# 5 buckets, whats next?



## Dentman (Oct 25, 2015)

So wife and I went up to the juice supplier and came away with 5 buckets. The not so friendly fellow at the loading dock only said "you don't need those yeast packets the yeast is already in there" I was caught off guard so I put the packets back on the shelf.

Now they are warming up in the garage, and 2 have started cooking while the other 3 have not. NO big deal as its only been 18 hours or so since they came out of the fridge. 

Should i add more yeast? The instructions say to lock the lid back down but the air breather doesn't seem to be working, the foam just squirts out the lid anyway. Should i remove the lids and cover with a towel as others do with kit wines? thanks for any advice


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## jhawk (Oct 25, 2015)

What I've heard is that they have EC 1118 already in the juice. When I get home with my buckets and barrels. I add kmeta rate of little over 1/4 tsp per 6 gal to kill or slow down existing yeast. As they warm up I then add my own yeast I want to do use. Usually 24-36 hrs after they are home. I also add wyeast wine yeast nutrient. 1/2 tsp per 6 gal. I also just lay the lid loosely on the bucket so it can breath and expel the CO2 And dont forget to add 20 oz of raisins per 6 gal of reds when you transfer to your secondary carboy. This adds body to wine they sit in them for 30-45 days. As for what yeast I use in the past with all juicie buckets from Luva Bella and Mosto Bello all with awesome results. 

California 
Pinot Noir. RC212
Zinfandel Royal. Montrachet
Gewurztramier. D47
Muscato. D47
Riesling. Premier curvee 

Italian 
Amarone. RC 212
Barolo. RC212 
Montepilciano RC212
Valpolicella. RC212 
Pinot Grigio. D47
Cab/merlot 50/50 blend. RC212 

Chilean 
Cabernet EC-1118
Malbec. RC212 
Chardonnay. QA23
Sauviagnon Blanc QA23 
Carmenere. RC212 
Malbec/syrah 50/50 blend RC212 
Cab/merlot/sangiovese 6gal each or 33/33/33 blend RC212 
Merlot/sangiovese 50/50 blend EC-1118


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## Floandgary (Oct 25, 2015)

Most "bucket brewers" simply let the lid rest on the lip. Effectively keeps bugs and debris out while allowing fermentation CO2 to escape.


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## Dentman (Oct 25, 2015)

jhawk said:


> What I've heard is that they have EC 1118 already in the juice. When I get home with my buckets and barrels. I add kmeta rate of little over 1/4 tsp per 6 gal to kill or slow down existing yeast. As they warm up I then add my own yeast I want to do use. Usually 24-36 hrs after they are home. I also add wyeast wine yeast nutrient. 1/2 tsp per 6 gal. I also just lay the lid loosely on the bucket so it can breath and expel the CO2 And dont forget to add 20 oz of raisins per 6 gal of reds when you transfer to your secondary carboy. This adds body to wine they sit in them for 30-45 days. As for what yeast I use in the past with all juicie buckets from Luva Bella and Mosto Bello all with awesome results.
> 
> California
> Pinot Noir. RC212
> ...




awesome jhawk thanks for the tips. Small world, Luva Bella is where i got my buckets from. about 1.5 hours from home. Oh and you use dark raisins for reds, and golden for whites?


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## jhawk (Oct 25, 2015)

I never put raisins in the whites. If you have ano Aldi's near you they have the best pricing on them. WhI checked juice supplier did you buy them from?


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## Dentman (Oct 25, 2015)

Luca Bella in Ohio. I believe it's the main retailer.


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## Runningwolf (Oct 25, 2015)

Dentman said:


> So wife and I went up to the juice supplier and came away with 5 buckets. The not so friendly fellow at the loading dock only said "you don't need those yeast packets the yeast is already in there" I was caught off guard so I put the packets back on the shelf.



I am surprised to hear this. The folks at LuVa Bella's are usually very friendly. Keep it mind this is a very stressful time of year for all wineries as they are in the middle of harvest. 

Why are you adding raisins to your juice pails? This will give them an oxidised taste. One thing you can do to assist in making a good wine with the pails is bt adding oak chips during the primary fermentation.


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## Dentman (Oct 25, 2015)

@runningwolf I found the staff very pleasant otherwise and would certainly recommend the business in general. regarding the raisins, it was recommended to me by a contributor on this thread. 

I've added oak to kits but not buckets. I'll look into it thanks.


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## jhawk (Oct 25, 2015)

Wolf
I've been adding raisins to the secondary for the last few years. I've never had a oxidation flavor issue. I know Joeswine is a advocate of raisins and I think that's where I got the idea to add them. I feel the raisins give that more body in the reds for the buckets of juice to not soaking on the skins that long during production.


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## sdelli (Oct 25, 2015)

I tried the raisins a couple times in my startup years..... It does add body but adds nothing good to the taste of a good wine. Add some grape packs to the primary if you want to add complexity to your wine. Remember, Joeswine thread is all about taking inexpensive juice packs and turning them into a good tasting alcohol.


