I am a newbie to wine making, but my all in personality finds me with 12 gallons brewing to start. I have read so much about it and I find there is no clear cut path. The best quote I read yesterday that I find to be true is "Ask 10 different wine makers a question and you will get 11 different answers". Anyway thanks for having me. Rick
Brand new to wine making
- Thread starter Ricky67
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seth8530
The Atomic Wine Maker
Welcome to the forums! Luckily, wine making is not that hard espically not the fundamentals. Do some reading and come up with a plan and talk to us about it... and see what we think.
A quick run down of wine making
Take your juice/grapes
1) Test sugar with hydrometer
2) Test acid with acid test kit
Adjust if needed.
1) rehydrate the yeast and put them in must at the proper tempature for that yeast
2) attempt to maintain that tempature (or not)
3) follow a nutrient schedule for bettter results
4) track the fermentation process with your hydrometer
5) Once the gravity gets to around 1.01 to 1.000 rack it to a secondary fermentation vessle and let it sit for a while untill the lees build up then rack again..
6) do not let the head space become large else you risk oxidizing your wine..
7) follow a sulfite schedule to keep the wine safe from infection..
8) Once the wine is clear, the gas is gone, and the gravity has not moved in a long time it is now safe to bottle. You can either put it into a bottle or back sweeten first. If you back sweetin be sure to add sorbate to the wine to prevent renewed fermenation. You will likely want to let the wine sit a day or two after doing this to make sure that sediment will not drop out or it won't referment.
9) Now you bottle or let it continue to age in the carboy.
This is the very quick and dirty run down..... If you want more info be sure to read on these topics in greater detail.... But, in general wine making is not all that hard and is quite enjoyable!
A quick run down of wine making
Take your juice/grapes
1) Test sugar with hydrometer
2) Test acid with acid test kit
Adjust if needed.
1) rehydrate the yeast and put them in must at the proper tempature for that yeast
2) attempt to maintain that tempature (or not)
3) follow a nutrient schedule for bettter results
4) track the fermentation process with your hydrometer
5) Once the gravity gets to around 1.01 to 1.000 rack it to a secondary fermentation vessle and let it sit for a while untill the lees build up then rack again..
6) do not let the head space become large else you risk oxidizing your wine..
7) follow a sulfite schedule to keep the wine safe from infection..
8) Once the wine is clear, the gas is gone, and the gravity has not moved in a long time it is now safe to bottle. You can either put it into a bottle or back sweeten first. If you back sweetin be sure to add sorbate to the wine to prevent renewed fermenation. You will likely want to let the wine sit a day or two after doing this to make sure that sediment will not drop out or it won't referment.
9) Now you bottle or let it continue to age in the carboy.
This is the very quick and dirty run down..... If you want more info be sure to read on these topics in greater detail.... But, in general wine making is not all that hard and is quite enjoyable!
bkisel
Junior Member
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Welcome to the forum!
Pretty new to this myself. Started in January and now have 8 kits under my belt. Started with one carboy and now have 5. This wine making hobby has turned into a tasteful addiction. Also, great feeling gifting folks with a bottle of your homemade wine.
Pretty new to this myself. Started in January and now have 8 kits under my belt. Started with one carboy and now have 5. This wine making hobby has turned into a tasteful addiction. Also, great feeling gifting folks with a bottle of your homemade wine.
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Welcome Rick !
Yes there are varieties of ways that people make wine - but the basics stay the same and listen read and use your own trials and common sence
Thanks Steve
Yes there are varieties of ways that people make wine - but the basics stay the same and listen read and use your own trials and common sence
Thanks Steve
