Did I mess up

[Edward1234595426]

So yesterday while making wine for the first time I used a 6 gallon kit. I followed the steps exept one. ADDING THE WOOD. So after I out the yeast on top of the mixture i realized that and decided to mix the yeast and wood all in together. Would this mess up the wine????

 

[crushday]

You can simply throw the oak chips or oak dust in right now. They'll mix during the fermentation as you stir daily. You're in good shape.

And now, a little more advice: Don't bother with the timelines in the instructions. For instance, most kit instructions say on what days to move to the next section of the instructions. Forget about that. Let the wine tell you when it's ready. Move to secondary when your hydrometer says 1.010 or lower. I would advise you to not use the sorbate as you're likely doing a red kit and not adding back a F-pack. Let it ferment dry. And, that could take 3-4 weeks depending on your cellar conditions. The cooler it is the slower the fermentation and the longer it will take.

There's a massive amount of excellent information and instruction on this site. Post questions you have. We're here to help.

 

[Edward1234595426]

So I already stored in the oak and yeast in day one when the kit says to put yeast on top and let sit but thank you .

 

[Edward1234595426]

You can simply throw the oak chips or oak dust in right now. They'll mix during the fermentation as you stir daily. You're in good shape.

And now, a little more advice: Don't bother with the timelines in the instructions. For instance, most kit instructions say on what days to move to the next section of the instructions. Forget about that. Let the wine tell you when it's ready. Move to secondary when your hydrometer says 1.010 or lower. I would advise you to not use the sorbate as you're likely doing a red kit and not adding back a F-pack. Let it ferment dry. And, that could take 3-4 weeks depending on your cellar conditions. The cooler it is the slower the fermentation and the longer it will take.

There's a massive amount of excellent information and instruction on this site. Post questions you have. We're here to help.

So I am doing a red kit. Why shouldnt I add the sorbet just curious and what does it do to the wine? Additionally I want It to have a really rich wood flavor and be on the sweeter side what could i do to achieve this. It is already in the 6 gallon primary fermenter with the air tight lid and its day 2 all helps appreciated

 

[crushday]

So I am doing a red kit. Why shouldnt I add the sorbet just curious and what does it do to the wine? Additionally I want It to have a really rich wood flavor and be on the sweeter side what could i do to achieve this. It is already in the 6 gallon primary fermenter with the air tight lid and its day 2 all helps appreciated

Ok, to answer your question on sorbate. The sorbate makes sterile the yeast, meaning they can't propagate any longer. What yeast is there IS there until they naturally die off. This will prevent fermentation from beginning again in the future.

There are two ways to make a sweeter red wine: 1) The kit was designed this way and one of the last steps is going to add the provided f-pack. In this case, you'll want to add the sorbate as part of the instructions. 2) Let the wine ferment dry, under 1.000 (left alone it will likely get to .990 or somewhere in between). Use the sorbate, to prevent fermentation from occurring again and then back-sweeten to taste. Likely between 1.010 -1.020. You can back-sweeten with a simple syrup that you make. Searching the forum will give you direction.

When I suggested not using the sorbate, it was under the impression that you wanted a dry red. Wine fermented dry (1.000 or less) doesn't need the sorbate. You'll find that most vintners on this site exclude the sorbate for these reasons, 1) Unnecessary, 2) suspected to contribute to the "kit taste" in red wine - #1 being the biggest reason.

I have noticed that kit companies are combining the sorbate and k-meta in one package now. I simply toss that away and add k-meta from my own storage. K-meta (Potassium metabisulfite) is a preservative, which preserves the natural color of wine and protects wine against bacteria.

What other questions do you have?

 

[Edward1234595426]

Ok, to answer your question on sorbate. The sorbate makes sterile the yeast, meaning they can't propagate any longer. What yeast is there IS there until they naturally die off. This will prevent fermentation from beginning again in the future.

There are two ways to make a sweeter red wine: 1) The kit was designed this way and one of the last steps is going to add the provided f-pack. In this case, you'll want to add the sorbate as part of the instructions. 2) Let the wine ferment dry, under 1.000 (left alone it will likely get to .990 or somewhere in between). Use the sorbate, to prevent fermentation from occurring again and then back-sweeten to taste. Likely between 1.010 -1.020. You can back-sweeten with a simple syrup that you make. Searching the forum will give you direction.

When I suggested not using the sorbate, it was under the impression that you wanted a dry red. Wine fermented dry (1.000 or less) doesn't need the sorbate. You'll find that most vintners on this site exclude the sorbate for these reasons, 1) Unnecessary, 2) suspected to contribute to the "kit taste" in red wine - #1 being the biggest reason.

I have noticed that kit companies are combining the sorbate and k-meta in one package now. I simply toss that away and add k-meta from my own storage. K-meta (Potassium metabisulfite) is a preservative, which preserves the natural color of wine and protects wine against bacteria.

What other questions do you have?

Wow super super helpful. So since I dont want want a dry red I should or should not add the sorbet and I'll look through the forum for syrups but I shouldnt think about adding that till after the "14" day primary firmitation corrext?

 

[crushday]

You should add the sorbate but only after it has fermented dry - 1.000 or less - and after secondary fermentation. It's been a while since I read kit instructions but I remember hearing that they are including both primary and secondary in the step in the instructions. To be clear, let the wine tell you went it's done. It could take 14 or more days to get finish fermenting. You'll know when your gravity hasn't changed for 2-3 days AND it is 1.000 or lower. I hope you have a hydrometer.

Making wine is an exercise in patience. Don't get in a hurry. As long as your wine is sealed, under airlock and it's bubbling (expelling CO2) you have no risk of oxygenation. C02 is heavier than 02 and will blanket the wine and protect it.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Edward1234595426]

You should add the sorbate but only after it has fermented dry - 1.000 or less - and after secondary fermentation. It's been a while since I read kit instructions but I remember hearing that they are including both primary and secondary in the step in the instructions. To be clear, let the wine tell you went it's done. It could take 14 or more days to get finish fermenting. You'll know when your gravity hasn't changed for 2-3 days AND it is 1.000 or lower. I hope you have a hydrometer.

Making wine is an exercise in patience. Don't get in a hurry. As long as your wine is sealed, under airlock and it's bubbling (expelling CO2) you have no risk of oxygenation. C02 is heavier than 02 and will blanket the wine and protect it.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

I do have one but not a flask can I just give it a spin in the primary fermenter

 

[opus345]

can I just give it a spin in the primary fermenter

Short answer: Yes, but make sure to sanitize the hydrometer

Long answer: Search the forum. Get a wine thief and a Clear hydrometer jar. https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/hydrometer.10088/