# First bactch



## xanxer82 (Oct 19, 2009)

I just started the must for my first kit.
It's the WineExpert - Vintners Reserve Bergamias.
Going to add the yeast in a few hours.
I also made my first order from George for another Carboy and stopper and a Mix-stir. 

I was super careful with sanitizing and all. Can't wait to see some results.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 19, 2009)

Oh I almost forgot to mention.
SG 1.085
6 gallon batch.
pictures later.


----------



## Tom (Oct 19, 2009)

WELCOME !
You chose a great hobby (obsession). Read, follow and understand the directions that came with the kit.
Now, Ckeck back here ir you are not sure of something.]
GOOD LUCK !


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 19, 2009)

Ok So I pitched the yeast after making sure the temperature was good at 70 deg.
I followed the directions from the kit to sprinkle them on top without stirring. I'd have preferred to have activated them in a little luke warm water first, but I'm sticking to the kit instructions for my very fist wine.

This picture is about 2 hours after pitching.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 19, 2009)

I know another update... Just checked on the wine and it's talking  I can hear a few bubbles popping every now and again.


----------



## ibglowin (Oct 19, 2009)

Thats a good sign, usually things get cooking good by 24 hours.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 19, 2009)

ibglowin said:


> Thats a good sign, usually things get cooking good by 24 hours.



I think I'm over excited about it.


----------



## gaudet (Oct 20, 2009)

xanxer82 said:


> ibglowin said:
> 
> 
> > Thats a good sign, usually things get cooking good by 24 hours.
> ...



Nah I doubt that you are ..... Wait til you hear it today...... Snap Crackle and Pop got nothin.......


----------



## uavwmn (Oct 20, 2009)

Getting over excited about it is a good thing!!


----------



## Tom (Oct 20, 2009)

xanxer82 [QUOTE said:


> I think I'm over excited about it.


Nothing like the smell of fermenting wine in the morning ! ! !


----------



## Scott (Oct 20, 2009)

If your not excited then something is wrong. Don't forget to get an extra hydrometer with one of the orders JMHO.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 20, 2009)

That's what I was telling my fiance that I needed to order an extra hydrometer.
I'll post a picture of the wine when it wakes up a little more today.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 20, 2009)

I just checked the wine today and it sounds like rice crispies in milk. Snap Crackle Pop! and Hick-up ;-) 
Yesterday, I left the lid just laying on top since fruit flies are all dead this time of year. But now I snapped down the lid and put an airlock on.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 21, 2009)

Day 3... and bubbling along well.


----------



## Waldo (Oct 22, 2009)

What kind of music are you playing it? You are playing it some music aren't you? And give that fermenter a little hug each day, tell it how much you love it and how excited you are about wat it is producing.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 22, 2009)

I did give it a hug and my fiance laughed and laughed.
Been playing rock music in the mornings. In the afternoon it's music from the kid's games.
Today it's bubbling along just fine. First racking will be monday if the bubbles slow down.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 24, 2009)

I'm going to Rack on Monday. The gear I have to do this is a Racking Cane and siphon tubing with clamp. Carboy wedge.
I know to run the tub to the bottom of the carboy to reduce splashing and go slow to avoid volcano. Also going to put some of the wine into another container to avoid overfilling/volcano.
Anything other things to watch out for?


----------



## Wade E (Oct 24, 2009)

Make sure to start off with the racking cane high in the full carboy and then slowly work down. This prevents the accidental slip and stirring it all up early in the game and racking a very cloudy wine into your new cleaned carboy. I always keep the carboy tipped when its clearing also so that all the sediment goes to 1 side and then I gently tip it to the other side and rack off the clean side. you get a much clearer wine this way and more of it so less topping up is needed and less rackings. Get yourself an autosiphon also as this cheap tool is just 1 of many tools that makes life so much easier and faster and makes wine making that much more enjoyable.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 24, 2009)

Sounds logical. I'll make sure to do that. Thanks wade!


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 26, 2009)

So today was my first experience with racking.
I bought a big plastic tub and mixed up a couple gallons of water and no rinse easy clean to sanitize everything. 
The SG was at .097 -.098
I had to siphon the old fashioned way so I made sure to everything was clean and set the primary on the table and the carboy below.
I decided to rack into the carboy that was inside of a carboard box because I really don't have anywhere light free to keep it. 
Here are some pictures 





Getting the siphon process started.




Nice and sanitized!


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 26, 2009)

Boxed wine?  I did this to keep light out since I don't have dark places in the basement apartment we have.




