# Beginner questions



## hodge1 (Jan 11, 2011)

I started my first kit yesterday and just had a couple questions. I followed the instructions exactly but I have read on here that maybe I shouldn’t? Especially with putting lid on without the airlock? Also when should I know if I am the clear and know I didn’t ruin it in any way?<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />


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## Scott B (Jan 11, 2011)

Welcome to the Party!







Detail will help answer your question. <?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

In general wine starts out in the Primary needing a lot of O2 so you do not need to lock the lid down. 


Also in general if you follow the instruction you should be fine.


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## Runningwolf (Jan 11, 2011)

What kit are you making? Follow the instructions with the kit. They usually have you snap the lid down with air lock then rack to a carboy when the sg is down below 1.01. You still have the stabilizing and degassing steps to go through before worrying about clarity. Welcome to the forum. Keep asking questions and we'll walk you through it.


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## CassieV (Jan 11, 2011)

I always put an airlock in just to keep anything from getting into my wine. I do wait to snap the lid down though. I'm sure others will chime in as well.


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## hodge1 (Jan 11, 2011)

yes details.. I started with Grand cru Pinot Noir


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## hodge1 (Jan 11, 2011)

should i stir daily?


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## grapeman (Jan 11, 2011)

Welcome hodge. Yes........ or no. Some of us stir it daily, others don't. It certainly won't hurt it at this stage to stir. Sometimes it helps us connect with the process to get a spoon into it.


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## Flem (Jan 11, 2011)

Welcome hodge! I'm a newbie myself. I just joined on January 1st. I guess I'm the New Year's baby. 
Don't worry about a thing. These guys are great. They'll help you, as they have me, every step of the way (even though I've only taken a couple of steps). You can see by my number of posts, I've had a lot of questions.


Good Luck!


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## hodge1 (Jan 11, 2011)

great thanks agian!!


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## Wade E (Jan 11, 2011)

I have been snapping down the lid for many years and have never had a problem. I do open every day and stir in some 02.


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## Randoneur (Jan 11, 2011)

Welcome Hodge!
As you can see by the responses, it is all about letting the wine have some oxygen at the start. 


As you watch your first kit you will see the yeast really takes off and puts out a lot of CO2 gas. That CO2 has a lot of oxygen in it (2 times as much oxygen as carbon) - so when the yeast is very active you feed it oxygen by doing a daily or twice daily stirring. It doesn't make much difference if the lid is snapped on or not at this stage because the bucket will be full of CO2 anyway, but it iscritical to make sure fruit flies and other things cannot get in and you want to hold that CO2 on top of the wine so it doesn't get *too much* oxygen. 


At the end of fermentation when the yeast slows way down and can't use much oxygen, then you isolate the wine from anymore contact with the air (oxygen). It will still be gassing off trapped CO2 for a while, so you can move it out of the bucket when fermentation is done or almost done and still be ok.


When fermentation is complete you *must, must, must* protect the wine from oxygen.


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## tonyt (Jan 11, 2011)

On lids I generally follow the specific instructions with each kit concerning kids. Some kits say to snap some say not to. I don't mind tweaking other things like oak, raisins, and aging.

Welcome and good luck, listen to the great folks on this forum.


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## hodge1 (Jan 12, 2011)

great thanks for all the input!


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## hodge1 (Jan 13, 2011)

ok now i have a question about the sg levels. So when i started the kit a couple days ago i believe i had a reading of 1.1, now today it looks like i have 1.5? i must be reading this thing wrong


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## hodge1 (Jan 13, 2011)

it looks like its saying potential alcohol of around 6%


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## hodge1 (Jan 13, 2011)

actually it looks like 1.05


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## Bert (Jan 13, 2011)

As your fermenting goes along the SG numbers will go down....sounds like you have things working as planned....GOOD LUCK


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## hodge1 (Jan 13, 2011)

Bert said:


> As your fermenting goes along the SG numbers will go down....sounds like you have things working as planned....GOOD LUCK








lol thanks, i thought the readings were going up so i had a panic moment. once i calmed down i figured out i was reading it wrong.


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## Bert (Jan 13, 2011)

Don't be afraid to ask.....there is a lot of help here.....I think we have all been there one time or another..


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## hodge1 (Jan 14, 2011)

great thanks again


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## whino-wino (Jan 14, 2011)

Although the question has probably been answered sufficiently at this point, I just wanted to chime in and say two things.

