# New to juice buckets



## mikefrommichigan (Feb 1, 2016)

Hi, I have been making kit wines for a couple of years now, but I have finally decided to try my hand at making wine from a juice bucket.

I have been reading some of the forum threads with great interest and I was hoping to find a sticky or thread that explains the steps, or the differences between making kit wines compared to juice buckets. 

I also sent a note to the retailer asking for some info on the wines he will be getting in April (will yeast be added, will acid be adjusted etc.)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks


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## mikefrommichigan (Feb 1, 2016)

I forgot to ask, how long can I keep the juice buckets before starting fermentation? I have access to a cold room (38F)that I could store them in.

Thanks


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## FTC Wines (Feb 1, 2016)

Mike, I made my first juice bucket this fall. The instructions were printed on the side of the bucket. They were very easy to follow. So far very happy with the results. May order 4 buckets this fall. Roy


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## mikefrommichigan (Feb 1, 2016)

I guess I never thought that instructions would be included


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## DoctorCAD (Feb 1, 2016)

Mine was fermenting on the ride home. Lots of juice buckets are pre-innoculated.


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## mikefrommichigan (Feb 2, 2016)

If I stop fermentation when I get them, any idea how long can I store the juice buckets before I am ready to start them? I have access to a cold room (38F)that I could store them in. I was hoping to get a half dozen or so and start them every couple of weeks. Good job I have enough carboys, but then maybe I haven't


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## DoctorCAD (Feb 2, 2016)

You won't be able to stop fermentation unless you freeze the bucket, and at that SG, freezing would take more than a few bags of ice.


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## mikefrommichigan (Feb 3, 2016)

richmke said:


> The benefit of killing off everything first, and then adding your own yeast is: that you have killed off everything else (or at least have substantially reduced their strength) that when you innoculate with your yeast, your yeast will take over before anything else has a chance.
> 
> 
> 1/4 teaspoon of K-Meta. then, wait a day or two. If you add your yeast right away, you will kill it with the k-meta.
> ...



I have read several posts that do state that any yeast added before shipping can be killed or reduced. If that is correct then I should be able to store in a cold room. How long have others kept their juice pails before starting to make wine?

Thanks


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## DoctorCAD (Feb 3, 2016)

mikefrommichigan said:


> I have read several posts that do state that any yeast added before shipping can be killed or reduced. If that is correct then I should be able to store in a cold room. How long have others kept their juice pails before starting to make wine?
> 
> Thanks



Stunned until your chosen yeast overtakes it maybe. It's nearly impossible to stop an active ferment. 

Also., kmeta doesn't kill wine yeast. That's why we can use it in our musts without worry. Wine yeast has been selectively bread to live in a kmeta environment.


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## djrockinsteve (Feb 4, 2016)

There is a tutorial on here on fermenting juice buckets. It's in the Tutorial Section. Here is the link 
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14202

I have made over 100 buckets over the years. Absolutely love them.


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## Floandgary (Feb 4, 2016)

If the buckets you get are adjusted and inoculated, it would much less troublesome to proceed with what is there than try to stop and go with something different. You can always fine tune after fermentation. I too have been doing buckets for some time and have yet to be disappointed. Overall best "bang-for-your-buck" with much less fussing. However YOUR taste buds will tell the final tale.


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## sdelli (Feb 4, 2016)

What part of Mi you from?


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## mikefrommichigan (Feb 4, 2016)

Thanks for the link djrockinsteve. I am looking forward to making some wine from juice.


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## mikefrommichigan (Feb 7, 2016)

All of the wine kits I made came with BENTONITE & ISINGLASS as the fining agents. 
Any recommendations as to what Fining agent to use for the juice buckets? 

Djrockinsteve suggests SPARKLOID in his Basic Juice fermenting Guide. I have never used that.


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## sdelli (Feb 7, 2016)

None for Red


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## mikefrommichigan (Apr 16, 2016)

I picked up 3 pails of Chilean Carménère and 3 pails of Chilean Petite Sirah yesterday. I started the Carménère this morning and put the Petite Sirah in a cooler for several weeks until I can start it. 
Anyone have any thoughts on adding oak to either of these 2 wines?


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## Matty_Kay (Apr 16, 2016)

Yes, I've enjoyed medium + or heavy toast French oak in Carmenere I've made before. This spring, I'll oak using one of those 2 toast levels again.


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## Treeman (Apr 17, 2016)

mikefrommichigan said:


> I picked up 3 pails of Chilean Carménère and 3 pails of Chilean Petite Sirah yesterday. I started the Carménère this morning and put the Petite Sirah in a cooler for several weeks until I can start it.
> Anyone have any thoughts on adding oak to either of these 2 wines?




