# Help Newbie Question!



## bizkit (Oct 11, 2010)

Yesterday I Grabbed 8 5.3 gallons of Merlot and one Cabernet (Cabernet was already fizzing and smelled of wine.). through them all in a number 2 - FDA plastic drum (previously used for wine as its original intent) But being that it is rated only a 2 i plan on using it only as a primary fermenter. So I mixxed all the wine in the drum and pitched in 19 Campden tablets in hopes that this would neutralize the wild yeasts. But to my surprise this morning the air-lock is bubling.
So now I am not sure what I should do!?

Should I just pitch my yeast or do i attempt to neutralize the current active yeast with even more campden?


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## winemaker_3352 (Oct 11, 2010)

bizkit said:


> Yesterday I Grabbed 8 5.3 gallons of Merlot and one Cabernet (Cabernet was already fizzing and smelled of wine.). through them all in a number 2 - FDA plastic drum (previously used for wine as its original intent) But being that it is rated only a 2 i plan on using it only as a primary fermenter. So I mixxed all the wine in the drum and pitched in 19 Campden tablets in hopes that this would neutralize the wild yeasts. But to my surprise this morning the air-lock is bubling.
> So now I am not sure what I should do!?
> 
> Should I just pitch my yeast or do i attempt to neutralize the current active yeast with even more campden?




Welcome to the forum!!

So you have roughly 43 gallons and you only added 19 tablets? This sounds a little low as the campden tablets are 1 per gallon. I would go ahead a pitch the wine yeast - it will overcome the wild yeast - once fermentation is complete and you rack off the lees - i would add some more campden.


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## bizkit (Oct 11, 2010)

winemaker_3352 said:


> Welcome to the forum!!
> 
> So you have roughly 43 gallons and you only added 19 tablets? This sounds a little low as the campden tablets are 1 per gallon. I would go ahead a pitch the wine yeast - it will overcome the wild yeast - once fermentation is complete and you rack off the lees - i would add some more campden.



Great!. Thanks! so when I rack should i go with 1 tablet per gallon. this seems like alot!. Wont this through off the flavor at that point? This is my first time making wine without relying on a wild yeast. So campden seems like a alien thing to me, especially the smellttp://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/images/smilies/sick0020.gif

Thanks for the quick response?!


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## Wade E (Oct 11, 2010)

Do not add anymore sulfites until this wine is done fermenting. Dont buy those campden tablets as they are much more expensive and much more work to crush them up when you could just scoop out some powder at the rate of 1/4 tsp per 6 gallons.


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## winemaker_3352 (Oct 11, 2010)

Wade E said:


> Do not add anymore sulfites until this wine is done fermenting. Dont buy those campden tablets as they are much more expensive and much more work to crush them up when you could just scoop out some powder at the rate of 1/4 tsp per 6 gallons.



Yeah wade is right - the powder form is a lot easier to dissolve and measure - plus the tablets are held together by a type of glue - and if not thoroughly dissolved it will show up in the wine.


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## cpfan (Oct 11, 2010)

winemaker_3352 said:


> I would go ahead a pitch the wine yeast - it will overcome the wild yeast - once fermentation is complete and you rack off the lees - i would add some more campden.



I'm not so sure that the wine yeast will overcome the yeasts already in the wine. The already active yeast will probably suppress the wine yeasts from getting a good active colony going.

If you make a large active yeast starter with vigourous activity, then the killer factor of the wine yeast may kick in. But the existing colony will be even more active by the time you get the starter going.

Before doing this, check with the source of the juice and see if they inoculated the juice with wine yeast already.

Steve


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## bizkit (Oct 12, 2010)

cpfan said:


> I'm not so sure that the wine yeast will overcome the yeasts already in the wine. The already active yeast will probably suppress the wine yeasts from getting a good active colony going.
> 
> If you make a large active yeast starter with vigourous activity, then the killer factor of the wine yeast may kick in. But the existing colony will be even more active by the time you get the starter going.
> 
> ...


 
Well it is the Regina brand juice. And according to the company directions on the website they don't even mention yeast. however the 1 bucket of Cabernet was the only one that was already starting to ferment prior to being put in the primary.
I pitched the yeast in yesterday prior to pitching the yeast the airlock was bubbling at a rate of about once every 3 seconds after the yeast it was too fast to count. Not even sure this is a good measure of yeast multiplication or not but i would assume more co2 more yeast. that was 9 packets of lalvin D47. this yeast was recommended for a more fruity wine.


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## bizkit (Nov 9, 2010)

*Now What!?*

Ok...So after about 4 weeks in the primary and after reading consistant SG of .0990 I decided to rack my merlot. i racked into 3 demijohns added Potassium sorbate and Potassium metabisulfite and super clear and degassed. i took a sg reading again and it was now 1.000. did it 3 times....same result. So at this point I became concerned that the wine had not reached its potential so i went out and bought a vinometer did multiple reading all of wich averaged out to 8%abv. this seems pretty week for a merlot. No?!... i did not have a hydrometer to start with. 
Am I stuck with a week merlot? Is there any thing I can do?


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## djrockinsteve (Nov 9, 2010)

I made Regina Merlot and Cab. Sauv. this year. The gravity's at beginning (mid Sept.) were @ 1.092

You would benefit by oaking these if you like that. More in the Merlot than the Cab Sauv.

I think you will be fine.


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## bizkit (Nov 9, 2010)

djrockinsteve said:


> I made Regina Merlot and Cab. Sauv. this year. The gravity's at beginning (mid Sept.) were @ 1.092
> 
> You would benefit by oaking these if you like that. More in the Merlot than the Cab Sauv.
> 
> I think you will be fine.



So you think the abv will still increase?
Do you think that the SG reading was changed from all the additives during the racking?
I did dd oak during the primary should i add some in the secondary also?


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## winemaker_3352 (Nov 9, 2010)

bizkit said:


> So you think the abv will still increase?
> Do you think that the SG reading was changed from all the additives during the racking?
> I did dd oak during the primary should i add some in the secondary also?




I don't think the ABV will increase - as fermentation has stopped and you added sorbate in.

Additives shouldn't affect the ABV unless you have increased your volume.

The vinometer is the most accurate tool - the best way is to use a hydrometer - but since there was no initial SG reading - it will be hard to accurately measure the ABV.


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## cpfan (Nov 9, 2010)

winemaker_3352 said:


> The vinometer is the most accurate tool - the best way is to use a hydrometer - but since there was no initial SG reading - it will be hard to accurately measure the ABV.


I hope that winemaker_3352 means that "the vinometer is *NOT* the most accurate tool". When I ran a store, I would try to talk people out of buying the vinometer. IMO, vinometers are a waste of time.

Steve


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## bizkit (Nov 10, 2010)

cpfan said:


> I hope that winemaker_3352 means that "the vinometer is *NOT* the most accurate tool". When I ran a store, I would try to talk people out of buying the vinometer. IMO, vinometers are a waste of time.
> 
> Steve



Steve, i think i going to have to agree with you... Last night i decided to benchmark the vinometer with a store bought wine that was at a known 13.5 abv and it was an exact match to my wine!...


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## winemaker_3352 (Nov 10, 2010)

cpfan said:


> I hope that winemaker_3352 means that "the vinometer is *NOT* the most accurate tool". When I ran a store, I would try to talk people out of buying the vinometer. IMO, vinometers are a waste of time.
> 
> Steve



Oops!!! Yeah that is what i meant to say!!


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