# Working on my first batch....



## xbeerd (Mar 11, 2008)

Working on my first batch of WE VR Gewurstraminer, Here is my progress so far... in case anyone cares  but any constructive info passed along would be greatly appreciated. 

Saturday March 8th: cleaned, sanitized, and began primary fermentation in the 'bucket' with airlock. my room thermometer has been constant at 68 degrees sometimes reaching 70. I was hoping to do this in the basement but being wisconsin in latter part of winter the temp down there is generally about 60 degrees, too cold for my setup. Anyways... beginning SG reading was 1.074 at 5pm

Tuesday March 11th, pure curiosity caused me to pop the top and check the SG. Todays reading is 1.042, Given the 5-7 days to reach the 1.010 or lower SG, it seems as i am on track for my anticipated Friday or Saturday movement onto stage 2. 

I also sanitized my carboy because i wanted to sanitize my wine theif, which is really long, so i figured i would just kill 2 birds with one stone. after sanitization i bunged (?) the carboy. i created a siphon, which i never did before, to empty the carboy. that was fun. 

Lessons learned: 
1. i have no patience, well, i already knew that. haha. 
2. i will be buying a drill mounted stirrer!
3. creating a siphon! woo!! hah.

should iI re-sanitize the carboy before transferring when the time comes, I am assuming so.

How do you guys sanitize a wine theif? 

for degassing... what do you guys recommend, a whip? or the Mix-stir thing? 

thats all!




will probably post more later this week.


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## Wade E (Mar 11, 2008)

xbeerd, I recommend the mix stir for degassing and stir the snot out of
it when degassing. I really mean it, go forward on high speed and then
reverse it on high speed but beware to go very easy at first cause it
will want to cause a volcano. Put it in the sink or put some kind of
big bowl under it until you have done this a few times and I recommend
taking some out to do this also. As far as sanitizing my thief and
hydrometer I would buy a spray bottle brand new from a dollar store
just for having this solution in there to sanitize things, get one that
closes tight and the solution will last quite a while. And of course we
are interested in your 1st batch to help and hope everything goes well. This is what a wine volcano looks like and hope you never have 1 but bet you will someday!


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## xbeerd (Mar 11, 2008)

thanks for the insight, i was leaning towards the mix stir, so i'll probably go ahead and order one. 

im looking forward to trying not to make a volcano, we'll see! haha. maybe i'll get the video camera out and video tape it.


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## mississippi mud (Mar 11, 2008)

Wadethis pic gives me such a sick felling. Good thing you had that extra gallon to top off with.




keep us posted xbeerd


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## Wade E (Mar 11, 2008)

Actually that was what I pulled out before degassing in the hopes that the volcano wouldnt happen but I just nailed the gas on the drill a little too much an it still exploded.


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## peterCooper (Mar 12, 2008)

Nope...never happened to me....Nope Uh Uh.

Wade,I feel your pain.


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## uavwmn (Mar 13, 2008)

xbeerd, I found long plastic tubs at WalMart. You can sanitze everything in there. It is almost long enough for the thief. But I just pour the water in the thief and let it drain out the other end. I have an extra bathtub and that is where I store the tubs.
Hope this helps.


And get a drill and whip the snot outta your wine!!!


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## xbeerd (Mar 13, 2008)

uavwmn said:


> xbeerd, I found long plastic tubs at WalMart. You can sanitze everything in there. It is almost long enough for the thief. But I just pour the water in the thief and let it drain out the other end. I have an extra bathtub and that is where I store the tubs.
> Hope this helps.
> 
> 
> And get a drill and whip the snot outta your wine!!!



got the drill... the mix stir is comin in the mail probably today or so with some other goodies like a bottle rack, sulfiter, some labels and misc stuff.

good call on the tub from walmart, i'll have to check that out. i was mostly concerned with sanitizing the outside of the theif, as that goes in the product as well. 

*Edited by: xbeerd *


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## xbeerd (Mar 13, 2008)

speaking of degassing... has anyone tried this?!?!?!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IlMqE1Nm_o[/ame]


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## Wade E (Mar 13, 2008)

I think youd be way better off with a brake bleeder as that wont last to long and without a gauge on it you dont know what amount of vacuum you are pulling which can either lead you to believe your wine is degassed when it is not or possibly get 1 with a good motor and pull to much of a vacuum (I doubt it but you never know) and implode your carboy an that would be a big mess and wine loss!