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## jhawk (Oct 25, 2015)

I got a 55 gallon barrels of Barolo. So I'll try some with and without raisins this time around and do some taste comparisons.


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## Dentman (Oct 27, 2015)

sdelli said:


> I tried the raisins a couple times in my startup years..... It does add body but adds nothing good to the taste of a good wine. Add some grape packs to the primary if you want to add complexity to your wine. Remember, Joeswine thread is all about taking inexpensive juice packs and turning them into a good tasting alcohol.



Re: joeswine that is noted. I have 2 fontana kits going using some loose translation thereof.


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## muskie003 (Oct 27, 2015)

Dentman said:


> So wife and I went up to the juice supplier and came away with 5 buckets. The not so friendly fellow at the loading dock only said "you don't need those yeast packets the yeast is already in there" I was caught off guard so I put the packets back on the shelf.
> 
> Now they are warming up in the garage, and 2 have started cooking while the other 3 have not. NO big deal as its only been 18 hours or so since they came out of the fridge.
> 
> Should i add more yeast? The instructions say to lock the lid back down but the air breather doesn't seem to be working, the foam just squirts out the lid anyway. Should i remove the lids and cover with a towel as others do with kit wines? thanks for any advice



I'm fairly new to the process, but I've tried both ways - that is, using the yeast that's already in the bucket and doing my own yeast starter. I honestly haven't noticed much difference. guys I learned from swear by using their own starter bc they like to know exactly what is making it take off.

they also like to add raisins to the primary with the starter, so that's always what ive done - no complaints so far.


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## muskie003 (Oct 29, 2015)

on a related note, the buckets of Italian juice I got this fall are Mosto Imperatore (all reds). buckets say they've all had "wine yeast" added. anyone know if theres a way to figure out which "wine yeast" they used? looked for a website but no luck.....


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## heatherd (Oct 30, 2015)

Dentman said:


> awesome jhawk thanks for the tips. Small world, Luva Bella is where i got my buckets from. about 1.5 hours from home. Oh and you use dark raisins for reds, and golden for whites?



Dentman,

When you add raisins, you're aiming to increase tannins from grapes. Another way to do that is add tannin powder.

I add tannins and oak to my batches of red from juice buckets. I generally add grape packs during primary fermentation, but if you don't have access the tannin powder + oak goes a long way to aproximating commercial quality wine.

Heather


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## DryFly (Dec 9, 2015)

I am a complete newb at this so pardon my question, but when is the yeast added to the bucket? Are these juice buckets fermenting for long periods of time waiting for a customer to buy them off the shelf?


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## JohnT (Dec 9, 2015)

DryFly said:


> I am a complete newb at this so pardon my question, but when is the yeast added to the bucket? Are these juice buckets fermenting for long periods of time waiting for a customer to buy them off the shelf?


 

Welcome to the forum.. 

Some buckets come with acid adjusted and yeast already added. It would be best to ask your supplier if yeast is already added. 

Most pail juice is refrigerated. You need to uncover and wait until the juice warms to a temp of at least 65 degrees in most cases. 

I like to add a shock of k-meta once I get the juice home. I then wait 24 hours with a sheet of plastic covering the fermenter. This allows the juice to warm. After 24 hours, I then add my yeast nutrient, adjust my acid, stir to dissolve, then add my yeast.


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## jsiddall (Dec 9, 2015)

DryFly said:


> I am a complete newb at this so pardon my question, but when is the yeast added to the bucket? Are these juice buckets fermenting for long periods of time waiting for a customer to buy them off the shelf?



The only juice bucket I made was definitely fermenting when I got it -- as in it was actually fizzing at 11 C and SG was 1.048 when I opened it. Seems to have turned out OK but definitely no point in trying to stop the pre-innoculated yeast, which I am guessing was EC-1118.

All juice that is not pasteurized must be refrigerated or it will be fermented dry within about a week.


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## Floandgary (Dec 9, 2015)

Another opportunity to experiment. Some like a particular yeast in a particular varietal for a particular result. Same for adding suppliments (eg. oak, complimentary flavoring, etc) at fermentation vs. post ferm. This forum is a great place to "get your wineglass wet", but you'll soon realize that it's a science and like any science there's more than one factor determining the outcome. And really, one can get a whole lot of experimenting out of a 5 gal. bucket. Keep good notes to fall back on when your tastebuds light up with the best of show!


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## Floandgary (Dec 9, 2015)

DryFly said:


> I am a complete newb at this so pardon my question, but when is the yeast added to the bucket? Are these juice buckets fermenting for long periods of time waiting for a customer to buy them off the shelf?



Not 100% positive, but I do believe that juices are shipped in bulk from the producers to sites around the country (could be a local retailer if they have big enough sales) where it is prepped (basic acid adjustment and inoculated with an acceptable yeast), bucketed (?), and refrigerated to keep the yeast dormant. Then distributed to local retailers who keep it cold till you buy it. As you've read, most "bucketeers" experience a 2 day warmup period before stirring things up and getting the show on the road..


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