Brand spanking new...

[KCCam]

I'm using Lalvin EC-1118.

EC-1118 is a good workhorse. It should be fine at that temp.

 

[KCCam]

Here is the recipe that I used: Homemade Peach Wine

I just read the recipe. Be careful. There is some wrong information, and some potentially dangerous information. The author implies you can make this a sparkling wine simply by using champagne yeast. I did not read any warning about exploding bottles if not done correctly. The author also states you can stop a fermentation with k-meta and sorbate. Don’t believe it. A beginner should never attempt that. The author advises against using “chemicals”, specifically k-meta and sorbate. There are very sound scientific reasons for using them. In the amounts they are used, they protect you (and your wine) from potentially worse things, and... sugar is a “chemical”, and it’s way worse for you than any other chemical you’re adding. Do not skip k-meta and sorbate before bottling if there is any sweetness to your wine at all. That’s my humble opinion. Others may comment as well.

 

[pillswoj]

Regarding the adding of water, That recipe is already very low on fruit, you may want to top it up with a light white wine rather then water.

Many of us have done peach wines with upwards of 10 lbs peaches per gallon (basically no water except for the sugar solution to raise the SG, if you search there are several discussions in the country fruit winemaking subforum.

 

[winemaker81]

I second @KCCam's points, especially the one about exploding bottles!

Unless you are deliberately making champagne/sparking wine, DO NOT bottle the wine if it is still emitting CO2. Pressure can build up, and a screw cap bottle -- which is NOT designed to handle pressure -- can explode. If the bottle is corked, it is very unlikely to explode, but pressure may blow the cork and spray wine, depending on how much pressure.

I also second @scruff_farrier's point about NOT throwing away the wine used to test SG. If everything is clean and hygienic, the wine is fine.

At this point I'll make my obligatory statement about using the FermTech wine thief, which is big enough to hold a hydrometer. Clean and sterilize it, inside and out. Lower it into the wine (great for carboys!) and let it half fill (or so). Drop in a clean/sterilized hydrometer, take a reading, then press the lever on the bottom of the thief against the inside of the carboy to release the wine. There is minimal air contact and you lose no volume.

 

[Vaudun]

Thanks again to everyone.

@KCCam, I am attempting to make a sparkling wine, and I will be corking my bottles. I will do more research on when and how to use k-meta and sorbate.

@winemaker81, I was just looking at the FermTech wine thief. I've found it somewhat awkward to siphon the right amount of wine into the graduated cylinder that came with my hydrometer.

@pillswoj, thanks for the input. I've always got some white zin on hand, so I guess I'll use that for a top up.

 

[Vaudun]

So, it's day 16, and I got my fermtech wine thief and hydrometer, and what do you know, I won't fit in my 1 gallon carboy. So, I pulled out my siphon and graduated cylinder to take my reading. SG is now down to 1.021, and wine is still slowly bubbling along.

I'm trying to decide if I should rack it to me secondary yet, or if I should wait for SG to drop some more.

 

[KCCam]

So, it's day 16, and I got my fermtech wine thief and hydrometer, and what do you know, I won't fit in my 1 gallon carboy. So, I pulled out my siphon and graduated cylinder to take my reading. SG is now down to 1.021, and wine is still slowly bubbling along.

I'm trying to decide if I should rack it to me secondary yet, or if I should wait for SG to drop some more.

I use a glass turkey baster. I find it easier to sanitize with my setup (dunk the glass into my bucket of Na-meta).
Most people wait until 1.010 or 1.000 for secondary, but you're in a glass jug already, so I don't think it really matters.

 

[winemaker81]

So, it's day 16, and I got my fermtech wine thief and hydrometer, and what do you know, I won't fit in my 1 gallon carboy.

AARRGGHH!!! My apologies on this point.

All wines I do are a minimum of 3 gallons, most 5+, so I did not consider that the wine thief doesn't fit through the Paisano gallon jugs I use for overflow. I always check the carboys!

Riding on @KCCam's post, the wine thief is a lot narrower than test jars, so you can use the turkey baster to put wine in the thief. From there, it's easy to put back in the jug with no splashing.

Side note: Clean the baster VERY well. Recently I made a gallon of One-Step (essentially industrial grade hydrogen peroxide), and after cleaning all my carboys, I dropped all of my free airlocks into the bucket. I let them set for an hour, then removed and rinsed. I clean everything each time I use it, but was still astounded at how ugly the One-Step looked.

Before the start of the fall grape season, my new practice is to soak everything in One-Step. Of course, I'll rinse with K-Meta before use, but this will help ensure everything is clean.

 

[Bossbaby]

Hi all,

I'm brand new to wine making. I've just put up my first batch of peach wine as a trial run. It's been going for about 5 days, at this point. This is what it looks like.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/81tmfws5mGQK9FtV7
I've read on many sites that you should check your specific gravity frequently. I've also read that you should not return the sample from your hydrometer to your fermenter.

The hydrometer that I bought came with a 250 ml cylinder. My question is, what should I do when making a gallon of wine? If I pour off a quarter of a liter whenever I test my SG, if I test it 4 times, I've lost about a quarter of my product before I even rack my wine.

put your sanitizes hydrometer into your gallon jug or bucket why pull a sample..

 

[Vaudun]

AARRGGHH!!! My apologies on this point.

All wines I do are a minimum of 3 gallons, most 5+, so I did not consider that the wine thief doesn't fit through the Paisano gallon jugs I use for overflow. I always check the carboys!

No problem, @winemaker81, I've got several 5 gallon carboys waiting in the wings. I just started with the 1 gallon because this is my first attempt at making wine, and I wanted to start small to get a feel for the process.

