Mosti Mondiale Riesling Kit

[ev-c]

Hi everyone! I have a few questions, seeing as everyone is posting about the lack of quality from the Mosti instructions. I'm making their Riesling.

I started on Tuesday, January 3rd. We left the big white bucket with the lid on, but unsealed. Today, Saturday, January 7, I followed the instructions and sealed the lid. The top of the lid felt like it was going to explode from pressure, and it made funny squealing noises, so i unsealed it, and put the lid back on without making it airtight.

Todays readings:
SG- 1.080
Temp: 20 C
Alcohol- 10.2%

They say in the instructions to wait until the SG readings are about 1.040 to 1.050. Should I do that? Did anything bad happen when the lid was sealed (about 15-20 minutes)?

Thank you so much!

 

[rhoffart]

Welcome to the forum ... your doing great. Yes let it go till 1.040 or even lower. I let them go down to 1.020

What was your starting SG on 1/3?

 

[Wade E]

Is there a rubber grommet with an airlock on it, sounds like there isnt and thats a big problem. They want you to ferment in a primary bucket as this bucket is just for shipping.

 

[ev-c]

I used the big white plastic bucket that came in my starting kit, it holds about 25 litres, so I figured that was the right one to use because it should yield about 23 litres of wine. From what I gather from the instructions, the primary fermentation is supposed to happen in there, and then I transfer it to the glass carboy. That has a rubber airlock device I can use.

 

[rhoffart]

Yes, don't snap it down again ... leave it loose. Can you post a picture of your bucket?

 

[ev-c]

this was on the first day when we were mixing everything

 

[rhoffart]

which Mosti Riesling kit?

 

[ev-c]

I think my picture has to be approved before it shows up.
The kit is the Vinifera Noble Riesling.

 

[ev-c]

 

[Wade E]

You need a lid that is drilled for an airlock. You either need to drill it to fit a small rubber grommet that excepts an airlock or do as I did and drill a 7/8" hole with a Forstner bit and use a #6 rubber bung like you would use on a 1 gallon carboy and install an airlock in that. You can not put a sealed lid on a carboy that is fermenting or you will eventually hear a big bang in the night!!!

 

[ev-c]

Haha, the way that bucket was behaving during those 15 minutes, I figured something like that might happen!!

I wonder why the instructions didn't say to drill a hole in the top of the bucket to fit an airlock...

If I just left it open a crack instead is there too much risk of bacteria and such getting in?

 

[rhoffart]

Ok, that bucket does not have a hole in the lid for an airlock. Don't snap it down. Give it a good stir once a day till you get down to the 1.040 and then get ready for next step.

Did you measure the SG on the first day?

go Wade go ... )

 

[ev-c]

Okay, sounds awesome, will do.

I didn't
I probably could have/should have done more research before starting the whole process, but I was excited and just followed the instructions, which told me to take the first reading after a couple days.

 

[rhoffart]

your doing great ... they are harder to screw up then you think.

No, don't worry about anything getting in the wine. Just keep the lid sitting on top to keep bugs and dust out.

 

[ev-c]

Haha okay, thanks for the encouragement! I'm super glad this site exists!

 

[Wade E]

As long as its fermenting, keeping the lid just seated on the primary is fine. Do NOT folow the instructionsa and put in carboy at 1.040!!!!! Wait and either let it finish fermenting in primary but put it under airlock at around 1.020 or rack at that sg of 1.020 to carboy. If you do so at 1.040 you will be in trouble!!! Its still to volatile at that point at 1.040 and may cause a volcano effect in your carboy due to not having enough room in there.

 

[ev-c]

Should I wait for 1.020 or just wait for it to stabilize at a reading?
How long would you expect that to take from now?

 

[rhoffart]

Check the SG every day. You should be at 1.020 in a few days. Don't worry about time stay with the SG reading. It could be 2 - 5 days.

 

[Rocky]

Ev-c, Please do yourself a favor and slide that bucket to the middle of the table!

I agree with the postings above that you should let the SG go to about 1.020 or less and then transfer the wine to a carboy and put it under airlock. (I am betting you don't have a 7/8" Forstner bit!)

BTW, you final ABV will be way above 10.2%. I would guess that your wine started around 1.090-1.095 and if you ferment to dry (i.e. SG < 0.0995), it will be in the 12.5-13.0% range)

Good luck. You are doing fine.

 

[Wade E]

Yeah, you probably dont have that drill bit but if you have a friend that does I highly suggest you get that done so you could have an airlock on that primary bucket especially if you make red wines so you can let them finish in primary. Its just way easier to do this way and it helps you degas your wine better and also lets your wine settle more so you dont rack as much gunk over to carboy.