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Honeyblunt

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Alright so check it. I have Star San Sanitizer, 5 gallons of 100% juice, a nice jug of mountain ridge honey, 10 lbs. sugar, Campden tablets, and 4 bags of grapes. If I wing it and just go by readings on my hydrometer to make sure the alc is in check, do yall think it'll come out decent? Here's my setup.ImageUploadedByWine Making1393269743.060670.jpg ImageUploadedByWine Making1393269799.657175.jpgImageUploadedByWine Making1393269819.631202.jpgImageUploadedByWine Making1393269842.280790.jpg
There is 3 more identical bags of grapes. Thanks!


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Two questions:

One, what do you plan on clarifying this with?

Two, what do you plan on aging it in? [Example carboy or bottles]
 
I was just going to rack it a few times and bottle it.


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Last edited:
Make sure it's clear before you bottle it, or else it could spoil in the bottles.

So far from my experience kiesosol and chitosan works very quickly when used together. Sparkolloid takes slightly longer to clear but makes it a lot clearer in the end. Both of these options cost $1-$3 where I live for enough to make 2 to 3 batches. So it is certainly worth your time to look into it.

As for the taste it looks like you're going to get something which is a cross between wine and mead by adding the honey. Should be interesting!
 
I'll definitely look into the clearing solutions as this is my first time making wine. When should I add them if I use them though? Thanks for the help dude!


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Hi Honeyblunt, You say that you intend to rack the wine that you produce a few times and then bottle, but to rack you need a container to rack into and after a few weeks in the primary bucket the container that you need to rack into will need to be more or less full (virtually no space between the surface of the wine and the airlock). And it will need to be more or less "hermetically" sealed so that no air can get in. Most people here use plastic or glass carboys designed to contain the wine after the active fermentation has slowed down and virtually no more CO2 is being produced by the yeast ( that CO2 acts as a kind of blanket between the wine and the outside air inhibiting oxidation of the wine).
What I am saying you may already know very well , so I apologize if I am trying to teach my grandmother how to suck eggs (as the saying goes), but if your bucket is going to be large enough to allow the must (unfermented juice) to ferment with all the froth and bluster that is likely to result from the action of the yeast on the fermentable sugars, then it is likely too large to act as your secondary fermenter (the one you rack into), and if it is small enough to act as your secondary (and can effectively seal out the air) then it is likely too small to act as your primary fermenter - that is the fermenter into which you add (or "pitch") the yeast. Your pics don't seem to include a second container...
 
ImageUploadedByWine Making1393275128.354461.jpgi did kinda know what you were explaining but that helped me understand it a bit more. I do have a 5 gallon glass Carboy so I should be good.


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That glass carboy should be perfect!

If it isn't filled to the neck, go out and buy a cheap wine to top it up with.

As for when to add the clarifiers (fining agents): once your wine has finished fermenting, degas it thoroughly. Once you are sure there is no more gas in it, then you add the fining agents.

As for degassing, I use an electric drill with a special degassing rod attached (cost me $8.00). It does a very good job.
 
I'll have to read some more on degassing before I get there but I also was curious about the air plug and all. I read that some people don't necessarily put in the airtight plug right away. Is this true? I was planning on plugging as soon as I finished making it today.


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As for degassing, I use an electric drill with a special degassing rod attached (cost me $8.00). It does a very good job.

I made mine with an old plastic coat hanger and some boiling water ala this guy

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwq3TpkqCE[/ame]
 
You don't need a solid plug. Just make sure you keep water in your bubbler. If it goes dry, it will allow oxygen in.
 
Yo so my hydrometer is reading 1.6 after adding fruit juice, grape pulp, and honey. Is this a normal reading? I thought it had to be 1.09 before adding yeast, any thoughts?


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1.6!?! Do you mean 1.060?

If it's 1.060 then I would just keep adding sugar until it's at least 1.080 (more if you want more alcohol, but I wouldn't go above 1.090)

If it's 1.6, you may be taking the reading of a block of sugar... Or maybe a solid countertop... Consider adding other ingredients and maybe do your readings BEFORE cracking into your liquor reserves :p
 
Yup...we figured it out now...



and thanks by the way. I feel pretty dumb but it was 1.06 not 1.6

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if i read this wrong sorry but, you do not want to put it under air lock right away. after pitching yeast which you will do in your bucket (the primary)then keep it covered with a towel and stir twice a day until sg reading reaches around .090 dry.(some put it in carboy between 1.000 and .090) this would be your first racking from bucket to glass carboy(secondary) at this point it is when you put your bung and air lock in.

sorry if i misread earlier post and good luck
 
Yeah see that's what I'm unsure of! Just finished and have it like this, ImageUploadedByWine Making1393289955.869574.jpgshould I just take out the airlock and lay a paper towel over it? (And yes that's a Ferrero Rocher chocolate on top for good luck)


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Just keep the lid on loose and put a dish towel over it. Take the bubbler out as well.
 
Oh and get it off and away from the rug!!! These things can turn into volcanos quite easily and it will be totally ruined!!!
 
Leave the Chocolate, it will help things (in case anyone needs this, I am kidding it will make no difference). But do remove the airlock. It will make it easier for you to sanitize something and stir it every day.

One other thing I wanted to point out. Your SG will get down to 0.99x, not 0.09x as someone else indicated.
 

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