WineXpert Batch #1 - VR Reisling

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brubakes

Junior
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The process has begun. I started my first batch of wine this past Saturday (12/13/07). I wanted to start with a wine kit and one that was on the cheap end of the scale (should I mess it up). Figured if I messed up my first batch I wouldn’t be out a horrible amount of money. I chose a Riesling kit from Vintners Reserve. Northern Brewer’s item number 6033. I tried to fallow the directions as best I could.

First I had to get everything together. The kit I bought came with a 6 gallon carboy, a 7.9 gallon fermentation bucket, and a 6.5 gallon fermentation bucket. In addition to that I bought another bucket for a sanitizing bucket (fig 1).

fig. 1
1.jpg


Before actually mixing the ingredients I wanted to mark the buckets (fig 2). Both only went to 5 gallons and I knew there would be times when I needed to measure more then that. I used a measuring cup from the kitchen to measure and mark additional gallons. The cup I used only listed cups and could only hold seven cups at a time. I found an online calculator to tell me how many cups to one gallon. There are 16 cups to 1 US gallon. It’s actually 16 and change but I rounded and did my best to get an accurate reading.

fig. 2
2.jpg


Next it was time to get the ingredients from the kit (fig 3 and 4) and figure out what would be needed. Not everything was used in the first step. I used the big bag ‘o wine mix, the red star yeast, and bag #1 (15g of bentonite).

fig. 3
3.jpg


fig. 4
4.jpg


After using “One Step Sanitizer” to make sure everything was clean it was to add one-half gallon of hot water to the primary fermentor. I also added the 15 grams of bentonite and stirred it until there were no clumps in the mix. Now it was time to add the wine concentrate. I empted the entire bag into the primary fermentor then rinsed it out with an additional half gallon of water to make sure all the concentrate was out. The result was a swirling dark brown mix of “stuff” (fig 5). Finally according to the directions I topped off the mix to a full 6 US gallons (fig 6). You can see how much the color changed.

fig. 5
5.jpg


fig. 6
6.jpg


Using a hydrometer the directions said to take a measurement of the mix’s specific gravity at this point. The direction said it should be between 1.070 and 1.085. Mine measured 1.074 (fig 7). Additionally my hydrometer told me the current percent sugar and estimated alcohol by volume. 18.5 and 10% respectivilly.

fig. 7
7.jpg


Here comes the part I was a little nervous about, rehydrating the yeast. While there isn’t much to it, I was overly careful and a bit neurotic about doing it correctly. I bought myself a kitchen thermometer with a probe(fig 8 ) to make sure the water temperature was safe for the yeast. Northern Brewer suggests that you boil ½ cup of water and allow it to cool to 95* - 105*. I set my new thermometer to 100* and waited for it to beep letting me know to add the yeast. I added the yeast and let it rest for 15 min then dumped it into my primary fermentor.

fig. 8
8.jpg


At this point I added a little water to the air lock put it in the lid then sealed up the bucket hoping that everything had been done correctly up to this point and fermentation would begin (fig 9). I moved the bucket to a dark spot in my basement where it’s a nice 69*.

fig. 9
9.jpg


I checked on my mix the next day and found that the air lock was bubbling almost non stop. I was excited to see this. It means the little yeasts where happy in their new home and were reproducing like mad. Which is just what you want at this stage. Step two is transferring the mix to the secondary fermentor, but that won’t happen for 5 to 7 days. I will keep an eye on the air lock and check when the bubbling slows telling me the yeasts are done having their fun and its time to transfer.

My only suggestion to myself at this point is I need better way to measure exactly how much water or liquid is going into the mix. I did my best, but a more accurate measuring device is needed for sure.
 
One question I did have about my wine kit is what the numbers on the top of the box meant. There is a label that says to keep for my records. It reads...

RIESLING 0228906 0630

Since I had no clue figuring it out on my own I contacted Vintners Reserve and asked them. Mostly I wanted to know when the wine was produced. Their response is below.

Hello Scott,
Thank you for your contact and for choosing our products. Your kit # is
0228906 0630". It was produced October 16, 2006</font>.

On the top of the box the numbers are for instance: 0019406 0257
They break down like this:
00/194/06 0257
00 The first two digits are for internal use: ignore.
194 The next three digits indicate the day it was produced, in this case
13th of July.

06 The next two digits are the last two digits of the year: 2006.

0257 The last four digits show which particular kit of that batch was
produced: this was the 257th kit, out of about 600.
 
well day 5 so i cracked open the primary and took a measurement. It was still cloudy (fig 10 and 11), more so then I was expecting to see. The SG read 1.042. Not far off from the original reading. Guess I'll have to leave it in the bucket for awhile longer. I've been told the mix will clear up once I add the final ingredients in step three, but that wont be for awhile yet.

fig. 10
10.jpg


fig. 11
11.jpg
 
I wanted to post the directions that came with this kit. I think it will help clarify what I am looking at when I ask my many questions about what to do as well as show people who are not familiar with wine kits what the process looks like. The files are somewhat large for a web picture but I wanted to make sure the text was ledgable.

Steps 1 and 2 (516kb)
Step 3 (388kb)
Step 4 (470kb)
 
Day number 7. I took another reading with the hydrometer. I'm getting close to the 1.010 that I need before I transfer to the carboy. I think another reading in a day or two will show me I'm ready to transfer. The instructions said that this primary fermentation should take 5 to 7 days. The primary fermentor was stored in my basement for the first couple days where the lower temperature most likely lead to a slightly longer then instructed primary fermentation time. I also stirred up the must a little as some have recommended it might help to get a little air in the must.

