You gotta help the newbie!

[New Kid]

Oh my God, you gottal help the New Kid!

I tried to begin my very first vinification yesterday afternoon and tragedy struck. I had cleaned all of my new stuff, sanitized it and had begun to prepare my first fermenter batch. I am using a Mosti All juice kit of 23L Gewurtztraminer. All was going well, I poured the juice in a clean and sanitized fermenter, added the yeast and bentonite, place the container in a properly heated room for fermentation and was about to take my first hydrometer reading, when the unspeakable happened!....My hydrometer rolled off the counter onto a tile floor, breaking into a thousand pieces! I have since reordered 2... but have no initial SG reading. The fermentation process has begunand I have no clue as to what to do now!

Can anyone get me back on track or is my fate sealed?

 

[vcasey]

The nice thing about kits is the are pretty much fool proof. Don't worry just take the SG reading when you can and relax.
VPC

 

[grapeman]

You won't know the starting SG, but they fall within a range for the kits. It will be alright. Monitor the SG when you get the new one and don't be overly anxious. Always buy 2 hydrometres. The second one keeps the first one happy so it isn't as likely to get depressed and commit suicide like this one did

 

[New Kid]

THANKS To both of you for the encouragement. Will there be any way down the road for me to determine the alcohol % of the wine? And yes, I am going to see to it that I have 2 of everything in the future!

 

[pierce652]

From my own experiences I should have stock in a hydrometer company. Funny how many Ive broken over the years.

 

[Wade E]

The starting gravity for this kit would be right around 1.088 so you can subtract your finished gravity right before you sweeten it from this and then multiply that by 131.4 to get your abv fr this wine. For example
1.088 - .998= 0.09 x 131.4= 11.826% abv.

 

[ASAI]

Always buy 2 hydrometres. The second one keeps the first one happy so it isn't as likely to get depressed and commit suicide like this one did

Thanks for that great expressions of the truth; NOW, I understand why!

 

[Waldo]

You could always pull off a small sample, enough to take an SG with and put it in the fridge until your new hydrometers arrive

 

[smurfe]

Or you could just take this approach. Don't woryy, just ferment it then drink it. LOL. Seriously though, don't worry, it will be all good. If you really want to know a secret, I don't always check a starting gravity on kit wines. Many times I just check to see if I have reached terminal gravity at the end.

 

[Wade E]

I thought I knew you better Smurf!!!!

 

[smokegrub]

I don't believe I have ever measured the initial SG on a kit wine and all is well in Virginia!

 

[Wade E]

You really should just to know if the batch is good, there have been a few cases(1 on here) that the sg was extremely high to the point where the yeast wouldnt even take off. The amount of fluid was right but was thicker then usual if I remember correctly. This is part 1 to making sure everything is good. These are mostly machines dispensing these fluids and like any machine, it can go hay wire or some person can dispense the wrong liquid mixture.This also helps you to know if you have added the correct amount of water to the kit. I always bring most to the middle range of suggested sg and that usually gives me the perfect amount for racking into carboy or sometimes just a little extra. If it were a smaller red kit then I would lean toward the higher sg as to not thin the batch out as much and deal with topping up at a later time or rack into 5 gallon + 3 liter jug.

 

[smurfe]

I thought I knew you better Smurf!!!!

Now I didn't say I did it all the time!

Just want to assure her that it IS going to make wine. I will say though that although I am sure it happens, I have never seen a kit wine out of spec in regards to SG.

 

[Wade E]

We had one late last year.
High</span> SG</span>

 

[rgecaprock]

Welcome New Kid,


I think we all have done that. I wonder how many reorders George might have on file of those who keep breaking hydrometers.
Ramona

 

[jerry]

Hydrometers should come two in a pack, [for the price of one].

 

[ASAI]

Hydrometers should come two in a pack, [for the price of one].

Doubt if that would really help! They, (being twins), would just jump off the counter together.

 

[pelican]

LOL, yes always have 2 hydrometers in the house at all time. I like the idea that the second one keeps the first one from becoming depressed and committing suicide!