First batch notes

[beardy]

I have been keeping a journal of what I have been doing for my first wine batch. I thought I would post my notes (so far) to see what I could be doing different or better. Maybe I should be keeping records of more activities or happenings but since this is my first run (with my first try at a fresh fruit batch coming this weekend) I thought I'd try for some feedback.
Thanks!!


Apple wine - First Batch - Eve

June 23 - 10:24am - Made the must from a 12oz can of apple juice and 2 medium lemons. The lemonade was all crappy kinds and none with actual juice. I didnt strain it that well though. Just whatever the juicer strained. I dont remember the brand of apple juice but it was white plastic with a green plastic top. I used campdon tablets to sanitize the jug and funnel but I rinsed them out with hot water before use.

I didnt have a long enough stir stick so I just mildly swished and shook the jug to get the mixture moving around.

Everything went into the jug and was airlocked and put in the HP closet. It stays almost constantly between 77°-79°. Hopefully this won't be too warm. I've been trying to think of ways to cool it off a bit in there but I think a fan would do more harm than good. I have a 12v cooler that I could try to run open and hope it makes a difference but I think I would have to insulate the door to keep the cool in... we'll just have to see how this batch works out.
Next step is the yeast!
Things for the future: acid test kit


June 24 - 11:00am - adding yeast. Hydrometer reading: test temp 80°
SG - 1.076
Balling 21%
PA - 10%
Added 2 cups water with half cup sugar disolved. Added sugar to half boiling water and added rest of water cooled. Put in freezer til 75°
2nd test 77°
1.080
PA - 11%
Added Montrachet yeast set back in HP closet.

June 28 - 2:12pm - Fermentation has slowed. Temp continues to be in the high 70s and might be the reason, but it seems the sugar was a little low also so it may just be finishing. I'll test SG when I get back from AZ.

June 29 - 3:15pm - In Peoria AZ at a brewing shop and saw a sweet "evaporative cooling system" for the must bucket. A shallow bin for water that fits the bucket, a small fish tank (WATER, not air) pump has an attached tube that is clamped at one end and holes for the water to leak out. A towel is wrapped around the lower lip of the bucket and the tubing is wrapped tightly around the top of the towel. When the pump runs, it sucks water from the bin, into the tube which keeps the towel soaked, cooling the bucket. Supposed to keep the must 8-10° below room temp. See attched pic.

July 2 - 9:48am - got back from AZ today and checked the wine. Still bubbling but very slowly. Temp at about 80° and I'm fairly sure thats too high. The airlock moves at about one bubble per 30 sec. Am going to check the SG today and see where we're at. Pretty sure its racking time.

10:23 am - must temp 80°
SG - 1.006 + .003 for temp difference
1.009.

Made syrup of 1c sugar in 2c water, boiling. 2 cups water in fridge to offset heat. Together the 4 cups Cooling to 50° hopefully to overall cool the must.

2:33pm - must temp 72°
Racked into secondary. Added about 2 cups of sugar water.
SG 1.022 plus .02 for temp difference.
1.024 SG.
Added ~1 tsp DAP.
Added 1 very crushed campden tablet. (None was added to primary)

Not sure how to calc the ABV with the starting and ending numbers. Need to search WMT forums

Turned mini-fridge cooler in man cave off. Defrosted freezer. Turned back on to lowest temp setting so hopefully it will keep it cool but not cold. Put in cooler at 3:15pm. Will check temp after work.

July 3 - 3:54am - temp at 58° turned off cooler. Bubbles visible, so fermenting away still. Don't know if I should be stirring daily with this simple recipe or if I should be letting it be. The temp in the cooler should rise a bit being off but I'll see how it is in the (later) am. Maybe ill set an AC timer on the cooler to only come on for a certain amount of time to keep it at 70°

 

[WI_Wino]

Here's a formula I use to calculate/estimate alcohol content:

Formula to calculate estimated ABV (based on OG and FG):
ABV = 131 * (OG - FG)

 

[cmason1957]

That is a good formula, some might use 133, instead of 131. If I read your first post correctly, there were multiple sugar additions. To determine the correct ABV, you need to perform that calculation for each of them and sum them together.

131*((1.076-1.009) + (1.024-F.G)) Let's assume, just for illustration that it ends up with a final of 1.00.

ABV = 131*(.067 + .024) = 11.9%

 

[beardy]

So the SG has been down at 1.000 since 7-12-13. I added a campden to stop fermentation but I didn't add sorbate. because I wasnt going to bottle. On the 20th I degassed with a whip and a vaccum setup and I racked because of the sediment. I topped up then with apple juice. Today I noticed small bubbles but also I see some whiteish-looking.... puffs? gathered at the top. I don't know what they are but maybe its from the apple juice which was juiced apples not store bought. I dont know if I should just sorbate now (added kmeta 10 days ago) and rack again and see how it goes. I was going to rack in 2 weeks but I dont know if I want to keep that stuff in there.
Thanks!

 

[beardy]

I commited the cardinal forum sin... didnt take a picture! Here's the little puffy things. The flash shows it good although it not really that white. It's really more translucent but I'm glad it shows up..

 

[Arne]

I believe you are refermenting. When you added the k-meta you stunned the yeast. Without the sorbate which stops the yeast from reproducing, when you added the apple juice you added more sugar. The yeasts that were left yelled FOOD and started chomping again. Hold off on the sorbate now, let it finish fermenting, then k-meta again, sorbate, then you can add more apple juice again. Think the small white chunks are probably the old lees floating up with co2 bubbles. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[FABulousWines]

I think Arne nailed it. If you didn't add sorbate then the apple juice most likely restarted fermentation. k-meta will not kill yeast per se. It does kill off unwanted bacteria, but it's main purpose is to bind up oxygen to prevent oxidation. Think of it as protection for your wine. Think of sorbate as birth control for yeast. It doesn't kill yeast either, but like all living organisms if they don't reproduce they will eventually all die off. That is why you only ever need to add sorbate once, but if you bulk age you should add k-meta every two or three months as it will get bound up and needs to be replenished.

 

[beardy]

Thanks!!! Makes me feel better.

 

[Iffy]

I am learning so much from this thread!!! Thanks, Beardy, for sharing your personal experience, and to all the veteran wine makers for such great detailed responses at each turn. I'll be starting a batch of peach here soon, from peaches picked at our family farm. Can't wait!

 

[beardy]

I am learning so much from this thread!!! Thanks, Beardy, for sharing your personal experience, and to all the veteran wine makers for such great detailed responses at each turn. I'll be starting a batch of peach here soon, from peaches picked at our family farm. Can't wait!

Awesome! I have an apricot going from our backyard tree. Its (imo) going way better than the apple concentrate.

 

[beardy]

Ive got a thick layer of white flaky stuff at the bottom and co2 is still coming up even though its been dead on at 1.000 for the last week... should I rack off this stuff now and stabilize or let it continue (no airlock bubbling at all) to sit?