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## xbeerd (Mar 14, 2008)

wade said:


> I think youd be way better off with a brake bleeder as that wont last to long and without a gauge on it you dont know what amount of vacuum you are pulling which can either lead you to believe your wine is degassed when it is not or possibly get 1 with a good motor and pull to much of a vacuum (I doubt it but you never know) and implode your carboy an that would be a big mess and wine loss!



yeah, thats what i was thinking, dont wanna blow anything up. it is interesting tho. 

anywhoo... 

just took at SG reading, just above 1.010, probably 1.012, so it looks like tomorrow or sunday i'll get to transfer to the carboy for 2nd fermentation and get to try my hand at degassing the beast. 

i got my mix stir in the mail today as well as the other goodies i ordered mentioned above. 

yay. oh joyous day!  i cant wait until i have enough equipment so all i need to worry bout buying are labels and corks and such.


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## Wade E (Mar 15, 2008)

Dont degas it until its done fermenting though.


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## xbeerd (Mar 15, 2008)

wade said:


> Dont degas it until its done fermenting though.



yeah, i was getting ahead of myself. probably a combination of all the new toys plus the excitment of all the fun beers i was planning to drink last night. (and did!)


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## xbeerd (Mar 15, 2008)

just transferred to the carboy. SG reading was 1.004


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## Wade E (Mar 15, 2008)

Almost there!


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## xbeerd (Mar 15, 2008)

yeah, atleast now that its in a clear container i can watch stuff happen other than just the airlock bubbling.  im a visual person!


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## xbeerd (Mar 16, 2008)

ok, so yesterday all got transferred to the carboy. Sg of 1.004, today out of curiosity, i checked the SG again and it read well, i guess it would be .999 (in between 1.000 and 0.998 

per the directions it says if the SG is .996 or less to proceed with the stabilising/clearing (step3 of WineExpert kit) 

once it reaches 0.996 should i proceed? or should i wait it out for the 10 days before proceeding. 

er.. i think i answered my own question, i should check it and untill it stabilizes at whatever SG it happens to stabilize at. right!?!?


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## montyfox (Mar 16, 2008)

I would recommend leaving it until the SG reads 0.996 for 2 straight days. If that happens sooner than 10 days it should be ok. 


I've had them reach the ending point sooner than 10 days and some take a little longer. I think at this stage it is the SG that is important and not so much the number of days.*Edited by: montyfox *


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## Wade E (Mar 16, 2008)

Dont go by reaching a number, go by reaching a stable number for 3 days or more. Ive seen some wines go down below .990.


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## xbeerd (Mar 16, 2008)

thanks guys!


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## xbeerd (Mar 18, 2008)

checked the SG today, 0.994, less than the noted 0.996, i'll check it again tomorrow. 


out of curiosity.. what happens if the sg gets too low? just a really high alc. content/taste?


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## xbeerd (Mar 20, 2008)

took another SG reading yesterday and it seemed to be right about the same level. i am going to check it again today, then i'll get to move on to putting the rest of the additives, Fpack etc in and some degassing. hopefully it is ok to leave it until saturday or atleast tomorrow night as i wont have time this afternoon i dont think.


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## nyredskinsfan (Mar 20, 2008)

I just bought one of those contraptions. Read the instructions. Hmmm, what do they know? I got me one of those volcanos too. Looks like you had a better one than I did. Everything is a learning process.


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## xbeerd (Mar 20, 2008)

just took an sg reading, its still falling, slowly. will check tomorrow but it seems like saturday might be the day. woo.


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## Wade E (Mar 20, 2008)

You want a consistent reading for 3 days in a row to know its stable.


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## xbeerd (Mar 23, 2008)

moving on... SG has been stable so i proceeded, added additives, fpack, degassed etc. 

As far as room temperature, i wanted to move the carboy down to my basement. typically this time of year is about 60 degrees down there. during the clearing stage, what effect does temperature have on the process if any?


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## Wade E (Mar 23, 2008)

If you added a fining agent then get it back to where it is warmer or it will not clear properly. After it has cleared then you can bring it back down to cooler temps. Cooler temps work better for clearing naturally but with fining agents actually restricts it. Clearing naturally will take upwards of about 2 months.


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## xbeerd (Mar 23, 2008)

sounds good, i'll leave it right where it is upstairs in the warmer area


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## Jim M (Mar 24, 2008)

xbeerd said:


> Working on my first batch of WE VR Gewurstraminer,...
> 
> How do you guys sanitize a wine theif?



I keep a sulfite solution in a five gallon blue water bottle. It will last for quite a while and that way you don't have to make one up every time you need to sanitize - put the wine thief in for about two minutes, turn ends and wait another 2 -4 minutes.


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## slbrides (Mar 26, 2008)

the more I read here about degassing and volcanoes and spillage, the more I am feeling like I am over my head and NOT prepared!
I was thinking my "kit" had everything it needed....or so they said. Now I am realizing that this is not necessarily true if you want to do it right.
Or should I just chalk it up that this is my first batch??? 