This is what's left of the lees


----------



## ibglowin (Oct 28, 2009)

I didn't see a spigot on your Primary?

When transferring from Primary into Secondary (fermentation) its much easier to just use the spigot and the transfer tube that came with your kit. Since your transferring everything including the yeast it only takes about 5 min and your done.

Further rackings you will always be trying to leave stuff behind (lees, sediment, etc) so you will want a racking cane for sure after that.

God job!


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 28, 2009)

ibglowin said:


> I didn't see a spigot on your Primary?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



No spigot on the primary, didn't come with one.
I have a racking cane and tubing. It was interesting and took a bit to get used to but it worked. I've seen spigots in Georges kit's. Next primary I buy just may be from him.


----------



## ibglowin (Oct 28, 2009)

You can always just drill a hole and buy the spigot as well.


----------



## vcasey (Oct 28, 2009)

I don't like using the buckets with spigots and have never had a problem. But you still need to have several buckets so you can have several wines going at the same time



! You can always just cover the carboy with a towel or t-shirt.
VC


----------



## Goodfella (Oct 28, 2009)

Why don't you like spigots VC?


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 28, 2009)

So I checked on my wine today and the bubbles have slowed to a crawl.
It got a little chilly last night so I put the heat on this morning.
The wine stays in the bedroom with us. We have a tiny place.
It's shooting out one clump of bubbles every 30-40 seconds even after a few hours of having the air temp around 75 f and the must temp at 69 f.
Should I worry too much about it or just let it do it's thing?


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 28, 2009)

vcasey said:


> I don't like using the buckets with spigots and have never had a problem. But you still need to have several buckets so you can have several wines going at the same time
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I got a towel to cover it with. I gotta save up to get some more fermenters and a couple more wine kits. My job eliminated the retention bonuses they were supposed to pay me and cut our benefits back. In addition to that they raised what we pay for health insurance by almost $100 a pay period. They cut out the company holiday party and christmas bonuses as well.
If they cut any more Christmas will be very tough. Doing direct care doesn't pay a lot as it is, but it's a job while I finish my bachelors degree.


----------



## vcasey (Oct 28, 2009)

It's the must temp that you really need to watch. At that temp it may take a bit longer but it is nothing to worry about. When you go to degas you'll want to try and get the must a little warmer about 75. You may want to consider a brew belt or I'm sure some folks who live in the north can give ideas. Cold is usually not much of an issue in Fla.

Goodfella, my luck would lead towards the darn thing leaking and I really do not want to take that chance. We do have a bottling bucket for hubby's beer and I could never repeat the things he calls it, really the poor dog hides. He is close to finishing his kegerator so he can retire the bucket soon.
VC


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 28, 2009)

I've been eyeing up the brewbelt, but I'm a bit wary of using it on my better bottles. Are they safe to use on them?


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 29, 2009)

I ordered a brew belt and a few packs of RC 212 just to have some one hand.
The brewbelt is going on the carboy, hopefully to restore some semblance of movement to my secondary fermentation. It put's out a bubble or two every 30 seconds or so.

Today is day four of secondary.


----------



## ibglowin (Oct 29, 2009)

You not going to have a whole lot of activity in secondary even at 70 degrees. What is the SG right now? If its ~1.000 your almost done. If its still 1.020 then you have a ways to go and for sure want to keep this guy warm until he finishes.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 29, 2009)

ibglowin said:


> You not going to have a whole lot of activity in secondary even at 70 degrees. What is the SG right now? If its ~1.000 your almost done. If its still 1.020 then you have a ways to go and for sure want to keep this guy warm until he finishes.



I'll check the SG in a bit. The kit instructions (I know they are but a simple guideline and not concrete) say 10 days for secondary. I'm in day 4.
I'll get right back with the SG


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 29, 2009)

SG is around .997 at 69 deg. f.
I really need to invest in a graduated cylinder...and a longer wine thief.
The instructions say to monitor it for a few days and if it's stable, start the clearing stage. It's been just 4 days in secondary though when it called for ten.
The only thing I can think of is during primary the instructions said 5 to 7 days and i did 7. So... Looks like I may be stirring the sediment (thats the WE instruction) and the clearing agents in the next couple of days.


----------



## ibglowin (Oct 29, 2009)

Check it again in a few days. If its still 997 (and most likely it will) your done. It will not hurt the wine to let it sit a few days longer. There is no hurry as they say. If it has oak stir it to help disperse the oak flavor.


