having the rite temperature.

[Dillinger]

I have a question about wine making, and temp. I make it very crudely, a trash bag in a 7 gallon bucket smashed grapes with some concentrate. I live in Washington state, and it's very cold outside. I ferment in my garage and well it's very cold in there. My last batch didn't turn out very good as in to sweet and very little alcohol. I'm on a very tite budget so all I have money for is basic sugar, juice grapes and yeast. This next batch i'm only going to use concentrate. So I want to make my own heating gadget, or stinger. my question is that necessary for this or do I have to wait longer for the batch turn into wine because it's so cold?

 

[Rocky]

More time probably would not help. Your problem is the temperature and the yeast's active range for temperature. What seems to have happened on the last batch is the yeast stopped working due to the cold. This left little sugar converted to alcohol, therefore the low alcohol content and sweet taste from the residual sugar. There is a product called a "brew belt" that will heat the bucket, but because you are trying to save money on the process, may not be a good solution for you. Could you not find a place inside the house, e.g. the kitchen, a closet or a spare room, to place the fermenter?

 

[jdrum]

if you can't move your fermenter inside, then make a little cubbyhole in the garage about 3 foot square and 4 foot high and cover with a tarp and some old blankets, then hang a light bulb inside with a thermometer. start with about a 40 watt bulb and go bigger to get the temp up to 65 to 75 degrees. then stick your fermenter in there and let her cook.

jim

 

[Dillinger]

thank you for the replies.. i moved it down to the basement. it's a little warmer in there. and before i put it all in the bucket, I heated it up on the stove and melted the sugar and put in the yeast.. I put a plastic bag with a rubber band around it to seal it.. i have to go down to let the gas out... 3 months ago when it still hot out. My trash bag popped open LOL... I like the light bulb idea. better then stripping wire and electricity and all..... Ok so i see I need to keep the temps up for a good brew..theres a wine place about two miles from here.. when the cash starts coming in Im going to invest in some supplies....

again thank you

 

[Geronimo]

Buy a cooler that's larger than your fermenter. Use warm water in the cooler to adjust the temp. I use an Ice Cube cooler like this one

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-60-Qt.-Ice-Cube-Roller-Cooler/5663765

The only thing more important than managing the fermentation temps is sanitization.

 

[Dillinger]

Buy a cooler that's larger than your fermenter. Use warm water in the cooler to adjust the temp. I use an Ice Cube cooler like this one

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-60-Qt.-Ice-Cube-Roller-Cooler/5663765

The only thing more important than managing the fermentation temps is sanitization.

that is a great idea thank you..

 

[JohnT]

you could also simply use a heating pad.

 

[Geronimo]

you could also simply use a heating pad.

Heating elements can make it too warm, or not warm enough. With a $5 thermometer I can manage the temp to within 1 degree of the recommended temp by only checking the fermenter 1-2 times a day. For making blue ribbon lagers, this is imperative. For wine, I could relax this to checking every other day I think.

 

[Dillinger]

Heating elements can make it too warm, or not warm enough. With a $5 thermometer I can manage the temp to within 1 degree of the recommended temp by only checking the fermenter 1-2 times a day. For making blue ribbon lagers, this is imperative. For wine, I could relax this to checking every other day I think.

I use two trash bags in a white 7 gallon bucket. I put another trash bag over the top of it with a rubber band lol... yeah a home made stinger dropped into the bucket isn't very good, I would have to check it ALL the time to keep it from getting way to hot.. I just want it to ferment it rite and have the temps up so the yeast will eat the sugar so i can get a decent alcohol % in it. I can see that everyone here uses high end wine making equipment, has anyone here ever started out where I am, or close to it? (and what's a fermenter?)