I could get lost reading all of the info on this site...although it is fascinating! Just don't have the time with p/t job, 2 kids 4 and under, starting my seedlings, tending to horses,etc. Geez, am I whining?
I just want to do it right!


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## Okie1 (Mar 26, 2008)

I keep an extra 6 gal carboy full of sanitizer. I sanitizethief, drill mixer, and similar equipment. Then prior to use, i will sanitize the auto syphon and hose by racking 6gal of sanatizer to another carboy.


The sanitizer topped up and stored in a glass carboy will last me for 2 months before i decied to pour it out and make a fresh batch.


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## Wade E (Mar 26, 2008)

Its really not that hard and we tend to go overboard on some subjects. Degassing can be done with a mix stir if you have 1, I dont recommend just using a spoon though. Just make sure you give this some effort as this will not go away in the bottle. Worst case if you do bottle it with some gas you will have to decant for awhile before drinking.


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## xbeerd (Mar 27, 2008)

i think my degassing was fairly successful ( using the mixstir ) no volcano! altmost tho! i got pretty good at getting it up to the top of the carboy but not over. all in all i would say i maybe lost about 4oz of goodness. i read somewhere that after a day or 2 of clearing to degass again? so i tried that, no gas expelled. and the 2 days of clearing was basically negated, duh. oh well. 

after using it... i too definately recommend a mix-stir of some sort. 

cant wait till payday, gonna get a aussie shiraz for the next batch.. and some more bottles. sucks being a broke ass! 
*Edited by: xbeerd *


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## Okie1 (Mar 27, 2008)

Hey X,


I also strongly recommend using a MityVac or similar vacuum pump also (after drill stiring). I use a 18vlt high speed cordless drill and agressivly (reversing directions often) stir 3-5 times a day for 4-6 days depending on brand of kit. Each time when I'm done degassing, I just leave the mixer in the carboy detach the drill and and sealaround it with glad press &amp; seal.


Eventhough i have beat the heck out ofmy wines (mainly the reds), i recently took the great advice from ppl on this forum and bought a mityvac. 


When i experimented with it on a red that i had agressivly degased for 5 or 6 days (that i thought was completely degased), i wound up pulling off more gas for the next 3 days. Maybe i'm wrong, but i've been told that you cant over degas reds.


Many Thanks to the wondreful folks on this forum for the Great tips!!


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## Wade E (Mar 27, 2008)

I wouldnt stir during the clearing stage using fining agents. What you might have read is on a Chardonnay and how to do Battonage which is stirring up the lees in the carboy every day to get that buttery taste in your wine.


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## xbeerd (Mar 27, 2008)

wade said:


> I wouldnt stir during the clearing stage using fining agents. What you might have read is on a Chardonnay and how to do Battonage which is stirring up the lees in the carboy every day to get that buttery taste in your wine.



you are probably right. i recall reading about stirring up lees.


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## Bert (Mar 27, 2008)

slbride, Welcome to the forum. 
I don't know which kit you're making or what your instructions are, but following the instructions is important. From primary to secondary is important, more by hydrometer than time. Your instructions may give you a time in the 2ndary when to clear, stablize and degas. That time can be extended 1-2 days, 1-2 weeks to make it fit your schedule. 
There are a lot of toys out there, that as wine makers we like to buy and use, hoping to do a better and easier job of making wine. You don't have to have these toys to achieve a good finished product. They're fun, but not necessary. 
I'm not sure which tools you have, but here are some suggestions for degassing your wines.
1. Your wine should be around 70-74 degrees when you degas. It makes it easier for the wine to release the CO2. 
2. Before you degas, remove a couple litres of wine from the carboy to make room for stirring and gas bubbles. 
3. You can stir with a wooden dowel, a plastic stir stick, the small end of the plastic stir paddle or spoons or one of the drill mounted stirrers. 
4. When you start, stir gently, to prevent agressive foaming and spilling. (The volcano effect.) 
5. Once you get a feel for the amount of CO2 coming out of your wine, you'll be able to gauge how agressively you can stir without a mess. 
6. After some degassing add your k-meta and k-sorbate. You can continue degassing to get rid of the rest of the gas. 
Good luck, hope this helps.


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## xbeerd (Apr 3, 2008)

well. after a week or so of clearing i think its coming along decently. obviously not clear yet. i'll try and take a picture tonight if i get a chance.


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## xbeerd (Apr 4, 2008)

Took some pics... here's what i got goin on in my poker room..... (yikes, i gotta clean my floor! dont look at it!


























*Edited by: xbeerd *


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## Wade E (Apr 4, 2008)

Looking good, wait ill you see how clear it gets and how proud you will be of it then! Nothing like seeing a crystal clear white wine!


