Welch Grape Juice
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You could rack it to a carboy at about SG 1.020-1.030 and then ferment to dry (SG ~ 0.995). At that point it will be dry. If you want to sweeten the wine, stabilize it with K-meta and K-sorbate, wait a day or two to be sure that fermentation has stopped and then sweeten with simple syrup.
Geronimo
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Personally I'll never rack until primary is done, ~0.995 give or take a few points. I can't imagine what early racking might add, but I can say that patience is a virtue in all forms of brewing. Yeast often spin off weird compounds in the first day or two that they will clean up in the end if given the chance. There is no race to end the primary... 3 weeks is perfectly fine. Once in secondary, you're waiting for a lot of interesting things to happen (like oaking, clarifying, and developing character in bulk). This phase can continue for many months if desired.
I have a gripe with the "ready in 6 weeks" on most of the wine kits. Yes, you can make a drinkable wine in 6 weeks. Add 6 months to it, and it goes from "drinkable" to "very good" or better.
I have a gripe with the "ready in 6 weeks" on most of the wine kits. Yes, you can make a drinkable wine in 6 weeks. Add 6 months to it, and it goes from "drinkable" to "very good" or better.
Rosa, you could leave the wine in your primary, as Geronimo points out, but make sure you snap down the lid very tightly when the SG hits around 1.020-1.030 and install an airlock in the lid. There are two stages to fermentation, aerobic ("with air" or primary) and anaerobic ("without air" or secondary). They both can be done in the same vessel if you so choose. I do it both ways and I don't see a major upside to either one other than a little less work in leaving it in the primary vessel vs. getting off the "gross lees" in going to the secondary vessel. Since you are working from juice, you should not have appreciable gross lees.
Geronimo
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Interesting response Rocky, I was wondering why I've been reading about changing up the fermentation after a few days. Maybe it's best to move this to a new thread, but I disagree with the practice you've mentioned (not that it hurts anything, but it's unnecessary).
Now, back to your regularly scheduled program
Now, back to your regularly scheduled program
Not following you, Geronimo. Which practice that I mentioned do you disagree with and what part of it is unnecessary?
Ok so once I hit around 1.020 I should seal the cap and leave it in the same container or should i transfer into another container and close the lid?
Yes, Rosa. That is what I have done on occasion, particularly when there is not a lot of sediment. Since you were using grape juice, I don't imagine you have a lot of sediment. Snap down the lid with an airlock installed and watch the airlock to see when fermentation has stopped for about three days in succession. At that point the wine should be dry. If you are fortunate enought to have a spigot you can rack the wine from the fermenter through it into a carboy. Remember to remove the airlock before opening the spigot or you will draw the liquid from the airlock into the primary.
So the first fermenting stage you wouldnt or would use an airlock?
Rosa, I would not snap the lid down and add an arilock in the first stage, i.e. from starting SG to about 1.020. From that point on, which I consider the secondary stage, I would add the airlock and snap down the lid.
after that is done, what am I looking for exactly?
You would be looking for the end of fermentation, i.e. when there was no more evidence of conversion of sugar to alcohol and CO2. Once the airlock stops its bubbling activitiy for three consecutive days, your wine should be completely fermentetd to dry. Open the air lock and check the SG. It should be well under 1.000. At that point you could rack it into a carboy, sanitize and stabilize with K-meta and K-sorbate, add clarifiers if you choose to and allow to completely clear. Back sweeten if you feel you need to and then either bulk age in the carboy or bottle and allow to age in the bottle.
Now I am not going to sit around for 3 days straight to see if stopped bubbling. Is it safe to say that every time I look and it's not bubbling for 3 days is ok ? Instead of k-sorbate can I use Campden tablets?
I mean if you check you wine daily and it is not bubbling for three days, it is finished.
K-sorbate and Campden tablets are two different things. Campden tablets are Potassium Metabisulfite (K-meta) in tablet form. Both are needed for stabilization.
K-sorbate and Campden tablets are two different things. Campden tablets are Potassium Metabisulfite (K-meta) in tablet form. Both are needed for stabilization.
So I started a mini fermenting trail on Welchs Juice on 12/18. Then on the 12/30 I got a reading of 1.040. Then today I checked it, its at 1.034. Its still in its primary and it has been past two weeks from the starting date. Should I continue to wait to see if the sg will decrease even more or should I transfer it into another container? What do you think??
It does not seem to be coming down very fast. Make sure you give your hydrometer a little spin when you put it in the wine to make sure that bubbles of CO2 are not bouying it up. I would let it get to 1.030 or less and then rack it into a carboy. You may be coming up on a stuck fermentation and it may stop around 1.010 or so. You might want to consider a yeast energizer when you rack.
I did spin it the hydrometer as I was placing it in. Like you said, it just seems its going down very slow..hmmm
:I say bucket because you need some extra space during your fermenting. Send the recipe =)
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