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[mdktkd]

I have been a long time wine lover, and was finally bit by the vintner bug. I am in the process of making my first batch of MM Vinefera Castel del Papa. It is day two, and I just stirred and checked the SG for the first time. I peeked at it on day one, and the primary fermentationseems to have startedwell. The lid is not sealedon the bucket, the airlock is in place, SG is at 1.080, must temp. is 72, androom temp is 70.5. I don't know what I don't know, but I think I am off to a goodstart.
One thing that I can't seem to stop worrying about: I am completely freaked out about cleaning and sanitizing to the point that Ifeel I am being a little OCD. I am storing everything in a plastic storage container, rinsing/wipingthe hydrometer, thermometer, spoon, etc. before and after each use, and soaking everything in K-meta before it goes back into the batch. Should I be makinga new cleaningsolution each time I use one of the tools? Does anyone have a step-by-step instruction on the habits I should get in to so I am cleaning and sanitizing effectively without getting carried away?

 

[Joanie]

I'm thinking you are the only one who can decide how clean things need to be. I know I'm probably not as careful as I should be but I've never had a problem.

As for your cleaning solution... if you can smell it, it's still potent. Just be careful when you take a whiff to check it. It can be VERY strong. It will last for months in a sealed container.

Welcome to the wine fold!

 

[nursejohn]

Mdktkd, welcome to the world of winemaking! It sounds like you are on track. I remember when I first started, I was going a little overboard too. I am a nurse and was trying to handle everything like it should be sterile, which is not a bad thing, but things need to be clean and sanitized, not sterile. Just use good common sense and you'll be fine. For what it's worth, I keep my gallon of K-Meta in a plastic milk jug. Good luck and have fun, John.

 

[Runningwolf]

NurseJohn, I agree with you on everything except the milk jug. I was also using one until I read several posts of the jugs failing overtime from the k-meta. I now use glass for long term such as in my corkidor and plastic just for everyday use and switch it out once in a while.


I clean all my tools in very hot water and them give them a spry with k-meta and let them air dry. When I get ready to use them again I give them another spray and proceed using them without a rinse.

 

[Bartman]

Sanitizing is a critical step and one that must be maintained, but I have known winemakers who were not nearly as careful as I would expect them to be. Nevertheless, they rarely had contamination problems. Can't figure that one out, but as always, better safe than sorry.

I use hot water and rinse a lot, but don't always have k-meta mixed when I need it, so I have taken my chances on a number of occasions, without problems arising. It's comforting to remember that the alcohol content helps fight the growth of many kinds of microbes.

 

[nursejohn]

Didn't know that about the milk jugs. Thanks for the tip.

 

[mdktkd]

Thank you all for your responses and support. I did buy a couple of gallon-sized glass jugs for storing the K-meta as you suggested. That is working out well. I also have an HDPE spray bottle that I am temporarily storing some K-meta in to spritz the thermometer and hydrometer before use.


Based on all of your comments, it sounds like I am doing ok withcleaning and sanitizing. Thank you so much.


It is day 3;I just stirred, and checked temp. and SG. It was a gorgeous day here today, and the house temp. went up a little bit. The room was 73, and the must was 76. Too warm too quickly? The SG went from 1.080 lats night to 1.042 tonight. MM instructions say to rack when SG gets to 1.040 to 1.050 between days 3 and 5. Should I rack now, or should I be a little more patient considering the higher fermentation temp.?

 

[ibglowin]

Search the forums for "wine volcano"!

Short answer, no. Leave it in primary, add nutrient at 1.03 and oak if any and just let it go till around ~1.000. Snap the lid and add the airlock at the same time you add the nutrient.

 

[Wade E]

Ive had 2 milk jugs fail on me from having the sulfite in them, just very small leaks over time. I agree with IB, unless you want to split it up into 2 vessels so you dont end up with "the mess"!

 

[Waldo]

Welcome, glad to have you onboard

 

[mdktkd]

The SG seems to be dropping fast. It went from 1.042 on day 3 to 1.014 tonighton day 4. So I added the nutrient and the oak like you suggested and snapped the lid. It is bubbling well. Should I be concerned about going past the 1.030 reading before adding the nutrient? MM suggests stirring the wine daily in the carbouy to move the oak around. Should I stir in the primary or just let it sit for the 6-7 days?


Thanks so much for all of the help.

 

[Joanie]

Stir away! The yeasties need oxygen to eat up all that good sugar and make alcohol plus it will help that oak spread it's good flavor through your wine.

You're doing just fine, mdktkd.

 

[Wade E]

I think you made a wise decision actually and dont really like those instructions as to me the fermentation is still a little to vigorous and can cause a wine volcano which many have discovered. Youll be just fine!

 

[cindyjo]

Welcome mdktkd to the obsession Looks like you are starting off well. I have been doing this for 3 or 4 years and I still have moments that I am unsure if I am doing things well. I quick post here or a quick call to Texas usually calms me down. BTW my plastic milk just just sprung a leak, thankfully I saw it and was able transfer to another container.
Good Luck

 

[Wade E]

Yes, there is a shelf life on milk jugs with k-meta solution.

 

[Runningwolf]

I also keep my k-meta in gallon plastic water jugs. Everytime I make a new kit I change it out. I would not chance over 2-3 months.

 

[Bartman]

It's easy to tell when you exceeded the shelf life of the k-meta jug: your solution is on the floor instead of the shelf.

 

[mdktkd]

I have to say that thanks to all of the input and the experience so far, things are working out well. It certainly seems like a little less work to do the secondary fermentation in the primary bucket. Stirring and checking temp. and SG has been very nice. I let it sit yesterday, but stirred a little and checked SG. The temp. was 73F, and the SG was .998. I added 1 to the SG since the temp. was at 73F. I am going to give it a couple more days of checking and stirring, and I should be at .996.


This forum is great, and the contributions have been wondeful. Thanks again for the tutelage.

 

[mdktkd]

So as the time is coming closer to move the wine from the primary bucket to the carbouy after the secondary fermentation is complete, should I rack by using the auto-siphon to pull out of the bucket instead of the spigot to limit the amount of sediment that transfers over? Thespigot certainlyis the easy way, butI know the easy way isn't always the right way.

 

[Wade E]

Dont worry about some sediment getting racked over at this stage and instead worry about that carboy being full and not needing topping off. You will be using a fining agent that will take any sediment out anyway. The biggest problem I always see is that people leave too much wine behind due to trying to leave the sediment behind also and then need a few bottles to top off later. Get as much wine as you can out of every batch and you wont need topping up later. It may require another racking but knowing you dont have to rack down to 5 gallon carboy or buy a commercial bottle is worth the little extra work.