SG - 1.020
Balling - 2.5
% by volume - 5.0
 
Welcome brubakes,<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:eek:ffice" />


Looks textbook perfect and I see you have done your homework before starting...congratulations.
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Tip: While rehydrating the yeast is recommended by many including the yeast manufacturers it can be just sprinkled on top of the must. Many of our members do this including me (former rehydrater) with perfect success every time.
 
brubakes, I really enjoyed the step by step procedures and pictures. Thanks for all your hard work shared with us all.
smiley32.gif
 
Bru,

Good job. It looks like you are right on track. We'll be following your progress with great anticipation.

One thing you might consider is taking a little taste at every step. Initially, many think this is a bad idea for a first-timer, but you have the experts (I'm not one of them - I will soon bottle my first kit in 20+ years) to fall back on. In the early stages the wine will smell bad and taste bad. However, time will heal all, and if you learn how it should taste and smell at each step you will learn to spot problems early and be able to fix them.
 
PeterZ said:
One thing you might consider is taking a little taste at every step.

I have to confess. I have taken a sip with each measurement. I figured that would be better then just tossing what was in the test jar. :) Seems to taste like wine I guess, although I don't have much basis to compare to being its my first kit.
 
Bru,


I'm on a pretty tight budget so I have stayed with the VR kits and they have always been great. Can't keep them aging everyone wants to drink them as soon as they are bottled.


I had a little trouble with my Riesling clearing and I think that is common with a Riesling but some Super-Kleer fixed that right up. The Riesling became my Winter Holiday wine for Christmas. Everyone loved it.


Ramona
 
Day Eight.

I had the must was going to be ready so I whipped out my sanitizer bucket, measuring equipment, and cracked open the primary fermentor. After filling my test jar with must I put my thermometer in and waited for the temperature to drop to 60*. I know I could have done a little math and measured at a higher temperature, but me and math have been fighting since the 5th grade so I chose to just wait and measure at 60*.

The hydrometer read right at 1.010. Just where I was hoping it would be. According to the directions once the must reached 1.010 on the SG scale it was time to move to the secondary fermentor.

I took out a carboy, rinsed, sanitized, and rinsed again. I setup my “toys” for the transfer (fig 12 and 13). The primary was on the kitchen counter and the secondary on the floor.


fig. 12
12.jpg


fig. 13
13.jpg


Up to this point I had been discussing on several on line forums how to proceed to the next step. Some felt I should take all the lees with the transfer, being that it was just that, a transfer. Others thought I should leave as much lees behind. Either way the consensus seems to be rack at least once more. I decided to go with what the kit’s directions suggested and “Leave most of the sediment behind”. I tried, but think I failed. There was some lees left at the bottom of the bucket, but I feel like I still sucked up a lot. Once transferred the must still looked cloudier then I thought it would. I’m told this will clean up considerably once the remaining ingredients and stabilizer are added. I hope so; it’s currently my main concern with this batch.

I put the rubber stopper and air lock on the carboy (fig. 14) and moved it to a closet and wrapped a towel around it to keep any stray light out. The directions say to leave it sit for 10 days.

fig. 14
14.jpg


After ten days I plan to rack the must into another carboy and let it age a little more and hopefully clean it up with a better filter.
 
Please reread your instructions for Step 3 and in particular the notes. When the fermentation is done (SG is at &lt; 0.996 and verified it is stable by checking on two consecutive days) you DO NOTwant to rack the wine off the lees. You need to do just the opposite and stir them up well when deassing and stabilizing because the fining agent used to clear the wine is dependent on the solids to work properly.
 
Bru, you are doing a great job. One recommendation I have, though, is not to use the funnel when racking. Sterilize the inside and outside of the tubing and let it sit all the way down into the carboy. This will minimize splashing and oxygen exposure.

No harm done on the first racking. Since you are still fermenting the oxygen will be displaced by fresh CO2.
 
Yep, what PeterZ says! Skip the funnel for racking.
 
After rereading the directions I think I need to change my plan, hopefully for the better. According to step three I need to wait 10 days, and make sure the SG stabilizes. Then add the remaining ingredients and let it sit for 14 days allowing to to clear. Thus leaving the must, or by the end of this step the wine in the carboy for a total of 24 days (according to the directions). They then say to put the wine into the bottles.

I was planning on after that 24 days, racking it into another carboy with a filter system of some kind and letting it sit for at least two more weeks before going to bottles.

Is this the correct thing to do?
 
Once eveything is all clear and stabilized you may rack into a
sanitized carboy but make sure you top it up at this point. You may use
sanitized marbles tp displace the volume. You can top up with a
similiar wine or you can rack to smaller carboy like a 5 and a few wine
bottles as long as they are all topped up!
 
wade said:
sanitized marbles

Interesting idea. I didn't want to top off with commercial wine although I know I need to top off in one fashion or another. I feel like adding commercial wine is giving up or makes it less "My" batch.
 
I have heard the Marble thing for a long time now, and as interesting as it sounds, I still have a hard time thinking about dropping hard glass objects that distance, knowing they will hit a thin walled, glass object when they reach the bottom........ Thats gotta hurt, and eventually weeken the glass carboy.
 
jobe05 said:
I have heard the Marble thing for a long time now, and as interesting as it sounds, I still have a hard time thinking about dropping hard glass objects that distance, knowing they will hit a thin walled, glass object when they reach the bottom........ Thats gotta hurt, and eventually weeken the glass carboy.

that could be true, I dont know, right now I'll be happy to make it through my 1st batch.
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