Yet another 1st wine!

[nicknewguy]

Exciting isn't it?!

Anyhow, so I have a pomegranate tree that gave me about 50 fruits this year and so I decided to make some wine.

I juiced/crushed about 20 fruits worth of seeds and got it into my 6.5 gallon bucket with my sugar/water solution, added some pectic enzyme, put in 3 campden tablets (for 4.5 gallons of must) and let sit overnight.


After 24 hours or so I tested the SG and found it to be ~1.060 (15 Brix). A little dry for me, so I added some more sugar syrup until it was around 1.114 (25 Brix).

I started my Montrachet yeast with some nutrient in a starter cup and once they were off to the races, I added them into the must (awesome!)

Woke up this morning and it seems that fermentation has indeed begun. I get 3-4 bubbles within 15 seconds on my airlock. I sniffed the airlock to assess the smell (I really don't know what to expect besides a carbon dioxide sting?)...it smells kind of gross, is this normal? Don't know if it was a sulphuric smell or not (it was at 430am so I was a little out of it), just wasn't a particularly pleasant aroma.

Granted, it was only 10 hours after I added the yeast so maybe it takes a little longer for the stink to clear up? I will check it today when I get home, but if it has a sulphur smell (I have read about the hydrogen sulphide issues) I will probably strain it into another bucket I guess.

Is this normal?

Thank in advance!

 

[djrockinsteve]

You will be putting a strain on your yeast and it will start to sour. Get it out of the airlock container and into a bucket. Yeast need to breath. When they become stressed they will change and start giving off sulfer. You will probably wind up with a stuck fermentation as well.

Let it ferment down all the way or to 1.020 and then transfer to a carboy w/airlock.

Watch those seeds, you may wind up with more tannin in the wine than you want.

 

[nicknewguy]

Okay, out of the airlocked bucket then. I just put it in there to assess whether fermentation had started as well as trying to keep out bugs/bacteria/other junk.

Everything I've read says to keep it contained and just stir it a couple times a day to oxygenate it. How do you then prevent contamination if you leave it uncovered?

 

[djrockinsteve]

Stir at least twice per day, not a whipping just mix all the yeast and nutrients around.

As your yeast is fermentating it is producing alcohol and CO2. The alcohol remains but the CO2 escapes as bubbles. CO2 is heavier than air O2 so your must is protected.

As your fermentation is slowing you can if you want airlock it. Just during the process keep a lid on it loosely or cheese cloth etc. to keep bugs, cats, insulation etc. out.

 

[nicknewguy]

Thanks for the info. I'll correct this on my lunch break and hopefully we'll get it straightened out in time.

I'll post updates, thanks for the help!

 

[Runningwolf]

Okay, so how does one prevent fruitflies (for example) from flying/falling into the container?

Cover the top with cheese cloth or any other cloth you my have. You can set the lid on the bucket also and not snap it down.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Okay, so how does one prevent fruitflies (for example) from flying/falling into the container?

Fast hands, sticky strips near must, bottle or cup with a small sample of wine in it, place it then add 1 or 2 drops of liq. soap into it. DON'T LET IT TOUCH THE SIDES. and cheese cloth. or any comb. of the above.

When you transfer it to a bucket when you get home give it a good stir to get some air mixed in. Air at this time helps your must.

 

[nicknewguy]

Okay, I think I've got it now...got the lid off, strained the seeds out with a sterilized strainer, stirred it quite a bit and put the fine mesh part of my sack strainer over it with a rubber band holding it on.

It smells much better after getting the seeds out and stirring it around for a bit. I did not have time to record the SG before, but fermentation was still hard at work before I removed the lid (according to my airlock bubbles), so hopefully they will continue to work.

Okay, now I just keep stirring and checking SG for a week or so or until fermentation ceases, right?

 

[djrockinsteve]

You should always take a gravity reading before adding your yeast. Not doing this you will have a harder time determining your ABV.

In a few days you will begin taking a reading each day. As it reaches 1.020 and under it will probably begin to slow down. The gravity should get under 1.000 When it does watch for it to cease declining and check for 2 more days. If it hasn't moved it's time to rack, and fine, then place in a carboy under airlock.

 

[nicknewguy]

Yes, I took an SG reading before I put in yeast. I was saying that I did not take an additional reading after I uncovered and took the seeds out (to compare the progress before/after I took the lid off to determine whether or not it was stuck)

This evening it doesn't smell quite as bad. Definitely more fruity but there's still a little smell to it. I guess that's what rotting fruit juice is supposed to smell like though...

 

[djrockinsteve]

What you are most likely smelling is the yeast. After a few you get used to it and it's not too bad unless like me I had a bunch going at one time and when you entered the house it hit you on the 3rd day.

Wanted to mention when you get below 1.000 your best not to, or stir gently as not to kick up the gross lees. You want to leave them behind when you rack.

 

[jeepingchick]

You do not HAVE to have it in a pail with cheese cloth. I never use that due to animals around the house who are nosey LOL! anyways, i use a bucket with a lid and an airlock and have never had a problem....we even snap it down. The brew store we go to recomended that before we found this site and we have just always done it that way. I think it depends on how you learn and what you are comfortable with.
these guys do know what they are doing though!! So Do what they say for sure. I'll be the rebel LOL!

 

[djrockinsteve]

I'll be the rebel LOL!

It seems I'm the rogue one here. Yeah it's how you were taught and had no problems that you wind up following.

 

[Brian]

You do not HAVE to have it in a pail with cheese cloth. I never use that due to animals around the house who are nosey LOL! anyways, i use a bucket with a lid and an airlock and have never had a problem....we even snap it down. The brew store we go to recomended that before we found this site and we have just always done it that way. I think it depends on how you learn and what you are comfortable with.
these guys do know what they are doing though!! So Do what they say for sure. I'll be the rebel LOL!

I am with you I do the same for the same reason :: and I have no issues with fermenting to dry in the bucket.. I am hoping it continues that way because I do have cats...

 

[Wade E]

I also use the lid with airlock due to a cat that sneaks in the room via having to leave spaces open for the furnace to breathe properly. II havent had any problems over the years of doing this. I will state however I really only do 6 gallon batches and that if you were doing a bigger batch like say 15 gallons then this would not be a good idea. I do open it every day though and get 02 in there with a gentle stir or punch down depending on what Im fermenting.

 

[artyboy]

Unless you used rotting fruit to start with it shouldn't smell like rotting fruit. It should smell like fruit juice up until the point where it starts to smell like wine.

 

[Julie]

Normally I jsut leave the lid loose on top and place a towel over that but there were a couple of times because of where the primary was at I snappped down the lid with an airlock.

I would say though if you are stressing out the yeast by starting at a very high sg snapping down the lid will add more stress, laying a towel or cheescloth over the opening will give you a better chance of completing fermentation.

 

[Sirs]

well I got an even different way I take the rubber seal out of my lid and I've got a hole cut in it where the airlock would go, I take a piece of floursack cloth and cut a piece big enough to cover bucket then snap lid on top of this. No bugs, no worry of cat or dogs getting into the bucket either and if you got more than one bucket like this you can stack them.

 

[closetwine]

I'm with Julie that starting SG was so high that the yeasties were getting stressed without that O2. If the starting SG had been lower you might have been fine with the airlock. Also, poms have a pretty delicate flavor, I wouldn't have run the SG up that high, but good luck to you.

You said that you made the SG higher because you didn't want a dry wine, have you considered just backsweetening after it's dry? That will stress the yeast less in the begining and should give you a better finished product.