----------



## xanxer82 (Oct 29, 2009)

No oak in this kit. I'll check it again on monday if it's stable, I'll get it ready for clearing.


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 2, 2009)

The SG readings have been stable at .996 for three days.
I stablelized with the Kmeta and Sorbate. Used my drill attached mixer (I want the Stainless steel mix stir but could only get the plastic one for now.) Added chitosan and mixed like crazy.
Had the bubbles come up and fizzing loudly. No volcano though. Instead of the 30-60 seconds in the instruction i went for about two mintues, reversing the stirring direction every so often.
Should I degas again in a little while?

Tried to upload a picture of all the bubbles but got an error 


*Server Error in Forum Application*
An error has occured while uploading file/image.
Please check the Dundas Upload Component is installed on the server.
Please contact the forum administrator.

*Support Error Code:-* err_SQLServer_create_Dundas_Upload_object
*File Name:-* functions_upload.asp

*Error details:-*
Server object
006~ASP 0177~Server.CreateObject Failed~800401f3


----------



## Tom (Nov 2, 2009)

Should be enough for now. I would degas after your next racking. When degassing you do not want to create bubbles (using high speed) rather stir at low speed


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 2, 2009)

Yeah I can see the gas working it's way out now. 
Just placed an order with George.
I have a new kit and some chemistry for starting my first all fresh fruit wine.
As for this batch, it's going to clear for the 14 days and then get racked again.
I have 2 new roughly 3 gallon fermenters (frosting buckets from my buddy's shop) to start some 1 gallon batches I've been meaning to get going.


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 3, 2009)

This is a real adventure and being able to keep a log of what's going on in this thread is a great resource. Thanks to everyone for tips and advice.
Here picture uploader is still broken. I'll put a picture or two up after it's working.

*Server Error in Forum Application*
An error has occured while uploading file/image.
Please check the Dundas Upload Component is installed on the server.
Please contact the forum administrator.

*Support Error Code:-* err_SQLServer_create_Dundas_Upload_object
*File Name:-* functions_upload.asp

*Error details:-*
Server object
006~ASP 0177~Server.CreateObject Failed~800401f3


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 10, 2009)

Spent a couple hours cleaning off bottles. 
Time for bottling on monday.


----------



## Goodfella (Nov 10, 2009)

Nice!!! I would like to see some photos, and maybe the labels.


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 10, 2009)

Goodfella said:


> Nice!!! I would like to see some photos, and maybe the labels.



I'll be sure to post some snapshots of my first bottling. I have the WE labels for the Bergamais. They are alright but not mine.


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 12, 2009)

Just ordered some more supplies today
<t></t><table style="width: 416px; height: 318px;" align="center" border="1" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"><t><tr><td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">4600</td>
<td width="20%"> 
<div align="left">Airlock 3 Piece</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">2</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$1.09</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$2.18</td>
</tr>

<tr> 
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">6202B</td>
<td width="20%"> 
<div align="left">Corks - Agglomerate, Bulk #8 X 1.50</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">1</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$14.99</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$14.99</td>
</tr>

<tr> 
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">3403</td>
<td width="20%"> 
<div align="left">Bourgovin RC 212 5 grams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">1</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$0.85</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$0.85</td>
</tr>

<tr> 
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">3405</td>
<td width="20%"> 
<div align="left">71B-1122 5 grams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">1</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$0.85</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$0.85</td>
</tr>

<tr> 
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">3410</td>
<td width="20%"> 
<div align="left">EC-1118 5 grams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">1</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$0.85</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$0.85</td>
</tr>

<tr> 
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">6381</td>
<td width="20%"> 
<div align="left">Isinglass</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">2</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$1.49</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$2.98</td>
</tr>

<tr> 
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="10%">4612</td>
<td width="20%"> 
<div align="left">Gum Stopper #6 Drilled Rubber</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">1</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$0.99</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" width="15%"><div align="right">$0.99</td></tr></t></table>
Hopefully these corks are the standard size and will work.
And I'm going off what pelican said about the #6 stopper fitting 1 gallon jugs.


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 15, 2009)

Also go the double lever hand corker. I took a look at the plastic plunger one I have from my kit and there is no way i can do 30 bottles with that thing this week. 
Can't afford the floor corker yet but maybe for XMas


----------



## Wade E (Nov 15, 2009)

That dble lever does the job OK. When you do get the floor corker start getting the #9 x 1.75 perfect agglom corks form George, they are the best out there period IMO!


