Fermentation question

[TiffanyM2015]

Hi!
I'm somewhat new to this whole wine making thing. I've been using the wine kits for a couple years but this year I decided to try making my own strawberry rhubarb wine from my own fruit.
This is day 14 (yeast went in on day 4) and I'm thinking it's still in primary fermentation. Still lots of fizz and bubbles in the air lock (30 or so bubbles per minute) does it usually take this long? With the kits it only seems to last 4-5 days before things slow down.

 

[salcoco]

it can take even longer are you monitoring the specific gravity, it will tell you when it is done.

 

[TiffanyM2015]

I haven't checked it since I added the yeast.
Also there is about an inch of sediment now. Should I rack it so I don't pick up any off flavors or should I wait.

 

[Johnd]

Since you’ve done your whole fermentation in the carboy, there’s really no reason to move it just yet, but you certainly may if you like. “Primary” and “Secondary” to me, really refers more to the vessel that you are using, as there’s only 1 alcoholic fermentation.

Most folks conduct “primary” in a larger, open top type vessel (like a bucket) which is kept covered, it allows for vigorous activity and foaming without potential foam over volcanoes, and access to your must for punching down. CO2 production at this stage protects the wine from oxygen. As AF nears completion (SG approaching 1.000) we transfer to a “secondary” vessel with an airlock (like the carboy you’re in now), as the CO2 production is slowing and oxidation risks increase. At this transfer from primary to secondary, we normally leave the lees behind.

That said, lots of folks don’t ever leave the bucket til AF is over, some leave their wine in weeks or months longer for extended maceration.

 

[TiffanyM2015]

That's really helpful thanks! I actually did start it in a bucket. I transfered it over about 4 days after the yeast went in when I removed the fruit.

 

[Chilkat]

In my experience, that's too soon to xfr to secondary. You can do it, there is nothing wrong with moving to a secondary. I usually wait for the first to get done because moving to the secondary usually causes a secondary fermentation to start up.

I wait for the primary fermentation in the bucket to stop bubbling or SG reaches .999 and siphon to secondary carboy. Let it clarify in glass carboy. Add potassium sorbet and metabisulfite. Let it rest for a few days and then rack to bottles if it settled.

I'm fairly new to this as well so I may be wrong about transferring to quickly. I just research a lot so this is the normal practice from watching YouTube videos.

The longer you leave the fruit with the must, the more flavor and simply using a nylon bag would aid in that. So you would not need to xfr to a secondary. Just pull the bag and let the must continue as is, where it is.

Degas 2x a day and push down cap if you had one. But you removed it after 4 days by what I read.

 

[salcoco]

I would leave in the carboy. have you added any yeast nutrient? I would also remove the airlock and fashion a bung from a paper towel, one that would prevent bugs from entering but sill allowing oxygen. yeast need oxygen to ferment. the CO2 generated will still protect the wine. I I would also stir it at least twice a day. if this is uncomfortable rack to a bucket and cover with a towel still add the yeast nutrient also monitor the specific gravity.

 

[Scooter68]

There are several reasons for doing the majority of the fermentation (or all of it) in a bucket. Among them is a reason not mentioned here - Increasing your starting volume enough to account for volume lost to lees. If you plan for and increase your fruit quantity per gallon you can bump up the volume in the bucket so that you don't have to start adding another wine or water to top off the carboy. My 3 gallon batches are normally started with at least 3 1/3 gallons in the bucket, more if using a fruit that will throw a lot of lees. When the fermentation has progressed to about 1.020 or lower, I rack to a carboy and often have virtually no dead lees sucked into the carboy. There is normally enough activity so that I know that yeast IS racked into the carboy and the fermentation won't stall out then.

If I have some salvageable volume left once the carboy is filled from the bucket, I will put that in a smaller container like a 1/2 gallon, quart, or even a 16oz glass container. If it's clean enough I put that under airlock and place it next to the large carboy. If that leftover has some course lees in it I place it in the fridge immediately to separate that out. Within a couple of days I can then hand rack (Slow pour) and then use that for topping off after the fermentation is completely finished. Key to doing this is to remember we don't want anything in that extra volume that might impart off flavors to the wine in the large carboy.

 

[Stressbaby]

Just FYI, there is not necessarily anything wrong with moving to carboy at four days, or starting it in the carboy for that matter.. Winemaker magazine has white wine recipes from grapes where they recommend doing the entire alcoholic fermentation in the carboy instead of a bucket, no stirring, not even checking the SG for two weeks.

I'm not sure where this "stir twice a day in a covered bucket until 1.010, then carboy" dogma came from. Probably Keller, that's his favored method. In my view it's just as easy to f up a wine by fooling around with it too much. Very few absolutes in winemaking.

Take a reading now if you want, or wait til it slows up. @salcoco has a point about nutrient but seems you are following a recipe so I'm betting you used some nutrient.

 

[pillswoj]

I'm with stressbaby on this, oxygen during primary is not something I have ever worried about, my whites go under airlock after 24 hours and get cold fermented until done, in the winter these are done under 50F and can take 2 months to finish. Reds obviously need punching down of the skins twice a day or so.

 

[Scooter68]

TiffanyM2015 - After reading these responses don't let it all confuse you.

BOTTOM LINE - In almost every situation there are multiple ways to get good results. Hard fast rules are rare in wine making.

Some common and pretty consistent themes you'll run across:
> Whites in cooler temps
> Reds in moderate temps
> Record starting SG and judge fermentation progress by comparing starting SG with current SG

Not so consistent:
> Initial Fermentation in a bucket
> Final part of Fermentation in a carboy
> Transfer from bucket to carboy when the SG reaches x.xxx
> And many more things.

All of it works but some methods are aimed at very specific results.

Best thing is to try and be consistent with similar wines and write down everything you do so you can repeat good results and avoid less than desirable outcomes.

Good luck to ya and keep asking questions.

 

[M38A1]

What is the blue band?

 

[Johnd]

What is the blue band?

It’s a brew belt, plugged into an outlet, it warms up the must for folks who are fermenting in cooler areas of the country, during cooler months, in cool basements, etc.

 

[M38A1]

Would my house at 74-75*F be considered cool and require this?

 

[sour_grapes]

No, that temperature is not cool to a wine yeast. They'll thrive at those temps.

 

[M38A1]

No, that temperature is not cool to a wine yeast. They'll thrive at those temps.

Thanks!