How active is fermentation?

[JohnF]

It's the third day of fermentation and I smell lots of yeast and see a layer of
foamy bubbles but it's not the type of thing I'd consider very
"active".



I'm waiting for the active fermentation to slow down but it's never been very
active to begin with. Today I'm moving it to a slightly warmer area to
see if the dark cool spot was just causing slow fermentation but my question is
what should I expect from active fermentation?



Should I see it moving around?



I might have just had the wrong idea but I was expecting more than a
layer of
bubbles collecting on top. This is Texas so there is not really any
spots in my house that are cold enough to slow things down that much (I
think) cooler spots perhaps 75 warmer ones about 80.






John F

 

[masta]

Sometimes you can actually see the solids rising and falling with the fermentation but it is tough to see much if you are using a plastic bucket fermenter. If you can smell yeast and see bubbles on top it is fine.


Not all juices ferment at the same rate....it is a white or red wine?

 

[JohnF]

It's a Welches white grape / peach.



I wanted to do a "test run" before I start my Pinot Noir kit just to use the equipment and make sure I understand everything.



The day at warmer temps didn't do anything different so I guess I'll
just plan on moving it around Thur. or Fri. unless it starts going
crazy or the hydrometer reads too high because I wan to get the kit
going ASAP.



John F

 

[Hippie]

I would pick 75 over 80 anytime. A slow ferment is good. It will keep more good flavors from the must instead of burning them off. Give it a good stir. What was the starting SG?

 

[JohnF]

OK.....I took a reading and the SG was 1.008 so I sent it to the secondary.







Now it's very obvious that fermentation is happening.







I got a chance to taste it from the siphoning and it was like a lemon wine cooler....but not a very good one

It's also a funny color kind of a yellow orange.







Interesting stuff, I can't wait to see this go through the changes and
found out how it turns out. Pretty cool really I'm glad I found this
hobby and this place.







John F

 

[JohnF]

What was the starting SG?

It was 1.096



Now it's 1.008 after a few days.



Is that good?



John F

 

[Joseph1]

In addition to the fruit/juice being fermented, the yeast selection will also affect the amount of foaming. I have had some that generated 2 – 3 inches of foam on the surface and others where the CO2 bubbles came to a relatively clear surface. As you have discovered, let the hydrometer, rather than the foam, provide the indication of how the fermentation is progressing.<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

The drop from 1.096 to 1.008 in three days is a fast fermentation. Generally a slower fermentation is preferred for white wines but with the temperatures we have had lately in Texas, you have little control. Whether or not it was good, you will have to let us know after a few months of bottle aging.

I have never made this wine but I imagine that as the yeast settles out and it becomes clear, the color will become more appealing.

 

[Hippie]

Y'all do have air conditioning in Texas, right? When it is 90's and 100's here, it is still only 74* in my house. While I am a smart*ss alot, I am just curious this time.

 

[JohnF]

Y'all do have air conditioning in Texas, right?
When it is 90's and 100's here, it is still only 74* in my house.

How often and for how long is it in the 90's &amp; 100's where you live?







Maintaining 74 from May - Oct in Texas I'm guessing would result in ...







1)Your ac unit running non stop 24/7.



2)Approx. $1,000 electric bills.



3)A good working relationship with an ac repair man.



4)An inability to leave your house for fear of bursting into flames.







It does get hot here and dealing with the summer heat is a price we pay
in order to never have to buy snow tires, shovel snow, scrape ice, warm
up our cars, and drive on salty roads. We also never have to wear
parkas, long johns, gloves, and a hat just to run to the store.







One of these days I'll buy a nice RV and chase the perfect weather all
over the map but for now I face the Texas heat.....You get used to it.

John F

 

[masta]

I am lucky to have a fermentation room that maintains 68-70 degrees year round. It is happy mediumfor fermenting red &amp; white wines and beer(only ales as the lagers get fermented in the wine cellar at 57 degrees).


We have to run AC in the summer and buy heating oil in the winter!


A perfect home for the wine maker would be underground, then you could use a small amount of energy to keep the inside of the house at the proper temp and store your wine outside of the main part of the house at the proper temp and humidity!

 

[Hippie]

Well, I don't know what the problem is with your A/C. We had a couple days of 90's in April, a whole lot of days of 90's in May so far, we will have 90's and 100's way into September. Believe me, I do know what Texas summers are all about, and Arkansas summers, at least from about here south, are not much cooler. I spent 8 weeks out of the summer of '81 in Texas. Voluntarily, believe it or not. Oh, I don't have snow tires and I don't have a snow shovel, and they don't salt the roads here. sometimes they put sand on the hills and sharp curves. We had 1 snowfall last winter, right before Christmas, 4", and actually had a white Christmas for once. Hallelujah! I know y'all have more days in the 90's and 100's than we do, and I ain't even a rocket scientist. That old Bryant A/C unit is humming outside the window as I type. It does a good job, keeps this house at 74* and my Entergy bill under $100, levelized. Rant over, maybe.

 

[AAASTINKIE]

What is "air conditioning"?? you mean the fan?

 

[JohnF]

That old Bryant A/C unit is humming outside
the window as I type. It does a good job, keeps this house at 74* and
my Entergy bill under $100, levelized.

Superior!



Don't change anything.

John F