WineXpert kit goof?

[Carrie Smith]

For whites, I rack into a carboy as soon as fermentation starts to slow, which is typically within 5-7 days. You can rack back into it later for bottling day as an option, if it's empty at that time.

Amazon advertised it as "Are you tired of carboys? Hate siphoning to transfer? Wish you could ferment larger batches in a single container?" There's a Canadian product called UWinemaker that seems similar and it's claiming to be an all-in-one winemaker and I thought that's what this is. Guess I'm about to find out. Pinot Grigio Sur-Lie. Maybe it'll be a new thing. Thank you for your help.

 

[Brian55]

@Brian55 I've got a red with skins in mine now, 4 days in. What does the EM accomplish? Skins are in a mesh bag, it's a WE kit. Wouldn't the bag still need to be turned daily, or does it sink when ferment is done?

Better end results, here are a couple links but there are plenty more if you search:
https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/extended-maceration-eclipse-lodi-11-cab.55098/https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/how-to-perform-extended-maceration.68129/

 

[Brian55]

Amazon advertised it as "Are you tired of carboys? Hate siphoning to transfer? Wish you could ferment larger batches in a single container?" There's a Canadian product called UWinemaker that seems similar and it's claiming to be an all-in-one winemaker and I thought that's what this is. Guess I'm about to find out. Pinot Grigio Sur-Lie. Maybe it'll be a new thing. Thank you for your help.

It's possible, and the only option if you don't have any carboys, but I don't see it producing optimal results.

 

[Dan M]

I'm somewhat of a newbie, still just making WE kits. I have 2 buckets for fermenting (1 with spigot for bottling), 1 plastic carboy and 1 glass carboy. For those of you using these Speidel vessels, I'm wondering what the advantages are? I see that they have handles and a larger top opening. Are they easier to work with? BTW, in searching the web I found that they sell a degradation label for the 30l Speidel that I'm attaching a picture of. It's probably not much better than Sharpie marks...

 

[szap]

I'm somewhat of a newbie, still just making WE kits. I have 2 buckets for fermenting (1 with spigot for bottling), 1 plastic carboy and 1 glass carboy. For those of you using these Speidel vessels, I'm wondering what the advantages are? I see that they have handles and a larger top opening. Are they easier to work with? BTW, in searching the web I found that they sell a degradation label for the 30l Speidel that I'm attaching a picture of. It's probably not much better than Sharpie marks...View attachment 71551

I think it's hard to explain the advantages, but if you use other vessels and then go to speidel you'll see that it's a quality, well designed product that just makes things easier.

 

[Robert R]

Wow, this WE Nebbiolo ferment is moving on. Just checked it (2/13), SG 0.998, pitched yeast Sunday the 7th. I've been stirring and flipping the bags of skins daily, and the bag with the sawdust too. I'm thinking seriously of giving it a couple weeks of EM, based of what I've read (links from @Brian55) if I leave the bag o' skins in, I should be able to hit it with kmeta once the primary ferment finishes, and slosh the Speidel a couple times a day to keep the skins wet on top. If I am misunderstanding something about EM, please tell me! Without degassing, shouldn't it release enough CO2 naturally during that time to fend off oxidation (in the Speidel)?

 

[Brian55]

Wow, this WE Nebbiolo ferment is moving on. Just checked it (2/13), SG 0.998, pitched yeast Sunday the 7th. I've been stirring and flipping the bags of skins daily, and the bag with the sawdust too. I'm thinking seriously of giving it a couple weeks of EM, based of what I've read (links from @Brian55) if I leave the bag o' skins in, I should be able to hit it with kmeta once the primary ferment finishes, and slosh the Speidel a couple times a day to keep the skins wet on top. If I am misunderstanding something about EM, please tell me! Without degassing, shouldn't it release enough CO2 naturally during that time to fend off oxidation (in the Speidel)?

Lock it down now, don't worry about the kmeta until you're ready to transfer to a carboy. The skins will be mostly submerged by the time fermentation stops. You can slosh it around if you like, won't hurt.

 

[Robert R]

Lock it down now, don't worry about the kmeta until you're ready to transfer to a carboy. The skins will be mostly submerged by the time fermentation stops. You can slosh it around if you like, won't hurt.

Alrighty then, will update when I rack it.

 

[jgmann67]

Good morning -

Just kicked off my WE Nebbiolo last night. I made this kit previously (the old formulation). A few things surprised me with the new (smaller) kits.

* I don't recall the grape skin pack being this large.

* The new kit came with EC1118 yeast. I half remember the old one coming with RC212.

* When I brought it back up to 6gal, the SG was about 1.075. So, I dropped the skins in and left it over night. Another happy surprise, 24 hours and a really good stir later, and the SG was at 1.100. I couldn't get to the LHBS unfortunately, so I dropped the EC1118 and launched fermentation.

The basement is a cool 57* F. So, I put the brew belt on and will let it go for a couple weeks (at least, maybe do an EM); then rack it off the skins into a clean carboy with the 90g of oak and some added tannins.

 

[Swedeman]

the SG was about 1.075. So, I dropped the skins in and left it over night. Another happy surprise, 24 hours and a really good stir later, and the SG was at 1.100.

Now that is a bigger jump than what I have seen before.

I have a note that the yeast that came with mine Nebbiolo was EC1118 as well.

 

[jgmann67]

Now that is a bigger jump than what I have seen before.

I have a note that the yeast that came with mine Nebbiolo was EC1118 as well.

Me too. Usually I’ll see a jump of between .015 and .020.

 

[Robert R]

I'm going to rack my nebbiolo this weekend. After EM of 5 weeks (6 from pitching yeast), will the skins be worth freezing for anything else (mead?), or just feed 'em to the chickens, guineas and peafowl?

 

[jgmann67]

I'm going to rack my nebbiolo this weekend. After EM of 5 weeks (6 from pitching yeast), will the skins be worth freezing for anything else (mead?), or just feed 'em to the chickens, guineas and peafowl?

I don’t save them. I feel like they gave up just about all their grapey goodness after 6 weeks. It’ll be interesting to see a video of your drunk birds.