First Batch ever!

[The green Dragon]

@The green Dragon, YOU are why I spend time in the beginner forum. As much as I enjoy talking to experienced wine makers, the exuberance of beginners is invigorating!

First advice: take a deep breath and relax. Winemaking is an exercise in patience. Sure, the first few weeks are very exciting!!! After that? It's a lot like watching the grass grow. Only less exciting.

Second? After fermentation, oxygen is your enemy. But it's a slow enemy - a day without water in the airlock is not a problem. Several weeks or even months? This is a different story.

Third? Taste your wine!

I taste my wines at every racking. People will tell you to not open a bottle before a year -- they are wrong. Open a bottle every 3 months. Write down what you smell, taste, and experience. Compare your notes. Educate yourself why you should let wines age. Nothing is better than practical experience.

Fourth? Don't worry about shelf life. Your first batch won't last long enough to go bad.

Welcome to WMT!

Thank you for the advice!!.
I really enjoy drinking and tasting wine, making it on the other hand is a whole other story. the wine making bug bit me hard and now im researching carboys at 2:00 in the morning

 

[The green Dragon]

Amen. Taste every step of the way; as much as every day during primary. Taste at least at every racking; I taste at least once a month during aging. I get an idea of how it is developing and can see the clarity in a glass - extremely useful if aging in barrels or kegs.
Your taste buds and nose are the most useful wine cellar instruments. A lot of the guys (sorry to be sexist) like to play with the testing instruments (perfectly valid) but it all comes down to smell and taste. No one at your party or barbeque cares about pH or TA, just taste.

So tasting wine everyday during primary fermentation? Ither than educational purposes with regards to following along how your wine is changing during fermentation is there practica advantage? Like should i ignore my alcaholameter and just quite fermentation based on the taste?

 

[VinesnBines]

No, no, test in primary but taste so you can learn and be amazed at the transformation. The taste will change daily and you will be pleased with you achievements.

 

[The green Dragon]

No, no, test in primary but taste so you can learn and be amazed at the transformation. The taste will change daily and you will be pleased with you achievements.

Ah

 

[Arne]

What is a alcaholameter?

 

[The green Dragon]

What is a alcaholameter?

I forgot the name of the hydrometer it was the bobber thing that measures the specific gravity

 

[David Violante]

It depends on how much you’ve sampled as to what you call it... LOL

 

[VinesnBines]

Oh yes, when barrel sampling, make sure you have topping up wine available...there is always a danger you will sample too much and have empty headspace.

 

[Arne]

Oh yes, when barrel sampling, make sure you have topping up wine available...there is always a danger you will sample too much and have empty headspace.

Yep. Empty headspace and motor mouth space. Lottsa sampling. LOL.

 

[The green Dragon]

6 days and counting, she’s bubbling like Susan Montgomery. Lots of action. I had to move the pail to a more temperature stable spot, I did my best to not slosh/disturb it but there was some movement can this be detrimental during primary fermentation?

 

[VinesnBines]

Most folks stir at least twice a day so movement is desirable in primary.

 

[The green Dragon]

Most folks stir at least twice a day so movement is desirable in primary.

Awsome ill give it a stir then. Its almost halfway through fermentation according to kit instructions, but i want to check the gravity at 10 days, can’t wait.

 

[The green Dragon]

I also ordered a bottle tree and degasser for a drill. it seems highly recomended to use the drill for successful degassing, I hope it gets here in time!

 

[ithink2020]

Awsome ill give it a stir then. Its almost halfway through fermentation according to kit instructions, but I want to check the gravity at 10 days, can’t wait.

You can check the SG anytime you like. I just moved my Pinot Noir into Secondary. I was testing the SQ every couple of days.

 

[VinesnBines]

Awsome ill give it a stir then. Its almost halfway through fermentation according to kit instructions, but i want to check the gravity at 10 days, can’t wait.

Check SG daily.

I also ordered a bottle tree and degasser for a drill. it seems highly recomended to use the drill for successful degassing, I hope it gets here in time!

Check out this thread: Wine Degassing Tool?

I don't bother with de-gassing; time works best. If I have a little residual CO2 in the bottle, decanting works perfectly.

 

[The green Dragon]

Check SG daily.



Check out this thread: Wine Degassing Tool?

I don't bother with de-gassing; time works best. If I have a little residual CO2 in the bottle, decanting works perfectly.

Ill check it out, even though i fear leaving the beginners section, and being slapped up side the head and sent back here where i belong

 

[David Violante]

There's a lot of great information in all the other threads as well. The "search" feature is very helpful as well, for any specific topic you're interested in reading about. A word of caution... be sure to check the date of what you're reading... I've asked a question in a few threads that were several years old before I asked the question. The folks here are very kind to answer, just be aware.

I agree with @VinesnBines to check the SG daily so that you know what's going on; that's also a great thread on degassing. Checking temperature is also helpful, to get you in the habit of knowing what is happening, especially if the yeast you're using has a specific range. There's a lot of good reading on here about that as well. A number of folks use a digital infrared thermometer and just scan the must to get an idea. It won't tell you what's going on in the middle of the must though, just the top or the sides of the container. Best to mix it all up and then take a reading, if you're going to do it that way. I have a mead that has just finished, and the several ways I knew it was complete was SG of 0.998 for two to three days, few signs of outward CO2 production, and temperature drop from 73 to 68.

 

[The green Dragon]

There's a lot of great information in all the other threads as well. The "search" feature is very helpful as well, for any specific topic you're interested in reading about. A word of caution... be sure to check the date of what you're reading... I've asked a question in a few threads that were several years old before I asked the question. The folks here are very kind to answer, just be aware.

I agree with @VinesnBines to check the SG daily so that you know what's going on; that's also a great thread on degassing. Checking temperature is also helpful, to get you in the habit of knowing what is happening, especially if the yeast you're using has a specific range. There's a lot of good reading on here about that as well. A number of folks use a digital infrared thermometer and just scan the must to get an idea. It won't tell you what's going on in the middle of the must though, just the top or the sides of the container. Best to mix it all up and then take a reading, if you're going to do it that way. I have a mead that has just finished, and the several ways I knew it was complete was SG of 0.998 for two to three days, few signs of outward CO2 production, and temperature drop from 73 to 68.

Thank you. I checked out the degassing thread amazing info. im really excited about this whole thing and really appreciate everyones willingness to comment or answer questions. And questions will likely be all I have for the foreseeable future. Can’t wait to help out a newbie one day too!

 

[The green Dragon]

So its up to 8 days now and im procrastinating i dont want to open my primary fermenter and stir it and check it, i know it sounds stupid but honestly im kinda locked here i know i have to but its bubbling and everything is going good Im so scared of ruining my first batch. “Im going to post my SG on here tomorrow”. There now im accountable and will have to do it.

 

[ithink2020]

So its up to 8 days now and im procrastinating i dont want to open my primary fermenter and stir it and check it, i know it sounds stupid but honestly im kinda locked here i know i have to but its bubbling and everything is going good Im so scared of ruining my first batch.

I have learned that Winemaking is very forgiving. As long as you remember to sanitize, you have nothing to worry about. However, I remember being scared of ruining my first few batches as well.

“Im going to post my SG on here tomorrow”. There now im accountable and will have to do it.

I'll be waiting to hear what the number is.