First....Welcome to the forum. I'm a seasonal visitor myself. I'm here all winter and gone all summer. Summer is a very busy time for me and I just don't get the chance to do much with the wines. I bulk age them over the summer and change the solution in the air locks twice and that's about it.

Second, as to your question on the lids. This may sound like blasphemy to some, but I've never used a lid. There's enough CO2 in there to protect the wine for the most part. All you want to make sure of is that no bugs and stuff get in there. I just throw a towel over the top and use a bungee cord to secure it around the rim. I feel this lets it "breathe" a lot better during the primary fermentation stage. Once my S.G. drops between 1.02 and 1.01 I rack it into a carboy and secure an air lock. I've never had an issue doing this.


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## AlFulchino (Jan 14, 2011)

and make sure your pets have no access to the wine while it is open to accidents


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## hodge1 (Jan 14, 2011)

thanks again for all your help.. at what point should i add sulphite if letting age over six months?


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## Bert (Jan 14, 2011)

If you added your K-meta from the kit at clearing [which you should] and are bulk aging add 1/4 tsp every 90 days after that....the best would be to test free SO2, other wise just add 1/4 tsp.


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## Wade E (Jan 14, 2011)

I add 1/4 tsp about every 3 1/2 - 4 months myself and I do test S02 levels and keep them around 30 using that schedule.


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## hodge1 (Jan 16, 2011)

ok I have a problem.. My Hydrometer rolled off the counter and broke. I wont be able to get another until Tuesday. when i took readings yesterday it looked like it was at 1.010. Its been in the main since last monday. Do you think i will be able to rack tomorrow or should i wait until i get my hands on a new hydrometer?


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## rrussell (Jan 16, 2011)

The number one item suggested in the emergency kit, an extra hydrometer!


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## Bert (Jan 16, 2011)

I often rack at an SG. of 1.020 or lower...The heavy fermentation is done by then....Or you can go all the way to dry [about .995 or so] ....some will go this route, but I like to rack before fermentation is done to give the wine some CO2 protection... And as rrussell stated, having an extra hydrometer on hand is a good thing....They only seem to brake when you need them..


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## hodge1 (Jan 17, 2011)

ok great.. I am thining i might rack in the morning


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## hodge1 (Jan 17, 2011)

should i disgard the oak chips or add them to the secondary?


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## Bert (Jan 17, 2011)

Oaking is kind of a personal taste thing, but I use a scale of, 3 to 5 days for saw dust, 5 to 10 days for chips and 4 to 12 weeks for cubes.....I would rack off the chips and if more oak is wanted add cubes at a later date....GOOD LUCK


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## hodge1 (Jan 17, 2011)

ok so just moved for the first time to the secondary. At this point is it ok to top off with like wine or should i use water?


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## CassieV (Jan 17, 2011)

Don't top up til after you degas. I always use a like wine when I top up.


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## hodge1 (Jan 17, 2011)

ok great thanks


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## robie (Jan 17, 2011)

Hodge,
While still in secondary and before stabilizing and degassing, there is still enough CO2 in the wine and coming off the wine to protect it, so topping off is not necessary. Just be sure you have an air lock in place all during secondary.


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## whino-wino (Jan 17, 2011)

hodge said:


> ok I have a problem.. My Hydrometer rolled off the counter and broke.



A lesson we've all learned the hard way. I have five of them. With hydrometers it's a good idea to have a backup and a backup for your backup as well as a couple of backups for your backup of your backup. Like I said, I own five, but I've broken more than that many over the years (and I've only been at this since 2002).

After all, they seem a lot better at checking real gravity rather than specific gravity at times.


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## hodge1 (Jan 24, 2011)

Ok here is another question.. I started the primary on the 10th, the secondary fermentaion on the 17th.. the next step is to stabilizing and clearing which says it should be around 20 days or .0998 or lower. it seems i am at .0998 however I am only on my 14th day. Should i give it a few more days? Will it hurt if i am at .0998 and let it sit longer before I stablilize?


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## tonyt (Jan 24, 2011)

hodge said:


> Ok here is another question.. I started the primary on the 10th, the secondary fermentaion on the 17th.. the next step is to stabilizing and clearing which says it should be around 20 days or .0998 or lower. it seems i am at .0998 however I am only on my 14th day. Should i give it a few more days? Will it hurt if i am at .0998 and let it sit longer before I stablilize?



