Zelix Wine Adventures...Beginner Gearing up.

[GaDawg]

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I might just bite the bullet and buy enough bottle to make this first batch. I'd like to come out of the gate with a win if possible.

One of my upcoming questions was to be asking about what to look for in a corker. I'm guessing there are different size corks as well. I'll look into floor corker.

If you buy bottles, most wineries will sell at a reasonable price. Should be close to one in N. GA.

A #9 cork is what most use and I do for ageing wine. #8 is OK if you plan to drink the wine in under 2 years and easier to get the cork out of the bottle.

 

[zelix]

If you buy bottles, most wineries will sell at a reasonable price. Should be close to one in N. GA.

A #9 cork is what most use and I do for ageing wine. #8 is OK if you plan to drink the wine in under 2 years and easier to get the cork out of the bottle.

Thanks for the post. I was out roaming this weekend. I stopped by the brew depot in Alpharetta. I picked up some bottles, corks and generic labels. They had bottles for $14 for 12. It seemed reasonable. I have family keeping their old wine bottles so I should have an ungodly amount of empty bottles soon enough. I was originally going to go with an Italian floor corker. They had a Portuguese floor corker there. i talked with the people there and came to the conclusion that It seemed really sturdy and good enough. I went ahead and bought it. I doubt I'll go into a mass production of wine. I might make 4-5 batches a year. If It gets too difficult I'll bolt it to the floor and put a cheater bar on it.

The wine equipment kit should be in today. So I'm going to be cleaning up an area in the garage to get it going.

 

[GaDawg]

I‘ve had a Portuguese floor corker for about 10 years without a problem.

 

[cmason1957]

A lot of us used to say, I might make 4 or 5 batches a year and now we make 12-14 batches a year (or more), 200 gallons is a lot.

 

[zelix]

The equipt kit came in yesterday. So I went to work last nite.

The starting Specific Gravity is 1.076.... I think. Check out the picture and let me know if I'm reading it properly.

Recording everything in the brew journal.

Checked this morning. It's a bubbling.....

 

[GaDawg]

Off yo a good start!

 

[zelix]

Off yo a good start!

The kit instructions says to check the specific gravity reading each day. Isn't that a bad idea? Shouldn't it be left with the airlock on? There's a yeast nutrient additive that has to go in at a certain reading.

I have to admit I was struggling with the plastic wine thief that came with the kit. This morning I found my old beer thief that I have to clean thoroughly and sanitize. I might be able to get a sample easier with it.

GaDawg.... You located in Georgia?

 

[GaDawg]

Your yeast needs O2 to start fermentation. Once the fermentation gets going it will give off CO2 in enough quantity to protect your wine. I ferment in
a white Brute 10 gal food grade trash can. I put a towel over the top held in place with a bungee cord. When my SG drops to around 1.010 I transfer my wine to a carboy with air lock.
I live between Villa Rica and Carrollton Ga.

 

[Johnd]

The starting Specific Gravity is 1.076.... I think. Check out the picture and let me know if I'm reading it properly.

Looks pretty close to that, 1.076 or 1.078, hard to see the lines with the bubble up against the hydrometer. Remember to read the liquid level in your vessel, not the point where it creeps up a bit on the hydrometer.

 

[zelix]

Your yeast needs O2 to start fermentation. Once the fermentation gets going it will give off CO2 in enough quantity to protect your wine. I ferment in
a white Brute 10 gal food grade trash can. I put a towel over the top held in place with a bungee cord. When my SG drops to around 1.010 I transfer my wine to a carboy with air lock.
I live between Villa Rica and Carrollton Ga.
View attachment 62165

Wow I didn't know that. Goes to show I have a lot to learn. Thanks for letting me know. I'll be getting a reading tonight. Wish me luck.

I'm in Lawrenceville area.

Looks pretty close to that, 1.076 or 1.078, hard to see the lines with the bubble up against the hydrometer. Remember to read the liquid level in your vessel, not the point where it creeps up a bit on the hydrometer.
View attachment 62168

I have to be honest with you. I was happy I could read it at all.

 

[GaDawg]

We have a ton of information on ”Winemakingtalk” and some great people willing to share!

 

[hounddawg]

Your yeast needs O2 to start fermentation. Once the fermentation gets going it will give off CO2 in enough quantity to protect your wine. I ferment in
a white Brute 10 gal food grade trash can. I put a towel over the top held in place with a bungee cord. When my SG drops to around 1.010 I transfer my wine to a carboy with air lock.
I live between Villa Rica and Carrollton Ga.
View attachment 62165

yes,, and i use a grey 30 gallon brute food grade,

 

[cmason1957]

I'll add a bit of a difference opinion, either way works just fine. Assuming you stirred up your must well after adding the water and to get the proper sg reading, you have to stir well. There is plenty of oxygen in the headspace and in the wine for the wine to ferment with you never opening the bucket and airlock until it is complete.

For red wines, I do open air ferment most of the time. For white wines, I ferment under airlock and don't open until 5 or 6 days after yeast pitch to verify the ferment is complete. Do whichever you feel more comfortable doing.

 

[zelix]

yes,, and i use a grey 30 gallon brute food grade,

Wow that blows my mind. potentially 30 gallons of wine. Here I am thinking I was doing something with 6 gallons. LOL

I'll add a bit of a difference opinion, either way works just fine. Assuming you stirred up your must well after adding the water and to get the proper sg reading, you have to stir well. There is plenty of oxygen in the headspace and in the wine for the wine to ferment with you never opening the bucket and airlock until it is complete.

For red wines, I do open air ferment most of the time. For white wines, I ferment under airlock and don't open until 5 or 6 days after yeast pitch to verify the ferment is complete. Do whichever you feel more comfortable doing.

On this first one I'm trying to follow the instructions of the kit to the letter. I guess my thinking is you need to learn the 'rules' before you start breaking them. My hope is to be successful and have a nice win under my belt. Then I can hopefully go on to bigger and better things. I don't know...makes sense in my head.

Last night took the top off. I stirred it up really good. then I put the thief in and got this sample reading. I'm calling it 1.080. It seems to be progressing properly. I checked in on it this morning. It was bubbling up the air lock pretty good. I'm getting excited.

 

[zelix]

Specific gravity reading is 1.036. Added yeast nutrients. I'm guessing things are going along as they should.

 

[Johnd]

Specific gravity reading is 1.036. Added yeast nutrients. I'm guessing things are going along as they should.

Looks like things are going along just fine!!

 

[zelix]

So my next step would be secondary fermentation. When do you know it's time for this?

Edit. I just read to rack at 1.010 to secondary. Which is a glass carboy.

 

[sour_grapes]

So my next step would be secondary fermentation. When do you know it's time for this?

Edit. I just read to rack at 1.010 to secondary. Which is a glass carboy.

Here is a good discussion. Check out this post, as well as a few others around it, like one from cmason: Another newbie question

 

[zelix]

Here is a good discussion. Check out this post, as well as a few others around it, like one from cmason: Another newbie question

thanks I read the thread. My latest reading is 1.006 I'll rack it into secondary fermentation carboy tomorrow morning. Wish me luck.

 

[zelix]

The racking is complete. She's happy and still working at a slower pace