First Time Wine Making Questions!

[burningalive]

Just a question or two to put my mind at ease.... We got 6 gallons of cab franc for our first wine making experience. Primary Ferm seemed to go well and feel pretty good about that. The whole sanitization process makes my soooo nervous, we got easy clean with the kit I bought and thats all i've been using. I constantly think I didn't clean the equipment well enough! I just racked to our carboy and it didn't fill it! I topped off with 2 bottles of like wine and I hope that is ok? Also the tops been off a number of times and am worried the air might ruin the wine? Someone tell me I'm being crazy and everythings fine.....that way I can actually ejoy this like I should! Thanks, any response would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Wade E]

Welcome burning alive and relax. As long as you have your carboy topped off and your wine sulfited with k-meta then popping the bung off here and there wont hurt it much at all. Easy clean is really a cleaner and not a sanitizer although many have used it to do so. Use a better sanitizer from now on like K-meta or NA-meta or Star San or Iodophor. Is it still fermenting? If so there is no need to fill up the carboy at this stage as the C02 given off from your wine fermenting will protect it. You only have to worry about topping off when your wine is done fermenting and you have taken off the bung. Glad to have you here and please feel free to ask as many questions as you need.

 

[Rocky_Top]

Welcome!! If you are new to any hobby, I have found that reading the glossary on the subject can really help. http://www.finevinewines.com/Home_Wine_Making_Glossary.htm

 

[burningalive]

ok....this will probably sound stupid but....what's k-meta? And since you said "As long as you have your carboy topped off and your wine sulfited with
k-meta then popping the bung off here and there wont hurt it much at
all." Does that mean it may be hurt? When I spoke to the people an my local wine shop they did not mention using k-meta. Should I buy some and add it now? Or is it too late?

 

[Wade E]

K-meta is either potassium metabisulfite or campden tablets. They are an anti-oxidant and are only to be used for killing off wild yeast before you add your yeast packet on fruit wines from scratch, after fermentation to stabilize your wine and keep it from oxidizing, and again after a few months of bulk aging to keep your wine good. What stage in the process of this batch are you and is this a kit as kits come with k-meta. Once your wine is done fermenting you should add Potassium meta bisulfite and potassium sorbate to prevent any refermentation in this batch.

 

[burningalive]

Ok....I'm on approx day 6 from the first day of primary ferm. I racked the wine to the first carboy 1 1/2 days ago. It wasen't a kit wine, it was just a kit for the equipment, I got the juice from california. I have 1lb bag of Potassium Metabisulphite, but I haven't used it. Should I use it now? And how much? Thank so much for the info!

 

[Wade E]

Do not use it till it is done fermenting!!!!!!! When it is done fermenting you will add 1/4 tsp per 6 gallon batch of wine. You check to see if your wine is done fermenting by checking the SG a few days in a row and when it hasnt gone down in a few days consecutively then it is done. The SG should be 1.000 or lower for almost every wine. You should add potassium sorbate after adding meta also. At that point you can sweeten the wine, clear the wine with a fining agent or just let time do its thing and clear the wine. If you plan on bulk aging then after about 3 months you should add another 1/4 tsp of meta.

 

[burningalive]

Ok....my last reading right before I racked it was 1.003. So soon I would expect I can do the k-meta. What is the purpose of potassium sorbate? Thanks again for your quick replies!

 

[Wade E]

Potassium sorbate prevents the yeast from refermentation and inhibit molds and microbes and increase shelf life. It is especially important if yo are going to sweeten a wine as the addition of sugar can start a new fermentation.

 

[burningalive]

Can I just take a sp gravity reading right in the top of the carboy? Or should I remove some wine and then do it?

 

[grapeman]

One thing to consider is the acidity of the wine- being a Cab Franc. If the acid level was low enough when you started (TA of about .75) you can proceed as Wade suggested with the K-Meta. I expect it would be low enough coming from California. Did they supply these numbers to you- brix, pH and TA (total acidity)? In cooler climates the acidity can at times bee too high and they need a malo lactic fermentation (MLF)to reduce it and smooth out the edges. If that was to be performed, then the k-meta adittion would not take place until after the MLF was complete(about 1-2 months).


An ounce or two of medium French Oak cubes in secondary also add character to the Cab Franc. If you add it, leave them in there and taste weekly for the desired oakiness. Go just a bit past since it will mute over time.Edited by: appleman

 

[PeterZ]

You can drop the hydrometer directly into the carboy only if your fingers are slim enough to fish it back out again. It will go almost all the way down and less than an inch will be above the level of the wine.

 

[uavwmn]

burning, you can take a piece of floss and tie it to the top of the hydrometer and drop it in the carboy to take a reading. I do this all the time and works like a charm.