Be sure to measure the brix on the Petite. If it slowly ferments over the next few weeks in the cold storage, the brix will drop a bit before you start your active ferment.


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## Julie (Apr 17, 2016)

Also, ask them what the starting brix was when you go to pick them up. This way you will know if they have started to ferment


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## vacuumpumpman (Apr 17, 2016)

Alot of good information here - I would also add in using go ferm and fermaid K 

It made a huge difference in my Chilean buckets from last year.


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## Floandgary (Apr 17, 2016)

mikefrommichigan said:


> All of the wine kits I made came with BENTONITE & ISINGLASS as the fining agents.
> Any recommendations as to what Fining agent to use for the juice buckets?
> 
> Djrockinsteve suggests SPARKLOID in his Basic Juice fermenting Guide. I have never used that.



"TIME"... Eventually you will realize the benefit of aging. (Talking carboy or barrel here). Not only does it allow the chemistry to take place, it also provides time for even the most minute/pesky particulates to settle out. No additives needed ,, nothing goes into the bottle...


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## barbiek (Apr 17, 2016)

Yes as Floandgary mentioned I haven't had to use any clearing agent in any of my juice buckets well except bentonite at the beginning of my ferment adding it a day after I start fermentation.


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## mikefrommichigan (Apr 17, 2016)

As usual great information from this group. Thanks

Regarding the oaking, I have some oak spirals that I want to use. First time for me using the spirals, any tips using them that may be different that using cubes? I was thinking of adding them during aging.

How do you recommend attaching them in a carboy so they are easy to extract. Murphy's law says to me they will get stuck in the carboy. I was thinking of attaching them to a fine cotton thread and hanging them, so the thread is wedged between the carboy and the bung.


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 17, 2016)

mikefrommichigan said:


> How do you recommend attaching them in a carboy so they are easy to extract.



Fishing line. New, not used.


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## Matty_Kay (Apr 17, 2016)

I have used fishing line in the past as well.


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## mikefrommichigan (Jun 16, 2016)

I racked the the 3 pails of Chilean Carménère for the 4th time and now have them aging for 3 months or so. I ended up with approx 18 ¾ gallons of wine. The oak spirals worked well, a bit tricky to get them out of the carboy but after a lot of carboy shaking they came out.

I will be starting the 3 buckets Chilean Petite Sirah end of June so I will post the results as I get them.


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## FTC Wines (Jun 17, 2016)

Mike, I'm a little late about answering your spiral question. I break the spirals in half, then drop them in, leave them there to next racking. When rinsing/cleaning the carboy the half spirals come out pretty easily. Roy


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## Johnd (Jun 17, 2016)

mikefrommichigan said:


> As usual great information from this group. Thanks
> 
> Regarding the oaking, I have some oak spirals that I want to use. First time for me using the spirals, any tips using them that may be different that using cubes?
> 
> How do you recommend attaching them in a carboy so they are easy to extract. Murphy's law says to me they will get stuck in the carboy. I was thinking of attaching them to a fine cotton thread and hanging them, so the thread is wedged between the carboy and the bung.



Second on the new fishing line, get a little spool of thin monofilament, not braided line. When I started using spirals, I just let the line run out of the mouth of the carboy between the glass and the bung and tied a toothpick on the end to keep the line from going back into the carboy. I've also threaded the line through the airlock before filling with liquid. Eventually, I started using very small stainless steel eyelets, screwed into the bottom of the bung (don't penetrate through the bung) and attached the line to the eyelet.


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## mikefrommichigan (Jun 18, 2016)

Great ideas for the spirals. Thanks


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## mikefrommichigan (Oct 1, 2016)

Update on my juice buckets.

I picked up 3 buckets of Carménère and 3 buckets of Petite Sirah in April/May. I started the Carménère immediately I arrived home and placed the Petite Sirah in cold storage for a month.

I bottled the Carménère a few weeks ago and intend bottling the Petite Sirah at the end of October. They both taste great.

Ordered 3 buckets of Sangiovese and 3 buckets of Barbera that I will pick up next week Friday. I will again store 1 of them for a month in cold storage.

The distributor sent an email saying that the juice will not not contain any added yeast this time, which I believe is a good thing.

Thanks for all the previous advice again


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## Ebonheart (Oct 4, 2016)

Best part about the buckets is that you can keep the buckets and re-use them at local places to get more fresh juice. I started with buckets, and it makes for a lot of fun and good wine. You can personalize your wine more than a kit, choosing yeast, wood, MF, etc.


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