Bad timing

[whino-wino]

I've got a bit of a problem. I mixed up a 5 gallon batch of Wild Blueberry must last night. I put in some K-meta so I am waiting the standard 24 hour period before pitching the yeast, which I planned on doing tonight.
Here's my problem, I was just informed by my boss today that I had been "volounteered" to go visit a customer next week and help them with an issue. I'm not complaining about that, it's my job, but I have to leave on Monday and travel 6 and a half hours by car to the customer. The way it sounds, I will not be back home until the following Sunday at the earliest. If I pitch the yeast tonight it will have basically two days of fermenting before I am forced to rack into a secondary, possibly at a very high S.G. I've racked wines as high as 1.03 before and not really had an issue, but I'm concerned that if it is still in the 1.05 to 1.07 range that there could be problems, especially if I am not there to monitor the situation (which if I was there, I wouldn't be racking yet!!).


Has anyone had experience with having wine in the carboy which is still in the early stages of fermentation? What kind of issues could I expect?


Since the must is already mixed up, Ithought I couldraise the temp in that room to about 78° to 80°. I am hoping by doing thisI canget the fermentation off to a very fast start. Also, instead of racking into just a single5 gallon carboy, I can split it between two 5 gallon carboys in order to leave a lot of head space.


The problem I have is that I fear the must will not have enough Oxygen if I rack too soon even if I did rack into two 5 gallon carboys.


Any thoughts?


It has warmed up here considerably. We are looking at temps in the 20's and down to around 10° at night. If I delayed pitching the yeast and just stuck the bucket of must in my unheated garage for the week, do you think it would keep forthe entire week? If it was still -20° like it was last week I would probably do this.


For the record, my garage is insulated, but not heated. Even when it was -30 the other night it was considerably warmer in the garage although still really freaking cold. Even at 10° I don't think the must would freeze. There are large windows on overhead door which let in a lot of sunlight and that seems to warm it up pretty nice in there during the daytime. It would be similar to just sticking the bucket of must into the refridgerator.


Any advice here would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Steve in KC]

Is this an all liquid must or do you have blueberries floating around in there?


I'd just S02 it, more than normal and fit into a fridge if you can.Else, who is going to punch down the cap?

 

[whino-wino]

I have about 16 lbs of crushed blueberries in a straining bag which are floating in the must. That's the other problem. I won't be there to squeeze that every day.

 

[grapeman]

If it was mine, I would pitch the yeast now. Treat it the best you can for the remainder of the time you have now. Just before leaving, I would leave it in the primary-givethe bagone last squeeze and take the fruit out. Put the lid on tight along with the airlock. Leave it going while gone. You could put it where it is about 55 degrees if you can. It will be ok at that temp> The fermentation will be going and you will slow it down a lot if you can get the temp near that. When you get back rack it off to the secondary and finish as normal. It may be about done fermenting, but may need to continue on after warming back up so take the SG to see where it stands. Good luck and have a good trip.

 

[whino-wino]

If it was mine, I would pitch the yeast now. Treat it the best you can for the remainder of the time you have now. Just before leaving, I would leave it in the primary-givethe bagone last squeeze and take the fruit out. Put the lid on tight along with the airlock. Leave it going while gone. You could put it where it is about 55 degrees if you can. It will be ok at that temp> The fermentation will be going and you will slow it down a lot if you can get the temp near that. When you get back rack it off to the secondary and finish as normal. It may be about done fermenting, but may need to continue on after warming back up so take the SG to see where it stands. Good luck and have a good trip.

That sounds like a good plan and it's a done deal. Pitched the yeast 1/2 hour ago. Thanks for the advice.

 

[PolishWineP]

Those darned jobs, always interfering with our wine making!

It sounds like Appleman gave you the advice you need. Or, you could drop it off with another wine maker to care for it!

It's not like it's in the bottle yet, or even the carboy, so there would still be something left in it when you got home again...

 

[whino-wino]

Those darned jobs, always interfering with our wine making!

It sounds like Appleman gave you the advice you need. Or, you could drop it off with another wine maker to care for it!

It's not like it's in the bottle yet, or even the carboy, so there would still be something left in it when you got home again...

I actually considered having a buddy of mine take care of it while I am gone. He lives a mere 5miles down the roadfrom my house and also makes his own wine. The only problemwith thatis exactly what you hinted at. He wouldn't take any, but he would probably demand a 50% cut of the final product. (I'd be willing to do a bottle or two, but 50%? No way!!)


BTW - I don't mind having to go on the trip. I LOVE my job!! Really.

Edited by: whino-wino

 

[whino-wino]

Ain't no goin' back now, I definitely have fermentation.....

 

[Guest]

Whino:
My 6 gallonBlackberry's usually take three to four days to fold down to 1.020
Could you not have pitched youryeast on Saturday, last minute,and before you split,put the wine in a room with the vent closed near a wall,and possibly dumped your T-Stat to 55 degrees or so and not worried about it till you got back a week later?


My Raspberry went 5.5 days to 1.020


How did it turn out anyway?

 

[grapeman]

Looks good so far. Have a good trip for work. I bet you will worry about it while gone just like you would about a child that hasn't come home yet at night.