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## xbeerd (Apr 4, 2008)

oh yeah.. and nevermind the mannequin in the corner. haha. she holds the money in the poker games. currently she holds the thermometer in the room


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## xbeerd (Apr 11, 2008)

took a sample of the wine today...














looks pretty clear to me. whatcha think? probably gonna be able to bottle tomorrow i'd say. (unless someone doesnt think so! )


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## xbeerd (Apr 12, 2008)

ok, so bottled the wine today. i dont know if i just didnt wait long enough or if i stirred up a bit of the sediment at the bottom of the carboy (next time will transfer to another carboy or back to primary for bottling) but some of the bottles ended up a bit cloudy. i'd say i had about 12-14 bottles that were clear, the rest.. not so much.

so, at this point do you think it is worth giving it a taste at all (the clear stuff)? or would it be best to wait it out past the bottle shock. 

i cant imagine the cloudy stuff is going to taste right.


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## xbeerd (Apr 14, 2008)

any insights?


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## Joanie (Apr 14, 2008)

You could get crazy and dump the non clear ones and wait for it to clear again and rebottle. The wine would have to go into something that you could fill completely and re-airlock to keep it from oxidizing. You may also want to add a pinch of k-meta to protect it. 

As another option you could keep those bottles and drink them yourself....they will taste fine, just not look so hot...just drink by candlelight and you'll never notice! 

OR give those bottles to people who know you are making wine but who you don't want to have asking for your wine again!


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## xbeerd (Apr 14, 2008)

thanks much for the info. i did end up popping one of the bottles open and tasting it, it tasted fine but it was from a tinted bottle i had used so i couldnt really tell clarity from the bottle. 

do you think i could dump the cloudy ones, filter them, and rebottle? i've been looking for info on filtering but havent had much luck, i did see the gravity filter "how-t0" but where to get the parts to make the filter?

*Edited by: xbeerd *


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## Joanie (Apr 14, 2008)

Yes, you could filter it. As for parts...George sells the gravity filter and all kinds of filters for it and the other systems.


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## xbeerd (Apr 14, 2008)

did you have a link to that? i havent been able to find it. i found the pads etc didnt see the gravity filter tho?!?! Maybe its too early to search and im still sleepy


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## hannabarn (Apr 14, 2008)

I wish I had seen that pic that you posted on April 11. I would have recommended that you wait as it doesn't appear clear. That's hindsight! Sorry!!


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## grapeman (Apr 14, 2008)

xbeerd I was noticing that the wine looked a bit cloudy to me in the glass, but sometimes the pictures just make it look that way so I didn't say anything. Beginning winemakers often think the wine looks clear and go ahead and bottle. More often than not, that isn't the case and they end up with slight deposits in the bottle. First lesson learned- when it looks clear, leave it for another 2 weeks to a month before bottling. 




If you want to filter here is the link:
http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=5292


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## xbeerd (Apr 14, 2008)

in the glass it looked clearer than the picture does. However, i do agree that is a point where experience counts. I think i will go ahead and filter the stuff that looks extra cloudy.

random thought: i've read about filtering vodka thru a brita pitcher a few times to enhance lower quality vodka, would that be an option for cloudy wine as well? or probably not? of course i do want to have minimal oxygen introduction as possible.


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## Joanie (Apr 14, 2008)

I have no idea if a Brita would work! You could Brita them one bottle at a time as you drink them. It might make the next pitcher of water have a little zip to it too?


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## xbeerd (Apr 14, 2008)

Joan said:


> I have no idea if a Brita would work! You could Brita them one bottle at a time as you drink them. It might make the next pitcher of water have a little zip to it too?



that would add something to the saying "I love it here, maybe they put something in the water" (or however the saying goes) 

i was thinking if there was a way to get the wine from the cloudy bottle, thru the brita and into a new bottle in a timely manner. i guess it would be basically a gravity filter. and since i dont have a gravity filter OR a brita pitcher might as well just get the filter


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## Joanie (Apr 14, 2008)

LOL I want you to get a Brita pitcher and try it because I want to know if it works!


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## xbeerd (Apr 14, 2008)

i'll see if i can borrow one, maybe i will use a bottle as a test bottle... for the good of science!


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## joeswine (Apr 14, 2008)

listen up//i had the same problem with a blended white ,this is what i did placed the wine in a clean carboy,hit it with some kmet @supper clear and strirredhard,all now was cloudy,set it aside 2 weeks later clear with stuff on the bottom,auto sphone into clean vessle,hit it with supperclear again.waited 2weeks and filtered with a mini jet////// perfect////i've had some issues with after silt won't happen again//jp


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## Wade E (Apr 14, 2008)

I wouldnt recommend a Brita filter as this may remove all S02. This is a picture of my gravity filter and it works great.


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