Just-a-Guy
Junior Member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2014
- Messages
- 220
- Reaction score
- 87
Hi Winemakers,
This is only my second post, after my introduction. I'm moderately familiar with fermentation, but just this past weekend randomly decided to try to make some wine. Now I'm worried (alas).
Here's what I did. I picked up some Potassium Metabisulfite, and some Yeast Food, and some Champagne Yeast, and some Corn Sugar, all from my LHBS house. Got some grape juice ("organic, no additives") and some grape juice concentrate ("100% grape juice") from the Stop-N-Shop. Cleaned and sanitized (StarSan, for everything) my regular brew pot (10 gal aluminum pot) (boiled water in it first to sterilize). Heated up 7 frozen juice concentrates and two gallons of organic grape juice in the pot, along with about 3 gallons of distilled water, to 140 degrees, and let it hold there for about 10 mins (probably unnecessary, but I can't make anything without heating it... I'm a home brewer...). Added about 5 lbs corn sugar. Stirred (made my 10 year old do it, actually).
Then (after first sterilizing in boiling water), slipped in the wort chiller and ran it until I had the liquid down to about 80 degrees. Poured it into a 7 gallon plastic fermentation bucket (boiled water in, sanitized first). Added a TS or so of the Sulfite, similar amount of yeast nutrient. Stirred (10 year old). When temp was about 75, pitched the yeast. Let it sit for 10 mins, stirred (10 year old). Pulled off a bit into the wine thief, checked it -- 090 spot on.
Sterilized/sanitized a 5 gal carboy, then funneled the entire batch (just under 5 gals) into it, added a bit of water and a bit of sugar to top up to full 5 gals. Wine thief, still 090. Capped it and installed air lock.
Put it behind my bar in the basement.
Sit for three days. Four days. Nothing. No bubbles, no nothing. Hm.
Put a small space heater about 18 inches away, set on 72, left it all day today. Now I'm seeing some action. Foam bubbles on top. Not much air lock activity so far.
I *think* this looks ok, and I should be on track. But being new to this, I'm paranoid. So... do these pics look right? I'm assuming at this rate it will be 3-4 weeks in the carboy, maybe I'll siphon off into a clean carboy and maybe add a fining agent, then another week or so, then siphon off to taste, then bottle?
Help a newbie, please?
This is only my second post, after my introduction. I'm moderately familiar with fermentation, but just this past weekend randomly decided to try to make some wine. Now I'm worried (alas).
Here's what I did. I picked up some Potassium Metabisulfite, and some Yeast Food, and some Champagne Yeast, and some Corn Sugar, all from my LHBS house. Got some grape juice ("organic, no additives") and some grape juice concentrate ("100% grape juice") from the Stop-N-Shop. Cleaned and sanitized (StarSan, for everything) my regular brew pot (10 gal aluminum pot) (boiled water in it first to sterilize). Heated up 7 frozen juice concentrates and two gallons of organic grape juice in the pot, along with about 3 gallons of distilled water, to 140 degrees, and let it hold there for about 10 mins (probably unnecessary, but I can't make anything without heating it... I'm a home brewer...). Added about 5 lbs corn sugar. Stirred (made my 10 year old do it, actually).
Then (after first sterilizing in boiling water), slipped in the wort chiller and ran it until I had the liquid down to about 80 degrees. Poured it into a 7 gallon plastic fermentation bucket (boiled water in, sanitized first). Added a TS or so of the Sulfite, similar amount of yeast nutrient. Stirred (10 year old). When temp was about 75, pitched the yeast. Let it sit for 10 mins, stirred (10 year old). Pulled off a bit into the wine thief, checked it -- 090 spot on.
Sterilized/sanitized a 5 gal carboy, then funneled the entire batch (just under 5 gals) into it, added a bit of water and a bit of sugar to top up to full 5 gals. Wine thief, still 090. Capped it and installed air lock.
Put it behind my bar in the basement.
Sit for three days. Four days. Nothing. No bubbles, no nothing. Hm.
Put a small space heater about 18 inches away, set on 72, left it all day today. Now I'm seeing some action. Foam bubbles on top. Not much air lock activity so far.
I *think* this looks ok, and I should be on track. But being new to this, I'm paranoid. So... do these pics look right? I'm assuming at this rate it will be 3-4 weeks in the carboy, maybe I'll siphon off into a clean carboy and maybe add a fining agent, then another week or so, then siphon off to taste, then bottle?
Help a newbie, please?