I would let it keep going. It could go lower. I have a CC Rosso Fortussimo at .995 that had the same instructions. Some kits (Wine Expert) suggest you have the same SG reading two days in a row to make sure it is finished. We must have started our kits on the same day and I am waiting till this weekend to stabilize and clear. That will be day 20 for me too.


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## hodge1 (Jan 24, 2011)

ok great, i was planning on Saturday myself but just wanted to make sure


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## tonyt (Jan 24, 2011)

Don't forget to splash rack back to primary before adding all of the stabilizers and classifiers. It is so much easier to degas/stir in the primary rather than in carboy. I hope you have one of those power drill stirrers. Then splash rack back into the carboy.


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## hodge1 (Jan 24, 2011)

i dont but i was thinking of picking one up


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## Flem (Jan 24, 2011)

hodge said:


> Ok here is another question.. I started the primary on the 10th, the secondary fermentaion on the 17th.. the next step is to stabilizing and clearing which says it should be around 20 days or .0998 or lower. it seems i am at .0998 however I am only on my 14th day. Should i give it a few more days? Will it hurt if i am at .0998 and let it sit longer before I stablilize?


 I have a RJS Washington Merlot that hit .998 on Day 15. My instructions said it should go below 1.000 around Day 28. I'm now at Day 18 and, per recommendations of a forum, I'm going to let it go to Day 28.
I'm hoping it doesn't hurt it.
Mike


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## Wade E (Jan 24, 2011)

As long as you have an airlock on it you wont hurt it at all.


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## robie (Jan 24, 2011)

hodge said:


> ok great, i was planning on Saturday myself but just wanted to make sure



It is not so much what the SG reading is that determines when to move from secondary to stabilizing/clearing. What you want to do at your stage is check your SG every day or so. If it hasn't gone down in three days in a row, secondary is considered stopped. If SG is still changing, let it continue in secondary.

Sometimes it can stop too early (stuck fermentation) and needs some help getting started again. However, in your case, the reading is already in a good range to indicate fermentation didn't stop early.

Check the SG three days in a row and if it doesn't change, move on to stabilization/clearing.

Learn to trust your hydrometer!!!


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## Flem (Jan 24, 2011)

Wade,
Thanks for the re-assurance. I'm not seeing any activity (tiny bubbles) coming up the side of the carboy so I am a little concerned. This is my first kit and I don't want to screw it up.
Mike


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## hodge1 (Jan 24, 2011)

Flem said:


> Wade,
> Thanks for the re-assurance. I'm not seeing any activity (tiny bubbles) coming up the side of the carboy so I am a little concerned. This is my first kit and I don't want to screw it up.
> Mike





this is my concern too


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## tonyt (Jan 24, 2011)

Flem (Mike) and hodge, your wine is going to be fantastic. The only mistake you are sure to make, like all of us newbies, is to drink it all up too quick (young). And there is not a darn thing you can do about that. In fact I think drinking that first batch or two too early is part of what hooks us and heads us down that slippery slope of I need more . . . more . . . more.


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## hodge1 (Jan 24, 2011)

ttortorice said:


> Flem (Mike) and hodge, your wine is going to be fantastic. The only mistake you are sure to make, like all of us newbies, is to drink it all up too quick (young). And there is not a darn thing you can do about that. In fact I think drinking that first batch or two too early is part of what hooks us and heads us down that slippery slope of I need more . . . more . . . more.









lol yeah its going to be hard having to wait


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## hodge1 (Jan 24, 2011)

how long can ez clean last in a container?


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## hodge1 (Jan 28, 2011)

anyone have an answer about my ez clean question?


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## Dean (Jan 28, 2011)

Hodge, if you mean One Step (aka Easy Clean), there are varying reports of length of effectiveness. Some say 1 week as long as it's refrigerated, and others say up to 2 or 3 weeks un-refrigerated. The stuff is cheap, so I'd just mix up what I need as I go.


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## hodge1 (Jan 28, 2011)

ok great thanks!


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## Randoneur (Jan 28, 2011)

Dean is right, you have much more at risk than a few pennies worth of One Step.


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## hodge1 (Feb 2, 2011)

So did my clearing and degassing on sunday, went smooth. I must say it taste pretty good even at this point. Had a couple do a blindtaste test with the kit wine and store bought. Both people thought the kit wine was the store bought and thought it was the better of the two.


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