Really new!!

[SuperDave1969]

Hello to all you fellow winemakers!
I finally broke down and bought me some equipment and a kit from the Toy Store this week. I bought a rasberry merlot. I hope it turns out okay. It's been like 4 hours and I see no significant signs of anything. I hope I'm just being paranoid. I know the directions say wait 24-48 hours. But I don't want to end up with 5 gallons of grape juice I cant even drink. But then again I do tend to obsess over such matters. Please wish me luck!
On a funny note though, since I do work with graphics as part of my job, and since it's my passion, I already had a label designed before the kit even arrived!

 

[lieu]

Hey SD,
Welcome to the site. I am pretty sure that if you followed the directions from the kit that you will be ok. If you have any questions (and im sure you will ) just ask away. there is alot of great people on this site that love to help fellow wine makers out.
Great looking label by the way.

 

[ibglowin]

Welcome to the forums Dave!

Glad you found us. The first thing you need to do is start practicing what we call the 3 P's. Patience, patience, patience!

This is a procrastinators hobby for sure as wine is pretty forgiving and time just makes it better.

It usually takes 12 hours for yeast to really show signs of life. I have seen activity in as short as 6 hours on occasion but its kinda rare. I always rehydrate my yeast before pitching and that really seems to speed things up over just pouring dry yeast into the must.

Again welcome. I like your label and quote!

 

[RickC]

Welcome SuperDave. Great looking label. I agree with the others. You just need to wait a bit longer.You'll find that this forum has so manyexperienced winemakers who are willing to help.

 

[Wade E]

Welcome to our website Dave and these kits are very very hard to screw up. The only real thing that can go wrong is if you dont read the directions good and add the sorbate and or sulfite in the beginning making it very hard or impossible for fermentation to begin or finish. Other then that its all about time and just cleaning and sanitizing everything that will contact your wine. Glad you found us and by now youll probably start hearing a slight fizz like a soda pop and maybe even a very thin foaming in your bucket meaning its getting started.

 

[Runningwolf]

Hey Dave welcome to the forum. I have probably made 75 kits and they are pretty much fool proof if you follow the directions. The time line is just a guide, use your hydrometer readings for actual timing of next steps. Take you time and don't rush it and you'll be fine.

 

[Wade E]

Like Runningwolf said about time lines they are just to give you an idea so with the warm weather dont fret it at all if your running way ahead of schedule as warmer temps make it ferment faster. Try and keep it within the temp range though as too hot a temp can kill the yeast or stress it causing off flavors and too cool of temps will make fermentation get stuck leaving you with either a wine that will not ferment any further and the wine will be too sweet or it will start fermenting later possibly in the bottle creating a massive BAD problem when bottles or corks blow! A big mess that has happened to lots of us.

 

[SuperDave1969]

Thank you all!
And as you all said, I just needed to wait it out. There is a nice layer of "foam" on top now. (WHEW!)I thought I was just being paranoid. My brother even commented when I was making it that I was cleaning and sanatizing too much. I said there wasn't such a thing as too much! I am following the instructions to the letter. This is a Mosti Mondiale Summer Breeze Rasberry Merlot. I picked it because it was a 3-4 week time period. I'd hate to spend a couple of months on something only to find out I forgot something in week one. Plus I'm still working on the three P's.

 

[andy123]

Hi Super Dave, I'm sure you will do fine. Patience is a virtue that wine making is teaching me. It didnt come natural to me but I am thankful it did arrive. Best of luck to you, never get in to much of a hurry to enjoy it all.

 

[Waldo]

Welcome, glad to have you onboard

 

[tonyt]

Welcome, these folks are terrific. I haven't made the kit you have but some fermentations are very subtle. I'll bet by now you see some action.

BTW you label is great. I too often have a label idea before I even start the wine. What graphics program do you use?

 

[Bert]

Welcome Dave to the forum and the start to a great hobby...If in doubt, ask, a lot of good people here to help...Good Luck and what's up next???

 

[SuperDave1969]

ttortorice, I use Photoshop CS 5.1. An expensive piece of software I know, but helpful with work.
Also I do have a question, I was reading ahead on the instructions again,and when I reach my optimal S.G., I rack it all to my carboy, put in the bung with the airlock filled with water and a small amount or Potassium Metabisulfite (sp?). I assume they mean the P.M. goes in the airlock right? Plus I used most of it in my cleaning solution. I reserved like a quarter teaspoon for the end like the DVD said. I guess I need to buy some more?

 

[SuperDave1969]

Ok so I've finished my first racking. And while it went ok thanks to the spiggot on the front, I found my auto siphon is broken. The litlle plastic "flap" I assume is supposed to cover the bottom just floats around when I pump. I guess I'll have to call the toy store in the morning to see what I can do.
But the wine is in the carboy and the airlock is bubbling right along. I'm so easily amused. It reminds me of the old [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_HN_3ulO9M"]Maxwell House[/ame] commercials.

 

[andy123]

That cap should snap on snap off for cleaning.

 

[ibglowin]

Just make up a gallon of sanitizing solution to keep on hand. 3TBS of K-Meta in one gallon of water and stir well. I use a glass jug as I like glass over plastic for storage. Also get a plastic spray bottle from the hardware store and pour K-Meta solution in in and then you can sanitize your tubing and supplies by spritzing on and wiping down. Fill your airlock with this solution as well.

Like Andy said, there is a plastic cover that snaps on the bottom. It is your anti sediment tip basically that helps you by keeping the bottom of the syphon off the bottom of the bucket or carboy and assist in keeping out crud.

 

[tonyt]

Sounds to me like he's talking about the gasket at the end of the racking cane inside the siphon tube. As far as the peculator effect, even better similarity . . . the wonderful smell of coffee in the morning and the luscious smell of wine fermenting in the evening.

 

[SuperDave1969]

yes it's the small plastic piece inside the tubing that prvents the wine from exiting the bottom of the tub on the downstroke. It's not the plastic cap on the outside. I'm sorry I was unclear on that part. And I will replace the water in my airlock with the sanitizing solution. BTW, I found out the hard way to stand back when I take the lid off the small bucket I keep the sanitizing in. Whew, what a smell.

 

[Scott B]

Welcome to the Party!

 

[SuperDave1969]

Spoke to George this morning. I got the impression this is somewhat common, He was extremely nice and would send me out a new one right away. God bless him! I tell ya, they just sealed my loyalty with that little maneuver right there!