First attempt at wine making...

[kirknotes]

I made the must in a 2 gallon glass container...used 2 Camden tablets to eliminate the wild yeast...allowed that to go 24 hours. Then I added a packet of Red Star wine yeast and that went strong for three days stirring the must often. Kept indoors at about 70 degrees. After 3 days I transferred that to 2 one gallon carboys with airlocks - as I did that I removed all the grape skins and seeds from the must and squeezed the skins to remove all the liquid that I could. Now I have 2 carboys that is bubbling once every 5 seconds or so and the carboy is about 1/3 filled with fine sediment at the bottom....

My question is - do I leave it like this for 7 - 10 days until the bubbling slows down - or should I siphon it off the sediment in order make the wine clearer and allow that to set for 7 - 10 days.....or am I missing the time line all together?

 

[kirknotes]

I keep reading about SG levels - I do not understand that - what is SG level - I bought a hydrometer but I have no idea what to do with it...any help?

 

[Smok1]

Specific gravity (sg)

When you put the hydrometer into liquid it will float, depending where its floating you look at the scale and it will tell you your specific gravity. A finished wine the hydrometer will sink down pretty far. Should read 0.990-0.995 on the scale (just under 0% on the potential alcohal scale) before you pitch the yeast there alot of sugar in the juice or must so if you use your hydrometer it will float up high, somewheres around 1.080-1.1. (11-14% on the potential alcohal scale)

 

[NorCal]

Leave it be until your SG is at 1.000 or it stops bubbling. If you have good fruit, (I'm assuming we are talking red grapes)you want to ferment on the skins, until it's done fermenting. You get the color and flavors from them.

 

[sour_grapes]

I keep reading about SG levels - I do not understand that - what is SG level - I bought a hydrometer but I have no idea what to do with it...any help?

Here is a good explanation: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=583018&postcount=3

 

[montanaWineGuy]

I've found that racking to wine often doesn't hurt, nor help the final product. Still do as NorCal suggests. Let is sit till it stops bubbling before doing the first racking. This could take a month or longer. I know about impatience in making your first wine. It is a part of the addiction that develops. First it is 2 or 3 gallons then a few years later it is 100 gallons.

 

[kirknotes]

Leave it be until your SG is at 1.000 or it stops bubbling. If you have good fruit, (I'm assuming we are talking red grapes)you want to ferment on the skins, until it's done fermenting. You get the color and flavors from them.

So I might have taken it off the fruit skins too early it seems.

 

[kirknotes]

wine by kirknotes7, on Flickr

wine2 by kirknotes7, on Flickr

this is after I took out the skins and seeds...See how much silty material is in the bottom and floating at the top? The SG reading is still very high it looks...

 

[kirknotes]

Thanks for all your help everyone... I am making a second 2 gallon must - it is very bubbly - but how do you get the hydrometer to measure the must? -

I have ordered a skinny testor jar with a siphon tube - should be here in a couple days.

 

[sour_grapes]

Thanks for all your help everyone... I am making a second 2 gallon must - it is very bubbly - but how do you get the hydrometer to measure the must? -

I have ordered a skinny testor jar with a siphon tube - should be here in a couple days.

Yes, it will much easier to do with a test cylinder and a wine thief. Did you have an actual question when you said "how do you get...."?

 

[Smok1]

I use a test tube and a 60cc syringe and a fine stainless mesh strainer. I put the mesh strainer on top of the skins pushing it down a bit and use the syringe to pull the liquid out from inside the strainer.

 

[kirknotes]

Yes, it will much easier to do with a test cylinder and a wine thief. Did you have an actual question when you said "how do you get...."?

well I am guessing you just draw off some of the liquid and measure the SG without the skins floating in the way, and then pour the wine back into the must once you have measured it.....

How low should the SG reading be on the first ferment before I put it into carboys for the secondary fermentation?

 

[Ajmassa]

well I am guessing you just draw off some of the liquid and measure the SG without the skins floating in the way, and then pour the wine back into the must once you have measured it.....



How low should the SG reading be on the first ferment before I put it into carboys for the secondary fermentation?

Basically you want your SG to get just about to 1.000 or lower. If a wine ferments every last bit of sugar the hydromter would read anywhere from .990 to .998. If all goes well It would be under 1.000. And you can safely rack it into your carboy.
Man, you just jumped right in there didn't ya? Did you end up with the frozen must by happenstance and not know you'd be making wine without any prior notice?
There's many good guidelines and step by step directions for making wine from frozen must. I'll try and dig one up and post it for ya. And you'd define Italy benefit from giving it a read through a couple times to familiarize yourself.

 

[Ajmassa]

Here is your bible for making wine from frozen must. I'm sure you'll still have many questions throughout. But reading this will without a doubt give you a nice understanding of everything.

http://morewinemaking.com/public/pdf/bfkit6.pdf

 

[sour_grapes]

well I am guessing you just draw off some of the liquid and measure the SG without the skins floating in the way, and then pour the wine back into the must once you have measured it.....

Yup, you got it! You'll be fine...

 

[kirknotes]

...
Man, you just jumped right in there didn't ya? Did you end up with the frozen must by happenstance and not know you'd be making wine without any prior notice?
....

No - our grape vines created about 50 lbs of grapes this year...they are red grapes, I don't know what kind they are but they have seeds and are not easy to consume...so there they were, and I just figured why waste them....thus the must.

 

[pkirtani]

I am a wine newbie as well. It is better to use a primary fermenter ( a plastic bucket or glass jar with a wide opening ), that way you can stir it every day for 3-4 days and then another 3-4 days later you can siphon off the must to a carboy. hope this helps with your 2nd 2 Gallon