Hello All! Newbie Here! Started my Blackb

[NorthernWinos]

Okay so I tried posting the pics this time put them online... but does anyone use a Mac? The instructions on uploading pics are for PC - and I would think is should be easier but it keeps giving me that damn ?



Thoughts?

I have a PC and had trouble loading photos with different browsers.

I opened a FREE account at Photobucket.com I uploaded my resized photos there....

Then I open 2 browsers/pages....One with my Fine Vine Wines Post ready for the photos and one with my photos in Photobucket.com

Then I highlight the bottom box under the desired photos till the IMG box turns blue....

The Right Click...choose COPY

Got to your Post and Right Click PASTE....the url will be there and the photos should show up on your Post.

At least it does with a PC.

One good thing with PhotoBucket...if your computer ever crashes your photos are always there.

Give it a try...Good luck.

We like photos here....

 

[ashton Hammar]

So I got sidetracked which is fine since my wine doesn't do to much... lol
So I was having difficulties with pictures but opened and account with PhotoBucket and vwala!!!
I FINALLY found camera cord and here are some of my pics from my first Raspberry in hopefully somewhat sequential order...

Here is my pulp fermenting...

Transferring my wine into my secondary... (I think next time I will siphon instead of using the tap at the base - I got a lot of sediment. How do most people use?)

So as you can see I had quit a bit of seditment in my secondary and was going to test my racking skills... which you will find out from my next picture I failed

So this last pic is after my final racking for storage. It is not looking good but I think I have a lot of suspended CO2 within my wine that is helping suspend the sediment and make it look like a lot more than it is?

Update - I got my degasser device Wade told me about and then I degassed until I held a -20 fairly consistently. All the sediment is not suspended, I actually did do a terrible job. It has been about a month since my first rack and I am going to attempt to do a better job this time.

I have a concerns:
1) after my first rack I lost a bit of wine and topped off w/ water; I don't want to dilute my batch - any suggestions on topping off?
2) Next - does my wine still have sulfites if I completely degas or does it requre CO2 to be left in the wine, and lastly
3) I added sorbate because I thought you always add Kmeta and sorbate together. Now I have read in some places you are suppose to wait until right before you back-sweeten because sorbate can give off-tastes. Is this true and should I be concerned?

Good to finally get these pictures up and let you all know how it is going. It tastes a little light - I have some oak I was thinking of adding after my second rack. Any thoughts? Oh yeah just about to start my Spiced Pumpkin Wine. Thanks all.

 

[Waldo]

1. For topping off you can get a similar commercial wine. I would also recommend on future batches to start off with about 3/4 gallon more than your finish target amount. That gives extra for topping off later. Justmake sure you have a jar/bottle with a bung and airlock to rack the extra into.


2. I will leave this question to be answered by the resident experts on this subject. I have yet totestmine for sulfites. I just use the recommend amount at intitial fermentation and with each racking and move on.


3. After fermentation hs completed ( verified with SG reading) I always add my sulfite and sorbate at the same time.


When you get ready to rack again about 2-3 days before ou are going to rack try putting a small saucer under one edge of your carboy, giving it aslight list. When you do rack, do not let the tip of of your racking can or auto siphon, whichever you are using into the sediment. keep it just slightly above he sediment.

 

[Wade E]

Hi Ashton, at first racking you are always going to get lots of sediment as it is still floating in the wine especially when using fruit where the pulp is very small like raspberries. After 1st racking it is no concern about being low in the carboy as it should still be fermenting cause you usually rack around 1.020 or a little bit lower and will create more gas to protect your wine in carboy. At this point your just waiting till fermentation is done (stable) by checking for same SG 3 days in a row. Waldo is completely right about starting off with more then you want, especially when making a fruit wine as its near impossible to use a like wine to top off with for fruit wines.