The fermtech will definitely come in handy in the future.

 

[Vaudun]

put your sanitizes hydrometer into your gallon jug or bucket why pull a sample..

Hi @Bossbaby. I tried that, but because I had already pulled and discarded a sample (before joining WMT), the hydrometer touches the bottom of my carboy.

Things will be easier next time around with the bigger carboys.

 

[winemaker81]

put your sanitizes hydrometer into your gallon jug or bucket why pull a sample.

Depending on the container and the wine level inside, getting the hydrometer out can be a trick.

 

[Vaudun]

Most people wait until 1.010 or 1.000 for secondary, but you're in a glass jug already, so I don't think it really matters.

Hi @KCCam,

Just so I understand, in this case, are you saying that the SG doesn't matter, or moving to secondary doesn't matter?

I want to rack to secondary because I have a thick layer of sediment in my primary, and I want to do this right.

 

[winemaker81]

I'm sticking my nose in and answering for @KCCam ...

What he's saying is that most people do their first racking/pressing below 1.020 -- values between "fermentation done" (0.990 and 0.998) and 1.010 are common. Since you've already racked, it's no longer an issue.

This is a judgment situation where different answers are (more or less) equally correct. This is my process:

I typically rack/press around 1.010, as fermentation is nearing it's end (80 - 90% done). [I've racked as high as 1.020, but that was a specific situation and is not my normal.] At this point I move to secondary storage with a fair amount of head space, waiting for fermentation to complete. This takes another 1 to 7 days (IME), typically 3 days.

The ballpark estimate for fermentation complete is relatively easy -- watch for a sudden drop of sediment and the cloudiness to drastically clear (this is imprecise, subject to judgment, and may differ greatly between wines). I check the SG, and if it's 0.996 or below, fermentation is essentially done. [some folks say 0.998, and I've said it in a few posts, but IME that's an edge case. 0.996 is my personal threshold.]

I let the wine set a couple of days, check SG, and then rack. I've let the wine go as much as 10 days before racking, but that was situation specific and it's not my normal.

At this point, I reduce head space in the carboy drastically (1" to 3") as there is a much reduced CO2 cushion.

This is also the point to stir the wine and add the final fining agent. If you're making a kit, follow the instructions.

 

[KCCam]

Hi @KCCam,

Just so I understand, in this case, are you saying that the SG doesn't matter, or moving to secondary doesn't matter?

I want to rack to secondary because I have a thick layer of sediment in my primary, and I want to do this right.

What I mean is, most of us do primary fermentation in an open bucket, with a loose lid or towel to cover. During primary, oxygen is good, but you have to keep critters out. An open bucket is also easier to take SG readings, to stir daily (for oxygen), to avoid a mess if the fermentation is very active, and to clean after. Once the SG gets down to 1.010 or so, oxygen starts to be the enemy, so daily stirring stops, the fermentation has slowed to a fizz (like soda in a glass), and the gross lees begin to settle out. Around 1.000, much less CO2 is coming out of solution (less fizz), and a lot of gunk (gross lees) is on the bottom. Racking off the lees now to a secondary vessel (jug or carboy) and put under an air lock protects it from oxidation as it completes fermentation and begins to clear.

So, generally one of the main purposes of racking to secondary is to get the wine under air lock. Yours is already under air lock, so you can wait if you like. Something to think about is that peach tends to drop a lot of lees, as you’ve noticed. When you rack, you may be leaving a significant amount behind, and your secondary will have a lot of air (oxygen) over the wine (headspace). That’s bad if left very long. Peach can take a long time to clear, so it is advisable to top up with a compatible wine or water. That’s another reason to use a bucket for primary: you can start with, say 1 1/4 gallons or more so the secondary will be full, and you’ll have some leftover to top up at the next racking. Topping up with water is never advised, as it dilutes the wine. But since this is your first wine, if you have nothing else suitable, a lighter, slightly diluted wine is better than a spoiled wine.

 

[KCCam]

Since you've already racked, it's no longer an issue.

I guess we were typing at the same time, and you beat me to the post. I believe @Vaudun has not racked yet, but has done primary fermentation in the glass jug, and is getting ready to do the first racking. Either way, our advice still stands.

 

[Vaudun]

Thanks @winemaker81 and @KCCam.

My wine is currently at a slow fizz, so I think I will move it to my secondary tonight, top it up with some white zin, and get it back under an airlock.

Little by little, this is all starting to sink in. I'll start my next batch in a bucket as recommended.

And I'll keep you posted on my progress.

 

[Vaudun]

Racked my wine off into secondary, and topped it off with some white zin to fill the headspace.

There's a fine dusting of sediment on the bottom, now, but not the sand dunes that were in the primary.

I'm not seeing the tiny bubbles in the wine that I was seeing in the primary, but I do see the bubble slooowly pushing through the airlock. So far so good.

Now I'm sitting here drinking the 4 or so ounces from the lees that I poured through a coffee filter.

My tongue's getting numb.

 

[winemaker81]

That's a pretty color!

 

[winemanden]

Racked my wine off into secondary, and topped it off with some white zin to fill the headspace.

There's a fine dusting of sediment on the bottom, now, but not the sand dunes that were in the primary.

I'm not seeing the tiny bubbles in the wine that I was seeing in the primary, but I do see the bubble slooowly pushing through the airlock. So far so good.

Now I'm sitting here drinking the 4 or so ounces from the lees that I poured through a coffee filter.

My tongue's getting numb.

I notice there is a nice white grin showing on the demijohn. Is that your reflection after drinking those 4ounces?