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 16, 2009)

wade said:


> That dble lever does the job OK. When you do get the floor corker start getting the #9 x 1.75 perfect agglom corks form George, they are the best out there period IMO!



I will be sure to order those next time. I think I bought #8 recently hope they work.


----------



## ibglowin (Nov 16, 2009)

Wade,

What (if any) is the difference between 2310B corks and 2320B corks?



wade said:


> start getting the #9 x 1.75 perfect agglom corks form George, they are the best out there period IMO!


----------



## grapeman (Nov 16, 2009)

Just look at them. The difference is the 2310B has a grape pattern and the 2320B has FineVineWines printed on them.


----------



## ibglowin (Nov 16, 2009)

Ha!

I think it might be more than that, starting with the word "perfect"......


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 16, 2009)

I think it'll be good to have a couple of corkers, the fiance wants to help bottle tomorrow.


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 17, 2009)

Last night we bottled.






kat filling bottles




Me starting the autosiphon
one of the best upgrades i made to my kit.





everything bottled. 30 in total.




there is one bottle. labeling will hopefully occur tomorrow afternoon.


----------



## pelican (Nov 18, 2009)

Wow looks nice!


----------



## admiral (Nov 18, 2009)

It feels good get the wine bottled, doesn't it?



So, what's next?


----------



## grapeman (Nov 18, 2009)

Good going on the first batch. Now that it is in the bottle, you have a start to your inventory. I would suggest that you take a bit longer from start to bottling in the future. Although it looks clear to you, if you bottle soon like this, you will likely get a dusting of sediment in each bottle. When it is truly clear, it will sparkle through the glass unless it is a truly deep, extra bodied wine.


Now comes a bit of wait for it to age a bit. Good luck on that one. When you first get started and have nothing else to drink, it is darned near impossible to wait it out!


----------



## corn field (Nov 18, 2009)

There is nuthing like seeing your first wine in the bottles. The next best thing is sharing it with friends and have them say " this is better than store bought".


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 18, 2009)

admiral said:


> It feels good get the wine bottled, doesn't it?
> 
> 
> 
> So, what's next?



Next is getting the Blueberry Shiraz into secondary. I'm just wait for the SG to drop a little more. May have to pop the Brew belt on since it's starting to get yucky out.
I also have my white grape/peach wine to rack off the lees and rack into glass. I have my new #6 stopper and airlock at the house waiting for me.


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 18, 2009)

appleman said:


> Good going on the first batch. Now that it is in the bottle, you have a start to your inventory. I would suggest that you take a bit longer from start to bottling in the future. Although it looks clear to you, if you bottle soon like this, you will likely get a dusting of sediment in each bottle. When it is truly clear, it will sparkle through the glass unless it is a truly deep, extra bodied wine.
> 
> 
> Now comes a bit of wait for it to age a bit. Good luck on that one. When you first get started and have nothing else to drink, it is darned near impossible to wait it out!



I do see the point of waiting a bit longer.
Since this kit was a quick kit, I figured it shouldn't do too much harm to get it bottled and my carboy emptied.
One of the local high schools is having a fruit sale this weekend and I'm going to try to get Kat to run up there and get some things for me while I'm at work. 

So, I made a couple of smaller bottles of this wine to taste in about a month. I added some extra kmeta so it can age a little longer than the 45 days that the kit recommended. I'm excited about tasting it after it settles down.

The feeling of having an actual inventory is very rewarding. Now to build it up with some variety. I know I'll be giving some away for Christmas presents if it turns out right. Which, so far it has. It's a bit thin but I suppose that is the Kit Taste that keeps being mentioned.


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 18, 2009)

The labels worked nicely. I'm going to put a seperate stick on the back with the ABV and date.


----------



## Goodfella (Nov 18, 2009)

Good job!!!


Looks great


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 18, 2009)

Thanks. Next time I need labels ( George supplied some labels for my Blueberry Shiraz ) I'll do my own images in photoshop and InDesign (Put my college education to use). I also have little white labels I'm probably going to stick on the back of the bottle with the date on it.


----------



## Goodfella (Nov 18, 2009)

How does it taste?


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 18, 2009)

It tastes good for being so young. It's got the sulphite bite but it's aromatic, clear and has some legs in the glass.
A bit thin, but it was an inexpensive kit to learn on. It also has a bit of a jolly rancher to it but I think it's barely noticeable.
I think it will mellow out with some time. I plan to open one of my tester bottles up next month at the wine tasting we're having at the house.
Me and Kat decided to have friends over once a month and everyone brings a bottle to try.


