Newbie on the loose

[JDesCotes]

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.

This is right 1.990

 

[Honeyblunt]

Okie doke, I'm removing the airlock and putting a towel over the lid which is just laying not latched on. When should I, if at all, put in the airlock or is that only when I rack it.

Also, for racking, could someone put the process and timing in laymen's terms for me? Thanks fo real dough, this forum is the shiz and the rugs are removed but not dat chocolate.


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[JDesCotes]

Once it gets below 1.000 I would rack it.

Just siphon it into your glass carboy using a siphoning hose leaving the gunk (gross lees) behind and toss it.

Then put your bubbler on the carboy

 

[Honeyblunt]

Wow so you don't put the bubbler on until the first rack? And the wine doesn't get messed up being exposed at all? Interesting, I brewed beer once and that bubbler went on right away.

Hopefully this is my last question but how often should it be stirred?


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[SmokeyMcBong]

twice a day is nice but at least once.

 

[JDesCotes]

Yea I do once a day for about 10 minutes using my drill mounted stirring rid. Pretty much until I stop seeing bubbles come to the surface.

 

[3274mike]

sorry about typing the numbers wrong .990 not .090 some times my fingers don't type what my minds thinking glad someone pays attention

 

[Honeyblunt]

So for me, just taking the lid off everyday and stirring it with a sanitized spoon should be good?


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[dralarms]

Yes. It should be fine.

 

[JDesCotes]

Oh. Do yourself a HUGE favor and mix up some starsan in a spray bottle. You only need about 1-2ml for an average spray bottle. Makes it super quick to sanitize your tools every day. Just be sure to wait the required time after spritzing before you use it for it to be properly sanitized.

 

[Davolous]

Great video choice Smokey. I'm am totally making a shop vac attachment...

Rock on!

 

[Honeyblunt]

Starsan suggestion was ON POINT. I was like dang how to sanitize every time


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[BernardSmith]

You may want to practice siphoning before you try it for the first time with your wine. You are going to want to rack (siphon) your wine when the gravity falls to around 1.010 or 1.005. [At gravities above these numbers the yeast is producing enough CO2 (carbon dioxide) to blanket the wine and protect it from oxidation. When the yeast becomes less active less CO2 is produced and the CO2 already produced has either dissipated into the room or is dissolved in the wine (which is why you need to either wait until all the CO2 has slowly been released from the wine or as most folk here do, actively degas the wine by either stirring vigorously or by pulling the gas from the wine through the use of a vacuum pump.].
There are different siphoning techniques that people use - from sucking on the tube (not very "clean"), to filling a tube with sanitizer (you need to watch that the sanitizer does not pour into the wine or into the target carboy) to using a self priming siphon (you need to watch that the tube where the liquid is pouring into your carboy is in fact located IN the carboy).
If you have never siphoned (racked) before you may want to practice with water to get a feel for what to expect and a feel for what things you need to be mindful of when it comes to the real thing... (I think - but I am not certain - that there may be videos on Youtube that you can download and watch). Again, apologies if all this is obvious.

 

[Honeyblunt]

So if I have an auto siphoning hose and just siphon it to the secondary container that is considered degassing?


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[JDesCotes]

Yep. Leaving behind the gunk (gross lees).

 

[Honeyblunt]

Well damn this winemaking really ain't that bad, in fact I think I might like it better than brewing although I've done each only once


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[JDesCotes]

I did my first batch in January and have since made 3 more. Be careful... It's VERY addictive!!



From left to right:
European select barolo kit (bottled now)
cheeky monkey Riesling kit (bottled now)
Skeeter Pee (just bottled today)


And this is my tropical dragons blood (just racked to secondary today @ 1.003 SG)

Best part is, they all taste better then the $8 bottles available in the store and end up being between $0.50 and $2.00 a bottle

 

[JDesCotes]

Oh, one other thing I just remembered. Once your wine has finished fermenting. And before you clarify it... Make sure to stabilize it.

Do this be adding k-meta (potassium
Meta busilfite) and sorbate. I'm sure you can find the amounts on this board, I don't remember off the top of my head.

 

[Honeyblunt]

You got some sweet brews (or what's the wine making term) going on man and thanks for the advice. Took a trip to the store to get all that, btw where do you buy your kits from or do you get the ingredients yourself?


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[JDesCotes]

The two kits I got from a local wine making shop

Barolo (red) was $60
Reisling (white) was $75.

Though my local shops do put kits on sale for 50% off every other week.

The rest I am making from scratch.

Skeeterpee (lemon) cost $15 in ingredients (from costco)
Dragons blood (tropical) cost $25 in ingredients (from costco)

These prices are all in Canadian. I'm sure Americans can get it all cheaper