes909]

Sorry, the kit is a Barolo - by Vino Italiano 4 Week Wine Kit (it's an Amazon link).
Thanks for the replies so far!

 

[DoctorCAD]

Do not take the name "4 week" as meaning the wine will be drinkable in 4 weeks.

Closer to 9 months or a year.

 

[BernardSmith]

Distilled water will have no minerals in it. It also is unlikely to have much dissolved air in it , so you would need to aerate it That and the lack of minerals will put the yeast under unnecessary stress. Tap water likely contains some chlorine which may inhibit yeast growth although I bake my own bread and have never found that a problem. My personal preference is to use spring water. Ours has a city seal on it so we know the mineral content - and its free, but you can buy five gallon bottles of spring water for a few dollars