IS it carboy time yet?

[cecilias9]

Oh my goodness! I hope I don't have that kind of a mess to clean up

. Here is a picture of my 1/2 gallon jug. I forgot to take pictures before my husband put them in the closet. Oh well. The color is rather "peachy". But that's because we had far more bronze muscadines than blue ones. This year I will not pick them together, but separate by color so we can make a really pretty red wine... like Waldo's

How long do I wait for the next racking - or I should say what is the sign that it is the right time to rack again?

 

[Wade E]

It will most likely finish fermenting within the next week but leave it in there for about 2-3 weeks without taking the lid or airlock off. At that time it should be starting to clear on its own. At that time I would sulfite, add sorbate and degas and if using a fining agent add that also then immediately top up. If not using a fining agent then sulfite, sorbate and degas and top up.

 

[cecilias9]

Thank you, Wade. Well I know degassing is mixing it up quickly, I've seen it done on the Internet with a drill? (don't have to use a drill, do I), but what is the sulfite and sorbate? I don't remember Waldo's recipe calling for anything else? I know fining is supposed to make everything fall down into the sediment and help to clear the wine. But how will I know if I should use it? I think I am supposed to use a campden tablet just before bottling, but that is all I thought I needed to add.

Cecilia

 

[Wade E]

Campden is sulfite but if you are going to sweeten the wine after its done fermenting then you need to add sorbate to prevent a renewed fermentation. Sulfite is used in the beginning to sanitize equipment and also in your unfermented wine to stun the wild yeast so that your wine yeast which is more tolerant of sulfite can take hold and start fermenting. Wine yeast is much more predictable as far as producing a favorable flavor with your wine and also with fermenting all the sugars and not doing a 1/2 a$$ job and stopping mid fermentation. If you like a wine that is a little sweeter then what we do this when the wine is fermented we stabilize (sulfite and sorbate) the wine and then add a dissolved sugar to it until the desired sweetness is achieved. Youll know when your wine is done fermenting by taking 2-3 sg readings a few days apart and getting the same (stable) readings. As far as adding a fining agent (clearing agent) to your wine thats up to you. You can either wait a few months as most wines will clear by themselves or you can use a product like SuperKleer which will do it in about 2 weeks. Most people use a fining in the beginning as they want to get some wine under there belt and done but after you have a decent supply built up there is no rush at all an we usually get lazy and cheap and just let time do its thing. Some people call it having patience though but dont let them fool you.

 

[cecilias9]

Thank you for your explanations. I think I'd rather let the wine do its own thing rather than add anythingthat is not trulynecessary. I personally don't like a sweet wine, so I think I'll let it be what it is, unless itturns out really sour. But I tasted it before we transferred it and it seemed o.k. to me. (I am by no means a wine connoisseur.) So I will proceed under the impression that all I will have to do is add the campden before bottling.
I am a little concerned about the racking process. Waldo had said to be careful with oxidation with muscadines and I have read it about other wines as well -- that is to be very careful racking so as not to oxidize too much. I don't see how it can be helped unless you have two carboys of the same size... I suppose we should get another five gallon so that we can transfer directly into it instead of into a bucket and then back into the carboy? Wine kits only come with one...so that's all we have. They are expensive! Ah well. I do want to continue with this, so we may as well justbite the bullet. Thanks again.
Cecilia

 

[Wade E]

Oh dont worry, youll be buying more carboys!!!!!!!!

And everytime you do youll still need another just like us until you have about 8 and for most of us thats enough but for some other people (Tom aka Tepe) thats not even close to enough. Just make sure you keep ypour wine sulfited and there will be no problem. Make sure when your wine is done fermenting you add the Campden (sulfite) and then again after about 3-4 months of carboy (bulk) aging. As far as clearing agents go there are wines that will need a fining agent and those are usually Peach and Apple.

 

[cecilias9]

Well I can always put TWO CARBOYS on my Christmas list every year and in no time I'll have what I need. We grow plums, apples, pears, figs, blueberries, cherries, and strawberries, and of course muscadines. Oh wouldn't I love to make a strawberry wine! And I can always pick peaches or get them at the farmer's market. One of these years I can envision making herbal wine, maybe peppermint to start out... But first things first. My muscadine has to take its time... I don't want to rush anything.


Thanks for all your help. I doubt if I would have remembered to add the campden when it was finished fermenting... How do I extract wine from the carboy to check the SG readings and how long after it stops bubbling should I do that?

 

[fivebk]

You can purchase a wine theif from george very inexpensive or just use your syphon hose ( suck a little into the tube ,block with your finger and transfer it to the measuring devise.
You can check the wine anytime, just look for readings the same .

BOB

 

[Wade E]

It really sounds like you need to buy a steam juicer to can all those juices from fruits until you can gather enough vessels for both primary an long term storage such as carboys or demijohns. If you can it you can store it on your shelf until you have a free carboy. Lots of people including Waldo and Gaudet use these. If had that much fruit available to me I'd buy one myself..

 

[vcasey]

Just make sure you get stainless steal. I love mine!
http://www.ultimate-weight-products.com/page/UN/PROD/stainless/H-bb-n12&QTS=nextag&QTK=H-bb-n12

 

[cecilias9]

The only thing I amconcerned about is that the steam might kill the vitamins and antioxidants. So says some of the material I have been reading. I am trying to do my research

. I appreciate all input from users of steam juicers concerningthat issue.

 

[Waldo]

How do I extract wine from the carboy to check the SG readings and how long after it stops bubbling should I do that?[/QUOTE]






An inexpensive Turkey baster works well for drawing wine from your carboy too. Just make sure it is a new one and not previously used. And sanitize it before using too

 

[Bartman]

As far as the vitamins and antioxidants, some are more fragile than others. Some start to break down as soon as the fruit is harvested, so fresh fruit/vegetables are always the highest in the "good stuff." Wine, however, is the opposite of "Fresh" fruit - in the end, whatever means you use to extract the juice from the fruit is not going to make much difference to the "healthiness" of the finished product because fermentation and the oxidation that is required will break down those more fragile antioxidants anyway.

'Course, I'm no biochemist, but I am certain that anything made from home-grown fruits/vegetables is going to be healthier ultimately than stuff made from commercially grown produce, simply because commercially grown produce requires certain growing practices that protect the safety of the produce but those practices yield lower overall quality.

 

[cecilias9]

Bart,
It'sgood to know about the breakdown of the good stuff regardless of how you extract the juice. Guess I just need to be eating those blue muscadines raw! Makes me want a steam juicer all the more

Thanks

 

[Waldo]

Need to make hubby a Muscadine pie too

 

[cecilias9]

A Muscadine Pie? Never heard of it! A pie made of grapes? That's a new one on me. Have you ever eaten one, Waldo, or made one yourself???


Oh, now plum pie -- that's the pie. Oh yeah, that is heaven on earth!






Waldo, do you grow your own muscadines?

 

[Wade E]

He does grow some Muscadines but not as much as he would like Im sure but hopefully that will change in time. Im willing to bet he's made that muscie pie and judging from every pic hes ever put on this forum Id bet my life that it was lip smackin delish!

 

[Waldo]

A Muscadine Pie? Never heard of it! A pie made of grapes? That's a new one on me. Have you ever eaten one, Waldo, or made one yourself???


http://forum.finevinewines.com//forum_posts.asp?TID=6956&KW=Muscadine+pie

 

[cecilias9]

Oh my goodness, you are quite the chef! If you send a recipe I will try it

. You are a man of many talents, so it would seem.