# The Travel Fermenter



## dfwwino (Aug 20, 2006)

After 12 years of making wine from primarily fresh wine grapes and fruits, I have embarked on a series of experimental wines with vegetables, frozen juices, etc. I just bought a Slimline Beverage Container from Wally World to ferment juice concentrate wines. It is about 3 inches wide, 9 inches tall and 15 inches deep. It holds 1.25 gallons and has clear lines marking each quarter gallon. I am using it to make a series of frozen concentrate wines. I started this most recent exploration after learning that my girlfriend's father likes Mogen David over my good red table wines. So I made him a gallon of what I am calling Mogen Harold, after him. I am now going to use this container for a Welch's white grape and raspberry juice concentrate wine. At $3.40 per gallon (68 cents per bottle) for the concentrate, it's worth the experiment. You can only use the slim line when you are only addingconcentrate to the must, as the opening is not wide enough to easily accommodate fruit. The container also has a spout dispenser to siphon the wine. I'll let you know how this experiment goes. *Edited by: dfwwino *


----------



## pkcook (Aug 20, 2006)

How about a photo of the process? Sounds interesting.


----------



## Waldo (Aug 20, 2006)

Im with pk...some pictures would be great


----------



## dfwwino (Aug 20, 2006)




----------



## dfwwino (Aug 20, 2006)




----------



## dfwwino (Aug 20, 2006)

I've posted two photos of the slimline. I just filled it with 2 cans of 11.5 oz Welch's White Grape and Raspberry Juice Concentrate and 1.5 lbs of clover honey. I'll let you know if it has adequate space for fermentation or if I have an explosion. LOL.


----------



## dfwwino (Aug 22, 2006)

I thought I'd update my experiment. I pitched the yeast two days ago. Fermentation was a bit sluggish yesterday and I became concerned there was not enough top space in the slimline to degas the CO2 and get oxygen. However, I have been removing a napkin with rubber band on the opening on the top andtightly screwing on theoriginal cap. I then shake the container vigorously with the cap in place. I do thisthree times per day. The sides of the container expand as the CO2 comes out of solution. I open the cap and gas escapes. I then remove the cap and replace the napkin with the rubber band. This container makes degassing wine a breeze, as I just hold the container in my hands and shake vigorously side-to-side. The fermentation is going gangbusters now. *Edited by: dfwwino *


----------



## dfwwino (Aug 28, 2006)

I changed the title of the above post to the "Travel Fermenter." Yesterday, I racked the above white grape-raspberry wine to a one gallon jug by simply pressing the spigot on the container. What an easy racking. I was leaving on an out-of-town trip by car but needed to use some celery before it spoiled. I juiced an entire bunch of celery stalks, added sugar, and added it to this fermenter with a campden tablet. Because I needed to wait 24 hours to pitch the yeast, I took the above fermenter along for the trip. The container has a screw tight cap and a nice handle for carrying the travel fermenter with you on your next trip. Yes,I knowmy winemaking has gotten out of control when I'm taking my fermenter along for the ride. *Edited by: dfwwino *


----------



## grapeman (Aug 28, 2006)

Now Celery Wine, that's different. It'll be interesting to see how that one turns out! Should be great for all us dieters



Interesting primary also.


----------



## dfwwino (Sep 8, 2006)

UPDATE: WARNING! 


Do not use this fermenter to ferment one gallon of red juice with Pasteur Red or any robust fermenting yeast. When I got home after work, this container had one gallon of concord juice fermenting with Pasteur Red. I forgot how robust a yeast Paster Red is. The napkin and rubber band were knocked off the top and it had foamed over. Well, that was not too bad a mess to clean up. BUT WARNING NUMBER TWO: Do not make wine when you first get home after work and are tired and hungry and have your thinking cap turned off. out of habit and for no good reason with a robust fermentation underway, I then proceeded to put the cap on the container and shook it, like I had for the whites with Premeir Cuvee and Cotes de Blanc. Well,dummie here effectively shook a soda pop can loaded with an enormous amount of CO2. I turned the cap slightly and had a volcanic eruption, spewing some concord all over the kitchen. I am so glad I live alone so no one is bitching about the mess in the kitchen. LOL. *Edited by: dfwwino *


----------



## Waldo (Sep 8, 2006)

Pictures.........PICTURES........WE WANT PICTURES


----------



## dfwwino (Sep 8, 2006)

Sorry Waldo. I'm taking this one to my grave.






Besides, while I was frantically wiping off the kitchen counter, cabinets, walls, applicances, floor and the bit of splatter that sailed out the kitchen onto the carpet, I forgot to pull out the camera. Shame on me. At least now I've got myself a winemaking shirt sprinkled with holy wine.*Edited by: dfwwino *


----------



## pkcook (Sep 9, 2006)

DFW,


Been following the episode and think the "travel fermenter" is a great Idea, especially with the abiltiy to rack thru the spigot! I have an idea that might work with this. Go to your local hardware and get a rubber grommet with the inside diameter slightly smaller than the base of an airlock. Drill a hole in the cap large enough to mount the grommet and use the airlock instead of the papertowel/rubberband. I use the Red Star Premier Cuvee quite a bit now because of the low foaming action.


----------



## dfwwino (Sep 12, 2006)

PK, 


I actually bought a grommet from George and will add it next time. Actually, I plan to put the grommet in the upper side of the container, so I can lay the container on its side with the cap closed, creating more airspace for the fermenter (like a large, flat open fermenter). Then, when I need to clear the wine before racking, I'll stand the container up, seal the grommet and let the yeast and goo settleb before racking. *Edited by: dfwwino *


----------



## dfwwino (Sep 12, 2006)

Just to clarify, the grommet will be placed above the one gallon mark near the top of the container, so when I stand it up, it will not leak.


----------



## dfwwino (Sep 12, 2006)

and one last modification: I think the more robust yeasts will still overflow through the airlock/grommet. Therefore, I will use the blow off tube I use for brewing beer, which is a tube and flexible hose I insert into the grommet, going into a container of sulphited water, where any excess foam and goo will flow.


----------

