Concord primary

[bzbakr]

Alright, I just stirred the batch for the first time....it's fermenting well. Temp was 74'...SG was 1040...and it smells lovely! The color seems to have lightened a bit, but I'm not too worried about that. This is the 4th day after adding the yeast and as I mentioned in an earlier post, my booklet that came with my kit is very vague, so if anyone has any recommendations on the next step(s), it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[grapeman]

I know the history of this batch, but to make it easier for us to follow, you should have continued this in your post on the Concord from previously. That being said I will continue.
Did you take the bag out of the primary? If not squeezethe juiceout now into the primaryand discard the pulp contents from the bag . You should rack out of the primary into a glass carboy at about 1.020 or down to 1.010. Leave the heavy sediment behind. Bring the level in the carboy up to about 2 inches into the first turn in the neck. You need to leave this space above it for the foam that will result from the continued fermentation. Any extra keep in a gallon jug with airlock or a large wine bottle with an airlock. It will die down after a while and you can rack again and top up with the leftovers from the smaller bottles.

 

[bzbakr]

Ok, I guess Im a little inexperienced on how forums work as to where things go and how they are policed, but I know now and will keep the rest of the posts from this batch here in "concord primary" so it's easier to find. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience. I took the bag out when I added the yeast (last Sunday) because I was worried about it becoming to tannic with the ground seeds issue. I think this was a good idea, as others suggested as well. I will keep posting here as this batch progresses....Thank you again for your guidance.

 

[bzbakr]

On Sunday, I put the wine into the carboy. My question is, how full should it be? It's about 6 inches from the bottom of the neck of the carboy. Shouldn't it be fuller? Do I need to add water now especially since I didnt have enough room in the primary to add the water as per the recipe?

 

[grapeman]

You can top it up with water as long as it doesn't take a lot. That will make it a bit thinner and have a lwoer alcohol value. I don't remember what your starting SG reading was. If over 1.090 you could add the water to top up once the bubbling slows way down. You could also use a concord wine to top up. Other tricks are to add marbles or transfer to a smaller carboy if you have one.

 

[bzbakr]

My begginning SG was 1120 on the 19th. I dont have a smaller carboy, so should I add water/wine now or wait until its not bubbling anymore? Actually, it's not bubbling really, but there is air escaping from the airlock regularily every few seconds, but no obvious bubbles on top as before. Ill try the marble idea if you recommend it now instead of adding liquid. Also, I'm having a bit of a problem with fruit flies...theyre swarming my carboy. They cant get in, but I read in my wine book..."First steps in winemaking" C.J.J. Berry" that they can cause serious problems and make my wine into vinegar! Is there a way to get rid of them?

 

[grapeman]

Some folks don't like doing it, but I think in your case you could add water to bring it up to the neck of the carboy. With that high of a starting specific gravity, you would have a really high %ABV making it hot and masking flavors. It sounds like fermentation is almost done so it should be topped up soon. If you have a properly fitted airlock filled with water or k-meta solution or even vodka, you don't need to worry about fruit flies.

 

[geri]

Hi, I'm a newbie also, I have a batch of Concord wine going.
Question: What temperature should the wine be after racking?
My sg is .999 and this is the second racking. Sg started at .1095 but the fermentation seemed to only last a couple of days after the first racking. Is everything going ok?
Thanks

 

[grapeman]

Welcome geri. By temperature, do you mean the actual temperature or the hydrometer reading of .999? Temperatures of 65-75 are generally acceptable for finishing the fermentation up. If you mean the SG reading (hydrometer), that should finish up at about .992-.995 give or take a couple points. You should be fine, even if it doesn't go any lower. The reading could vary some from the .999 you say you have unless you allowed for temperature correction.

 

[Wade E]

As far as quick fermentation goes what size batch is this as smaller batches typically ferment very fast.

 

[geri]

HI, thanks for the info..it is a 3 gallon batch and I mean room temperature to finish the resting. Should I put it in a cooler place?Also, I just learned about degassing, which was not mentioned in my recipe or on some "how to;s". Is this necessary, or can I just let the batch rest for awhile?
Thanks so for your help.Edited by: geri

 

[Wade E]

Degassing should be done once the fermentation is done so that the wine will clear. This process of getting the C02 that is in suspension out of your wine is what really lets your wine clear, until then there are so many bubbles preventing your sediment from settling.Warmer temps say around 75* are best fr degassing your wine as cooler temps prevent ths gas from coming out of suspension.

 

[bzbakr]

OK, I added water up to just below the neck of the carboy. It is still fermenting.. so I wait.

 

[geri]

Thanks for the help, Wade!

 

[bzbakr]

Ok....today is 1 week in the carboy. Temp was 70' and SG was an even 1000. Still fermenting/bubbling and air is still bubbling the airlock. I gave it a good stir too. Any comments here?

 

[Wade E]

Just to let it finish fermenting and when it does become stable{Checked for stability by taking SG 3 days in a row with no change} then you can add k-meta, sorbate and degas so that the wine will start clearing.

 

[bzbakr]

Ok, the fermentation has definately stopped. I stirred it up today and the SG is right at 1000. How long before I have to rack or bottle?

 

[Wade E]

If its done fermenting then I would rack off the lees, and sulfite and sorbate, degas well and then either let it bulk age and clear on its own or add fining agent such as SuperKleer KC.

 

[geri]

Hi Wade,
I've racked my wine 2 times and this week I will rack, degass and add some grape juice to sweeten slightly. I will add 1 1/2 campden tablets (3 gallons of wine), how much sorbate do I add?
Then I will let it bulk age for a month and bottle.
Sound ok?
Newbie

 

[Wade E]

I would go with 2 tablets of Campden and 1/2 tsp per gallon of wine. Are you adding a fining agent? If not you will most likely need more time to clear.
Edited by: wade