WineXpert texas newbie

[awhittin]

Hello everyone. Been reading & learning for a while now and finally went to the "toy store" last Saturday. Presto ! Now we have some yummies perking away! (Hopefully) Things have been interesting...I took George for his word when he said "don't over tighten the spigot in the primary" and ended up with a lot of must leaking out!! This was before yeast was pitched. Emptied the rest to a sanitized carboy, fixed the problem, re-cleaned & sanitized, then put it all back in the primary. Since then everything seems to be going ok. We have most certainly been biten by the bug and are already planning the next few batches and this one is not even close to being done, nor do we know if we are even successful yet!!! We'll keep you posted!!

(If we're not too toasted)


Alison & Steve

 

[Waldo]

Welcome Alison & Steve

 

[pkcook]

Alison & Steve,


There is nothing quite as satisfying as producing something that is good and sharing it with someone that thinks it is as good as you do! Not hard to get the bug in this hobby!


Welcome,


Pat

 

[peterCooper]

Welcome the two of you. You are so going to enjoy this.

 

[awhittin]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!!


So here's my newbie questions.... 1st) Can you get an accurate SG reading straight from the primary with out using a test jar sample?(White - no other "stuff" floating in it) 2nd) What exactly does fermenting wine look like? After the first 24 hrs there was a thick layer of goo. Yeast growing I think. After that it has just looked like fizzing . Pretty smooth surface actually. Today is day 5 and SG is only 1.035. Not too surprised because temps been a little cool. Just worrying about fermentation stopping/stopped?





Alison

 

[Joseph1]

Welcome to the Forum.


For an accurate reading, the hydrometer should be read at eye level. This would require the test jar. Yourdescription isexactly what a wine kit looks like fermenting. Lower temperatures will result in a longer fermentation. Sounds like you haveeverythinggoing as it should.

 

[earl]

Awhittin, I just started my second kit. The first one should be bottled in about a week. You will really enjoy this forum.


I just started a green apple, which I added 6 cups of sugar in solution to. I had a SG of 1.070 at 68 degrees.


For all the experts, does this work out to 10% abv.??


earl

 

[masta]

Welcome Alison,


As Joesph said everything sounds normal with your fermentation. At this point of your fermentation you can actually hear the CO2 being released from the must if you put your ear up against the side of the primary.


......"I hear a train a comin, comin round the bend"....oops wrong song

Earl...you are correct...SG 1.070 = ~10% ABV

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Alison/Steve - Hi and welcome. Adding a little to what Joseph and Masta
have said, the gentle fizzing you perceive is CO2 from fermentation, as
you probably know. Best way to know when it is time to rack to your
carboy is by checking SG, and rack at or below the level given in your kit's
instructions. Once in the carboy, fermentation will continue but it will tail
off toward the end as your wine ferments to dryness. Even when your
airlock appears to have stoped bubbling the SG may still be dropping a
little, which is why the instructions say to look for SG levels unchanged
over at least two days. Then you can stabilize. If your room temperature
is on the cool side, the time schedule you see in the instructions may not
be applicable. Going longer for each step is fine - you don't want to do
each step in less time than per schedule. Best of luck - the first kit is
always an exercise in patience and anxiety, but it will be fine.

Bill

 

[smurfe]

Welcome aboard. I to had a leak once with a White Zin kit. I had cleaned out the spigot and didn't tighten it good enough I guess. I had mine in a closet fermenting and went to check it and noticed a nice purple carpet in the closet. I sanitized my arm up past the elbow and had to dive in to tighten it up. If I remember, it took 7 bottles of white zin to top it up from the loss.

I now ferment on a counter where I can keep an eye on the process. We spec'd some house plans yesterday and there is an "extra" bedroom being spec'd for my wine hobby. I guess If I can keep it confined to a 12'x12' room it is acceptable to the wife, She sure likes the wine I make but she hates it scattered all over the house like it is right now

Smurfe

 

[Angell Wine]

Hey Smurfe : Make that 12 x 12 Into a tornado room or in Louisiana a hurricane room. Make the walls out of cement blocks an put a concrete roof on top. That way the next hurricane comes by you can drink your wine and wait out the storm at the same time.

 

[PolishWineP]

awhittin, Welcome! Nice to have you on board! We love that fizzin' sizzlin' sound of a wine in a primary. Almost as good as the giggle of a baby.

Sounds like you have a nice start and are right on target. Bilbo is right on target letting you know it's fine to wait the extra day or more and not rush the process. As long as the carboy is topped up and your airlock is clean and has the right liquid in it, you can let that wine sit in there a long time to be sure that everything is just right!


Keep us posted on your progress!

 

[awhittin]

Whew, thanks for the reassurances and more great welcomes. Things must be going the right direction. SG this evening at 1.020 in the test jar. Almost there!

Hearing ya'll talk about that "extra" wine room got me thinking....hummmm.. I have 2 teenagers just about ready to move out! Maybe I should move 'em along a little quicker since we have more important things for those rooms now!!


Just sittin here sippin a Rodney Strong Merlot since we don't have any of our own yet. Dreaming & sippin. Sippin & dreaming.

ALison

 

[PolishWineP]

ROFLMAO! You sound just like us! Last one home is a senior in high school and we just know that his basement bedroom will make a great wine cellar! There's even carpet on the floor to help prevent breakage!


While you're sippin' & dreamin' figure out what your next kit will be!

 

[awhittin]

Well P, I have a freshman in college and a 17 & a 15 yr old still at home.

No empty nest syndrome here!!! I have lots of plans!!

Now lets see... how much trouble would I be in if I left a few suitcases out on the front porch?!


As for that second batch... I already have another kit waiting in the wings. It's a Selection Australian Shiraz. Bought 2 kitswhen we went to the toy store knowing I wouldn't be able to stand it.


Now... what is batch #3 going to be???? Any suggestions??





Alison

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Alison - You didn't mention what your first kit is, but if it was another higher
priced kit, which will need longer aging too, maybe you should consider one
of the Vintner Reserve kits to provide you the opportunity to have a more
early drinking wine to get you through the long wait

Bill

 

[awhittin]

Ah.. see, great minds think alike!! The kit perking now is a VR Pinot Grigio. So what other flavors would be good to try that would be ready relatively soon?


Alison

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Is there a preference? White or red, or tropical fruit?

 

[awhittin]

nope - open to experimentation!


Alison

 

[PolishWineP]

We've had luck with Pinot Nior.