WineXpert Is this how it should taste?

[Cove Cottage]

Step 3 wine kit questions … (VR Zinfandel)<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

John and I checked the SG and tasted the wine this weekend. The wine tasted slightly sharp and had a very “yeasty” taste … is this we should expect at this stage? (10 days in carboy) The SG is .994 and there hasn’t been any <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">noticeable[/I] fermentation for the last 5 days. Will check the SG again today and see if there is any change before proceeding with step 3.

Does anyone besides me have trouble getting an accurate hydrometer reading? That darn thing always wants to lean against the glass. We’re using the Fermtech Wine Thief/Test jar Combo. If you have any “tips” let me know.

One more question ...at least for now

When we finished racking the wine to the carboy in step 2 we washed and sanitized everything as directed. This weekend I noticed that the vinyl tubing is cloudy and seems to have a film on the inside. Is this a problem?

Thanks to all of you for all your help on this first kit … this is a great forum!!

 

[Hippie]

The wine is full of CO2 right now, so it kinda amplifies that young wine taste alot. That is very normal. Good job to wait and try to get the wine drier, it might just be really really slow right now toward the end. Try to read the hydrometer while it is still spinning slowly in the test jar before it leans over. You DO spin it, right? Spinning helps get the air and CO2 bubbles off of it so the reading is more accurate. You might also hold the test jar and manipulate itin a way to make the hydrometer stay in the middle of the wine.The cloudiness in the tubing is normal and is more than likely residue from your sanitation. I hope all this makes sense and it is a big help to you. Anything else?


Good job!

 

[Cove Cottage]

Glenvall,


Thanks for the information and the tip on reading the hydrometer! I'll try giving it a better spin tonight when I take the reading. Also good to know that the haze inside the tubing is not a problem.


That's it for now. However, being a type-A, rather anal-retentative person, I'm sure there will be more questions beforefinishing this first batch.

Thanks again.

 

[rgecaprock]

Margaret and John,


Winemaking will become second nature to you soon.

Relax and have fun!! You will become a natural.


RamonaEdited by: rgecaprock

 

[cbwenger]

margaret, glenvall and ramona hit it right on the head... also another idea for the hydrometer, i just let it sit in the carboy or fermentor... maybe this won't work with better bottles looking through plastic, but with glass I can keep tabs on it daily without worrying about sanitizing and pulling juice out of the carboy to pour back in... just need a long pair of tweezers to pull out before racking, or what i do is rack w/ the hydrometer in there, then fill the carboy with water to rinse and wash before sanitizing, and the little bugger will pop right out. Edited by: cbwenger

 

[rgecaprock]

Corey,


I think I will try your way with the hydrometer. Sounds quick and easy although it is a big job for me to fill up the carboy with enough water to float the hydrometer to the neck. I have a little teeny kitchen sink that I can barely get a teapot under the faucet to fill it up. I guess if i had a hose connection that would work or the tweezers. I'll work on it.


Anything to make it simple. Ramona

 

[Cove Cottage]

Corey,


Great idea, that sure sounds a lot easier than the waywe're doing it now.I'm surewe'll both relax a bit once thefirst kit in the bottle. Which is a good thing sinceour Chardonnay kit should arrive today. Didn't want to let that equipment sit there and be unproductive

Margaret

 

[kaizen]

My sink is too small for the carboy also. I use the bathtub to fill it for rinsing. Bottled (5g) for the wine.

 

[rgecaprock]

I ususally just use a funnel and fill it as much as I can(so that I can lift it) then just swish it around several times.Get it good and clean then pour in a little sulfite ,stopper it and store it until the next time. All I have to do is swish the sulfite around then you are ready to go. No need to clean it twice.


Ramona

 

[cbwenger]

i use use the bathtub too, and i don't wash it with soap, i'll just fill it up to pop the hydrometer out, dump out the water and do one or two small swishes and rinses, then fill with solution..... just be careful Ramona, or anyone else that can't fill up the carboy right away, MAKE SURE YOU CAN GET IT BACK OUT and if you use tweezers, be gentle, because if you squeeze too hard and it breaks in the carboy, there are much bigger problems than just a replacing a hydrometer!!!Maybe you can even pour it out once it's empty too, never did that though, thought it might break so thats why i filled it w/ water...


????Edited by: cbwenger