----------



## xanxer82 (Nov 19, 2009)




----------



## xanxer82 (Dec 2, 2009)

So, I checked on my wine today and there is some sediment in the bottles.
Only a couple of them are really bad and some are crystal clear.
That's even after letting the carboy set an extra few days and racking to a clean carboy before bottling.
Maybe it's just the effects of not having a filter.
So, perhaps I'll invest in one. I'm just a college guy with a family so money is pretty tight. Any economical recommendations that will work with my better bottle carboys?


----------



## Brewgrrrl (Dec 2, 2009)

Most people don't filter red wines - just white and fruit wines. The wine probably just needed to settle a bit in the new carboy before you bottled. I would guess that the really bad bottles were the ones at the end, when you were (of course) trying not to waste any wine and you got the sediment that was more concentrated towards the bottom of the carboy. It probably would have settled in a day or two and then you could have either racked once more or been veryveryvery careful when you bottled.

I recently started filtering some of my fruit wines and I use a gravity filter. It is affordable but it takes a lot longer than the much more expensive options - the 5 gallon batch I filtered took about an hour. There are some tutorials on this forum you might want to look at if you are interested in filters.

Another inexpensive option would be to use a fining agent like Sparkalloid or Super kleer. But a lot of people make wine without ever filtering it - just letting time do its magic.

Congrats on your finished wine though! I had a batch like that once and I just kept the sedimenty ones for serving at home (pouring carefully - no one but you will notice).


----------



## xanxer82 (Dec 2, 2009)

Well for my reds, I'll have to rack to clean carboy, degas and maybe rack once again giving plenty of time to settle.
First kit was meant for learning anyway.
But I'm stil linterested in getting a filter setup as I plan on making a crapload of fruit wines soon.


----------



## vcasey (Dec 2, 2009)

Sometimes all the sediment does not completely clear out and with red wines its hard to tell. A couple of extra weeks in the carboy after racking it off the clearing sediment may have helped. Most folks are just trying to get that first batch in the bottle, so its not all that uncommon. When you drink the ones that are really bad, pour them through a coffee filter before serving. 
I would put that gravity filter on my wish list if I were you. For something inexpensive it can sure make those while wines shine and they work great for small batches.
VC


----------



## xanxer82 (Dec 2, 2009)

What about the Vinibrite gravity filter?


----------



## Brewgrrrl (Dec 2, 2009)

That's what VC and I are both referring to. The Vinebrite does a very nice job and it's affordable. That's what I've been using. It takes a while because you're relying on gravity to move the wine (rather than a pump system), but it certainly works.

There is a tutorial at:http://forum.finevinewines.com//forum_posts.asp?TID=1117

And I posted my own pictures at: http://forum.finevinewines.com//forum_posts.asp?TID=8526&KW=sparkalloid&PN=4


----------



## PeterZ (Dec 3, 2009)

I use the Vinebrite filter, too, even on reds. It is important to have a well clarified wine before filtering or the filter pad will load up. If that happens you have to tear the whole thing down and put in a new pad. I don't filter until I have done several rackings and the wine looks clear. Even a white that looks clear will look clearer after filtering.


----------



## Brewgrrrl (Dec 3, 2009)

Yes, the first time I filtered I didn't expect much at all because it *looked* clear before I did it. When I was done, that wine was sparkling! What a difference (and that was just usinga gravity filter).


----------



## xanxer82 (Dec 3, 2009)

Thanks. I'm going to order it next pay day.


----------



## Goodfella (Dec 3, 2009)

Yesterday was the first time I used my filter on a white wine... I absolutly could not believe the results. I thought the wine was clear before, I didn't know if filtering would help.... NOW, the wine is glowing!!!!


----------



## xanxer82 (Dec 3, 2009)

Glad to see some positive results of filtering. Now I just want payday to come so I can place my order. I'll have my $500 in for the FWV Club in no time lol.


----------



## fivebk (Dec 3, 2009)

I bought a beer/wine filter plate and instead of applying pressure I used my aspirator pump and pulled the wine through the filter plate. 

The first wine I filtered was my dandelion and boy what a difference!!!!!

BOB


----------



## xanxer82 (Dec 3, 2009)

fivebk said:


> I bought a beer/wine filter plate and instead of applying pressure I used my aspirator pump and pulled the wine through the filter plate.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



If I was using glass carboys, I'd go that route but costs are currently limiting me to better bottles.


----------

