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According to the instructions provided with my Vino Del Vida Valpolicella kit, my first batch of wine should be ready for bottling this weekend. I'm not in a big hurry to get it into bottles, but I'd like to check it out. I was planning on taking a sample then test for specific gravity and...

Thanks Rawlus. It's still in the primary. This is a Vino del Vida Valpolicella kit. According to the instructions I'm to keep it there (at 75 degrees) until it reaches 0.998. Once reached, then it is to be racked into the carboy and immediately I add sulphite, sorbate, then degas and finally add...

Day 19 and it is .998 which is the number called for in the instructions. This number is uncorrected for temperature, so in reality it's still .999 or so. Should I proceed to racking it into the carboy and completing the other steps called for?

My well also has a little iron, but quite a lot of calcium. I bought bottled water to top off my kit. I was concerned that the calcium would lower the acid level in the wine.

Making progress... 1.000 today.

I just used hot water from the tap. We're on a well, so no chlorination.

Ratz, wish I had asked that question 2 weeks ago.

After cleaning and then sanitizing should I be rinsing off the sanitizer? I'm using Potassium Metabisulfite at 3 tbsp to a gallon of water.

lol... loose lid, thanks Surlee. The airlock is back to bubbling nicely again.

So it's been 12 hours since I gently stirred the wine in the primary fermenter and remeasured the specific gravity. The airlock hasn't bubbled since then. Yesterday when I first tested it and replaced the lid and airlock, it started bubbling again almost immediately. If the airlock isn't...

Gave it a stir and checked the SG again today. 1.003, down from 1.008, so I guess it is still fermenting.

Just rechecked with a another thermometer inserted directly into the wine. It confirmed 75 degrees.

Thanks. The temperature has been 74 to 76 degrees since Day 2 ... at least according to the adhesive thermometer. The wine is still in the primary in accordance with the kit directions. The directions tell me to not rack into the carboy until it gets to .998 or lower. Surlees suggestion to...

It's Day 14 of my first batch of wine. It's a Vino del Vida Valpollicella kit. According to the instructions the specific gravity should be .998 or less around Day 14. But it's at 1.008. Should I start checking it every day? The airlock is still bubbling every few seconds. Should I wait for it...

Thanks. I'm starting with kits. Maybe someday trying to grow grapes, but I don't think we have the right kind of soil or sun exposure. Too wet and too much clay. Although there are a lot of wild grape vines on our property... might be a good sign.

Hello, just started my first batch of wine two days ago. It's a Vino Del Vida Valpolicella kit. It's bubbling away nicely at 74 degrees under an airlock. I've read conflicting opinions on whether it is best to airlock during primary fermentation or not, but decided to be safe and seal it up. The...

Hello, I've been thinking about making wine for years, but just started my first batch of wine two days ago. I've been lurking around your excellent forum for weeks now. My questions are starting to ferment, so I thought I better register. I hope to emulate my grandfather Luigi who grew his own...