My fermenting buckets arrived today and I am underway with my first ever batch of wine. I'm going to make a red raspberry wine and I'm only going to expriment with a 1 gal batch for now.
So far I've purchased 60oz of frozen red raspberries, thawed them, sanitized my fermenting bucket and my straining bag with sodium metabisulphite and put the raspberries in the straining bag, put it in my primary and crushed the fruit. I boiled 1 gal of spring water with 5 cups of granulated sugar and poured it into the primary.
I've added 1 tsp of acid blend, 1 tsp of yeast nutrient and 1/8 tsp of grape tannin so far. I am currently waiting for the temp of the mixture (can I even call it must at this point?) to drop to 70 degrees and then I will add 1 crushed camden tablet. I will wait for 12 hours then add 1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme. 12 hours after that I will then pitch my yeast.
I am planing on using Bourgovin RC212 for my yeast.
Questions I have are
1. how much of this sachet of yeast should I use for a 1 gal batch?
2. I'm not sure how to use the hyrdrometer - what does everyone use to hold the must to drop the hydrometer into? It came with a very thin plastic tube but I think it is just a holder for it when not in use. I have no idea what to use for testing the must. I monkeyed with it in plain tap water just and of course the brix and alcohol readings were zero, and the SG was 1.00, so I think I see how it supposed to work.
3. Should I take my readings just before I pitch the yeast?
4. Should I be expecting specific readings before I pitch the yeast?
I'm quite nervous I may not do something right so if anyone has spotted anything so far I may have missed or may need to do that I haven't mentioned by all means please help me out - and thanks in advance for any advice anyone has to offer.
So far I've purchased 60oz of frozen red raspberries, thawed them, sanitized my fermenting bucket and my straining bag with sodium metabisulphite and put the raspberries in the straining bag, put it in my primary and crushed the fruit. I boiled 1 gal of spring water with 5 cups of granulated sugar and poured it into the primary.
I've added 1 tsp of acid blend, 1 tsp of yeast nutrient and 1/8 tsp of grape tannin so far. I am currently waiting for the temp of the mixture (can I even call it must at this point?) to drop to 70 degrees and then I will add 1 crushed camden tablet. I will wait for 12 hours then add 1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme. 12 hours after that I will then pitch my yeast.
I am planing on using Bourgovin RC212 for my yeast.
Questions I have are
1. how much of this sachet of yeast should I use for a 1 gal batch?
2. I'm not sure how to use the hyrdrometer - what does everyone use to hold the must to drop the hydrometer into? It came with a very thin plastic tube but I think it is just a holder for it when not in use. I have no idea what to use for testing the must. I monkeyed with it in plain tap water just and of course the brix and alcohol readings were zero, and the SG was 1.00, so I think I see how it supposed to work.
3. Should I take my readings just before I pitch the yeast?
4. Should I be expecting specific readings before I pitch the yeast?
I'm quite nervous I may not do something right so if anyone has spotted anything so far I may have missed or may need to do that I haven't mentioned by all means please help me out - and thanks in advance for any advice anyone has to offer.
