Gimme your thoughts on this?

[Redtrk]

Vicki and I are leaving tomorrow for a Florida/Bahamas' vacation and will be gone about 10 days. We will still have six people at the house while we are gone that know nothing about wine.
I'm thinking about starting two wines tonight to ferment while we are gone. One is a pear chardonnay kit and the other is an apple cherry from juice. I'm thinking I can start them late this afternoon then pitch the yeast tomorrow before we leave. Does anyone think there would be a problem by doing this?

 

[Flem]

I think if they can stir them once a day and snap the lid down with an airlock after 5 or 6 days, you should be okay.

 

[ibglowin]

I would wait personally. If a problem arises of any kind, your thousands of miles away. 10 days is nothing to wait in the life span of a good wine.

 

[Julie]

I would have to agree with Ibglowin, I would be a nervous wreck wondering if the wines are ok.

 

[Flem]

My son has done it for me a couple of times without incident. If they know how to stir and snap a lid down (are they trainable? LOL), you should be good to go. You're only a phone call away. Have a great vacation!!

 

[ibglowin]

A very expensive phone call, don't forget......

We spent a week in the Bahamas last November. Verizon and Sprint phones will not work.
Only ATT and TMobile phones work and it will cost you about $2 a minute to use.

Texting will cost you $$$ as well. Your only hope is that they have good free wireless or your in trouble.......

 

[Redtrk]

Thanks for your thoughts and opinions on this. I think i'm going to wait. Even if they did give them a stir once a day they don't realize the importance of sanitizing anything that comes into contact with the wine.
I totally agree and, Thank you!

 

[winemaker_3352]

I agree with Mike as well - I would wait.

 

[robie]

Sounds like Flem's son knows enough to really help out. If the ones staying don't know what they are doing, I also would wait. Too much money to take the chance.

 

[Redtrk]

I'll start these somewhere around the 23rd since i'm in no real hurry anyway.

 

[Wade E]

IMO if these are just juices with no fruit in them then there is no need to stir and you can just snap the lid shut. Set it and forget it. I ferment all my wines like thois with an airlock and dont open fopr 2 weeks on the nose. Just my $.02

 

[Runningwolf]

Rick I also agree with Wade. If it was me I would go ahead and make it if it's only juice. Just like kits, put an air lock on it and forget it. This is as long as you got good temps.

 

[Arne]

They don't know anything about making wine, you didn't say anything about drinkin it. You gonna lock your cellar up while you are gone?? LOL, Arne

 

[Redtrk]

They don't know anything about making wine, you didn't say anything about drinkin it. You gonna lock your cellar up while you are gone?? LOL, Arne

HOLY CRAP I never thought about that!

 

[WildBill]

So in October I took my family to Disney Land. I gave the keys of the house and my truck to a buddy of mine so he could bring my mail in the house and such. I left my fermenter full of 6 gallons cherry must in the kitchen lid closed with air lock. I was gone 8 days.

When my buddy picks me up at the airport he told me he had bad news. He had kicked or bumped the spigot on his way through the house and cracked it. He didn't realize this until 2 more days had passed. I don't know how much escaped by then but he set the bucket in the sink and busted the rest of the spigot off and let the rest of my cherry goodness down the drain. I was sad but who knew?

 

[robie]

Too bad!
At least it's better most of it went down the drain and not on your floors.

 

[Runningwolf]

I totally agree with Robie. Sad loss but coming home to stained sticky floors would have been way worse.

 

[WildBill]

My laminate floor was a little buckled but not as bad as it could have been. He did clean it up very well and I appreciated it very much.
I guess the point was even if you have the best people in the world around your stuff, accidents do happen and they would not know how to handle the situation like you would if you were there.

 

[mangojack]

Vicki and I are leaving tomorrow for a Florida/Bahamas' vacation and will be gone about 10 days. We will still have six people at the house while we are gone that know nothing about wine.
I'm thinking about starting two wines tonight to ferment while we are gone. One is a pear chardonnay kit and the other is an apple cherry from juice. I'm thinking I can start them late this afternoon then pitch the yeast tomorrow before we leave. Does anyone think there would be a problem by doing this?

No, I l ferment my wine in the primary 14 days just stir every 3rd day,should be fine.Wine has always turned out fine.

 

[Redtrk]

Well since we're back home I think it's time to get these two wines going. Thanks everyone for your comments.