1 As far as topping off, there are a few ways to protect your wine at this point. 1 is to get various size carboys to rack down to and this is really the best wayYou should have an assortment of sizes like 6, 5, 3, 1 and magnum wine bottles and all the bungs and airlocks to go with them. This way you can just rack to the next size down and if there is too much for that vessel you put the rest in what vessel will fit it the best. Other methods are to buy gases such as Argon or Nitrogen or C02 to add to the top of your carboy.
2 As far as sulfite goes, Waldo is right again, You should add sulfite and sorbate when your wine is stable and degas at this point so your wine can start clearing. The smell you heard about is given off from sorbate when sorbate is added with a low sulfate level and thats why we add k-meta then sulfite. As you notice question 2 and 3 kind of go together.
As far as adding oak at this point, I would recommend cubes or even better spirals as they wount leave such a mess. Chips and dust are basically for addig to your wine during primary fermentation so you can rack off them and because they will give you lots of surface area that will oak your wine fast so racking off them along with gross lees is best.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Is that a wine spot on the carpet???? [If so use some OxyClean or peroxide to get it off.]

Most importantly....How does it taste????

Thanks for the photos....we love photos!!!!

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[rgecaprock]

Hi Ashton, Welcome to the Forum. Hope you enjoy it and gain vast knowledge from all of the fine winemakers here. We love to hear your experiences.


Ramona

 

[ashton Hammar]

Okay - so I haven't transferred my Raspberry wine yet because I need to get a 3 gal carboy, BUT I did start my pumpkin spice wine at long last. Began it Saturday and started fermentation Sunday with Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast: SG ~1.08, acid content ~5ppt, and today it is still bubbling strong!

I am a bit concerned (sort of) because its SG is down to ~1.04. I don't think it has been in primary that long and is their any side effects to not transferring when it is to 1.03? I am worried about not getting enough taste into the wine... thoughts?

Oh yeah it tastes good if not a bit on the light side of course. Very bubbly/carbonated. Appreciate thoughts on leaving it in past 1.03.

 

[Wade E]

You can lave it in longer but beware not to open it again till you have a carboy or you will lose all protection from gases. Once in carboy and it will most likely be done fermenting please degas so as to get some C02 out of your wine and protect your wine. RJ Spagnols wine kits have you use this method as it helps you to get the gas out of your wine easier amongst other reasons.

 

[ashton Hammar]

Wait so I will leave it in the primary until maybe around ~1.02 then transfer to the carboy. I didn't think I add kmeta and get some CO2 into the wine and degass until it is completely done fermenting?Also I am still stirring my wine about 3x a day; it won't lose its protection from stirring will it?

 

[grapeman]

Just a point of clarity here for you. Wine produces C02 as it ferments among other gasses. When you degas this is the stuff you want to get out of the wines. During fermentation and after the first racking, heavy C02 production protects your wine from 02. After fermentation is complete it doesn't produce C02 anymore so you degas to get the rest of it out. That is when you need to add k-meta for S02 production. Remember they aren't the same gas. After the initial transfer at 1.020-1.030(I prefer just a bit lower myself) you don't need to stir it. At that point it isn't producing as much gas so you could get oxygen in it too much at that point.


I hope this makes it a bit clearer and not more complicated for you.

 

[ashton Hammar]

Thanks all! Well checked it after got back from work and it had fermented down to 1! So I started the transfer; I thought my starting SG was a little weak so I added 2 cups of water & 2 cups sugar, and 2 tsp of nutrient to the transferring wine. From the looks of the bubbling my yeast has started back-up (yeah!) and hopefully will be in the 12% range for alcohol content.

It did not taste good; which is weird since it tasted good earlier, but hopefully it will pass. Anyways, I am planning on letting it work its way through the last 2 cups of sugar I added, I will let it all settle, then rack over in 1-2 wks give or take.

On a good note, at least it has the right color

So here it is!!!

 

[NorthernWinos]

What wine is this picture of?????

 

[uavwmn]

Ashton, welcome to the Forum. And enjoy this great hobby!!

 

[Wade E]

Looks good!

 

[Waldo]

Never saw a Blackberry turn that color ashton.....What kind is that in the picture

 

[grapeman]

My guess is that it is the pumpkin wine just started-mentioned on the previous page. I had to double check because I wondered the same thing!

 

[ashton Hammar]

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I have been on the forum but I am still making my wine. The blackberry is just about ready to bottle - it has been 1 year!!! It tastes pretty good, my friends like it, but it doesn't have as much body as I would like. I plan on keeping it a semi-dry... I was curious if anybody knew how to add 'body' to a wine?