Already fermenting juice buckets

[skdwines]

It's my first time making wine from fresh juice buckets. After getting them home and opening I found them all to be fermenting already, which I know happens quite often, but am unsure how to best proceed. Found the gravity is pretty low on my Italian juice as well.

Cab Sauv- 1.060
Montepulciano- 1.040
Syrah- 1.056
Chianti- 1.032

Do I sulfite to clean the slate, or just proceed to add yeast nutes and yeast? Sorry for the newbie questions, but knew I could find solid answers from the pros here.

I tried to find the information, but have been unsuccessful so far.

 

[cmason1957]

You will probably be unsuccessful in trying to stop that ferment. You will just stress the yeast. I would assume that the starting sg was about 1.090. The yeast added was probably Ec1118. Let it finish and proceed normally. If it helps, this is what I plan to do with the juice buckets I am getting soon.

 

[FTC Wines]

I just received a fermenting bucket of Nebbiolo, slow ferment, sg of 1.074. So I added a package of ec 118 to it and let her go. Did this last year too and no issues. The other 3 buckets were 1.092 with no fermentation. So just added the yeast. Roy

 

[Intheswamp]

You will probably be unsuccessful in trying to stop that ferment. You will just stress the yeast. I would assume that the starting sg was about 1.090. The yeast added was probably Ec1118. Let it finish and proceed normally. If it helps, this is what I plan to do with the juice buckets I am getting soon.

From @skdwins post I took that he had fresh juice that wild yeast had already started fermenting (which he doesn't want to happen) and he wanted to overpower the wild yeast with a cultured yeast, if that is possible. I honestly have no idea what "fresh juice buckets" are. They already have cultured yeast in them when you purchase them? That seems kind of odd, but I'm not the sharpest blade in the drawer, either. Or, are the "fresh juice buckets" filled from already fermenting vats of wine?

 

[Intheswamp]

I just received a fermenting bucket of Nebbiolo, slow ferment, sg of 1.074. So I added a package of ec 118 to it and let her go. Did this last year too and no issues. The other 3 buckets were 1.092 with no fermentation. So just added the yeast. Roy

Hmm, so the buckets that are fermenting are from wild yeast?

 

[sour_grapes]

The issue is that you really don't know whether yeast were added or not. Often they are. And even if not, so-called "wild yeasts" found in, say, a working vineyard are wine-friendly yeasts. (Our cultured yeasts are isolates, not some laboratory animal, errr, fungus.)

If it were mine, I would add some cultured yeast, probably EC1118, to guard against unwanted (if unlikely) outcomes.

 

[skdwines]

The place I purchased them gave me 1 pack of K1- V1116 for each bucket of juice. Buckets do not say whether they already have yeast added to them.

I had purchased specific yeasts for each wine, but should I just use the 1116 they gave me?

 

[Chuck E]

The place I purchased them gave me 1 pack of K1- V1116 for each bucket of juice. Buckets do not say whether they already have yeast added to them.

I had purchased specific yeasts for each wine, but should I just use the 1116 they gave me?

You can use the yeasts you purchased for the buckets, but it sounds like the buckets spontaneously began to ferment. They are likely halfway done. You may not get all the nuances from your yeast packages because they won't have enough time to work.

 

[heatherd]

It's my first time making wine from fresh juice buckets. After getting them home and opening I found them all to be fermenting already, which I know happens quite often, but am unsure how to best proceed. Found the gravity is pretty low on my Italian juice as well.

Cab Sauv- 1.060
Montepulciano- 1.040
Syrah- 1.056
Chianti- 1.032

Do I sulfite to clean the slate, or just proceed to add yeast nutes and yeast? Sorry for the newbie questions, but knew I could find solid answers from the pros here.

I tried to find the information, but have been unsuccessful so far.

Same as @FTC Wines and @cmason1957 stated, you add your yeast now to help the ferment along.

 

[heatherd]

It's my first time making wine from fresh juice buckets. After getting them home and opening I found them all to be fermenting already, which I know happens quite often, but am unsure how to best proceed. Found the gravity is pretty low on my Italian juice as well.

Cab Sauv- 1.060
Montepulciano- 1.040
Syrah- 1.056
Chianti- 1.032

Do I sulfite to clean the slate, or just proceed to add yeast nutes and yeast? Sorry for the newbie questions, but knew I could find solid answers from the pros here.

I tried to find the information, but have been unsuccessful so far.

If you are able, some grapes would be a beneficial addition, even in a small amount. You could split a grape pack between your batches to get some nice tannins. http://www.juicegrape.com/Mosti-Mondiale-All-Grape-Pack/ I add this to my red juice buckets for body.

 

[Mazaruni]

I just got a Chilean Chenin Blanc bucket. I haven't done buckets in a while--I forget, should I stir it everyday one it starts fermenting? Thanks!

 

[Chuck E]

I just got a Chilean Chenin Blanc bucket. I haven't done buckets in a while--I forget, should I stir it everyday one it starts fermenting? Thanks!

I do stir my juice buckets at least once a day. Try to ferment at a cooler temperature for white juice.

 

[Mazaruni]

Got it, thanks!

 

[outbackmac]

Talking juice buckets. when we pick ours up they say they have yeast in the buckets. in years past we have had to add yeast to them frmenting. but my question is, they tell us they are balanced but should you check anything else? and if so what. and why?

 

[Johnd]

Talking juice buckets. when we pick ours up they say they have yeast in the buckets. in years past we have had to add yeast to them frmenting. but my question is, they tell us they are balanced but should you check anything else? and if so what. and why?

It depends upon you. If you are happy with the facts that they’ve adjusted your must, then no. If you want to see for yourself, and maybe change things, then yes.

You’d most likely check the BRIX, pH, and TA.
BRIX ( or SG ) will tell you how much sugar you have, and therefore how much alcohol you have the potential to produce.
pH and TA are both measures of acid, which some folks adjust.

 

[outbackmac]

Johnd, yes we do check S.G. sometimes we add sugar when we get it home.

 

[Johnd]

Johnd, yes we do check S.G. sometimes we add sugar when we get it home.

Just be cautious of adjusting the BRIX if the pail is indeed already fermenting. It may have already converted some sugar to alcohol and give you a low BRIX reading, causing you to want to bump it up a bit. Probably not a big deal if it's just getting started, but it's hard to know where the BRIX was when it got started.

As far as checking the acid, if you're comfortable with them having made proper adjustments for you, and you're happy with the wine you're making, I see no reason to get worked up over it.

 

[Rice_Guy]

If I was buying juice I would either have a certificate of analysis (pallet quantities) or test it to the best of my ability,, home user.

but my question is, they tell us they are balanced but should you check anything else? and if so what. and why?

What you are getting depends on which freezer plant, which vineyard and what year.
Looking at the frozen buckets that have come through the vinters club in the last two years, Chile has had low acid so we ask was it a hot growing area. California has acids in target. Italy has been OK. In general whites have NO residual SO2 reds have a low level as 5ppm. Sugar levels are good.
About 5% of the buckets are actively fermenting once we thaw them, this has been assumed to be wild yeast.
If you want me to pull test numbers about a variety PM me.