First time making wine, need help knowing if my grapes are ready for harvest!

[aleks88]

There is no hurry to add the acid as long as your pH is in a safe range such that spoilage is not likely. 3.4 should be safe, but make sure to measure it at the end of fermentation. You can acidify at that point if you want to get your pH down into the normal range for white wine. Note that both fermentation and skin contact time have the potential to shift the pH up.

As for their harvest advice, keep in mind that there are very few universal truths in grape growing. They say not to harvest until it gets above 18. I have two varieties where most growers recommend harvesting before the brix gets to 18. If I were in your shoes, I would harvest now. I would much rather deal with low sugar than a pH that is getting a little too high for comfort. Knowing the variety would certainly help though.

H

Good to know Thanks!

 

[aleks88]

Harvested all my grapes. 9lbs of grapes to start. About 5 after picking out the trash. About a gallon after crushing. Ph at 3.2 and brix at 15.5. I added one camden tablet. Going to wait 12 hours then add some pectic enzyme, maybe some tannins, not sure how much, then another 12 hours add the sugar and yeast.

 

[BigH]

About a gallon after crushing. Ph at 3.2 and brix at 15.5. I added one camden tablet.

You may want to purchase some food grade glass marbles, like these, to top help fill your carboy when you rack off the lees after fermentation is complete. You will lose wine some along the way, and you want to minimize headspace during aging.

H

 

[balatonwine]

Seemed they were against adding sugar at all.

There is a tendency among some "purists" that adding sugar is a crime against nature (but they will happily add all sorts of acid adjustments, exotic yeasts and yeast nutrients). The reasons for the anti-sugar bias is based on history, culture, geography and law. Such so, that in some states and countries adding sugar to commercial wine is regulated or completely illegal.

But you are not making commercial wine. So you can do whatever you want. Most country fruit wine makers must add sugar, for example, so just think of your grapes as a country fruit and ignore those that "frown" upon you adding sugar. Adjusting sugar is much, much easier than adjusting acidity. Start with a easier adjustment task (i.e. sugar) rather than listening to anti-sugar purists and struggling with trying to correct acidity later.

 

[aleks88]

Thanks for all the great help everyone! So I started my primary fermentation early morning 8/20/18 and checked my specific gravity on 8/23/18 to find it at 1.004 . I think the yeast finished the job some time ago beacause I saw no foaming or any signs of fermentation on 8/23/18 when I decided to go into secondary. Will the process continue? Or did I miss the boat? I know I only went into secondary less than 24 hours ago but I'm wondering if its stuck? Or is the yeast dead? Should I add more yeast? Or yeast nutrient? it smells fine, but I have not tasted it. Also lots of sediment in the bottom of the carboy, it was all sucked up thru the auto siphon, is that bad? I can always rack the rest off later though cant it? Ph was also at 3.4

 

[aleks88]

So I decided to add a half teaspoon of yeast nutrient the other night, assuming it was stuck. Dissolved it in a small amount of distilled water and added it, then mixed it up well, but it did anything. So tonight I decided to rack. I had over 1 inch of sediment in the carboy. There was still absolutely no action of any kind inside to show that the fermentation was still occurring, I mixed it, and it soon all fell to the bottom. I took ,a reading today, sp gr was at 1.003. Which means its not done I assume.. It smells nice, and tastes quite good as well, in fact its even enjoyable and tastes ready, but I know its not. But after racking I decided to put it back in the dark, where it has a been a constant 71F since primary. Suggestions?

 

[Johnd]

Try wa

So I decided to add a half teaspoon of yeast nutrient the other night, assuming it was stuck. Dissolved it in a small amount of distilled water and added it, then mixed it up well, but it did anything. So tonight I decided to rack. I had over 1 inch of sediment in the carboy. There was still absolutely no action of any kind inside to show that the fermentation was still occurring, I mixed it, and it soon all fell to the bottom. I took ,a reading today, sp gr was at 1.003. Which means its not done I assume.. It smells nice, and tastes quite good as well, in fact its even enjoyable and tastes ready, but I know its not. But after racking I decided to put it back in the dark, where it has a been a constant 71F since primary. Suggestions?

You’ve not noted what your starting BRIX was, nor the yeast that you used. If the BRIX wasn’t too high for the ABV tolerance of your yeast, then try warming it up to 75 F - 78 F and see if that will get it to finish up.

 

[Norton]

I would suggest to begin planning for next year by purchasing bird netting later on to protect your grapes.

I’m like the OP here, I have a few vines in my yard. I was considering some netting also but the wife said she didn’t want a bunch of dead birds in our yard as a result of them getting hung up in the nets. Is that a valid concern?

 

[aleks88]

Try wa

You’ve not noted what your starting BRIX was, nor the yeast that you used. If the BRIX wasn’t too high for the ABV tolerance of your yeast, then try warming it up to 75 F - 78 F and see if that will get it to finish up.

When i started primary my brix was somewhat low 15.5. The yeast is ec-1118.

 

[Stressbaby]

I’m like the OP here, I have a few vines in my yard. I was considering some netting also but the wife said she didn’t want a bunch of dead birds in our yard as a result of them getting hung up in the nets. Is that a valid concern?

I don't think so. First year netting, no bird issues other than a few lost clusters right up at the edge of the nets where the birds picked through. You need to keep the netting at least 6-8" off of the grapes or they will get them anyway.

 

[Johnd]

When i started primary my brix was somewhat low 15.5. The yeast is ec-1118.

In your earlier post, you said:

“Harvested all my grapes. 9lbs of grapes to start. About 5 after picking out the trash. About a gallon after crushing. Ph at 3.2 and brix at 15.5. I added one camden tablet. Going to wait 12 hours then add some pectic enzyme, maybe some tannins, not sure how much, then another 12 hours add the sugar and yeast.”

Did you indeed add sugar to the must after taking the BRIX reading of 15.5?

 

[aleks88]

In your earlier post, you said:

“Harvested all my grapes. 9lbs of grapes to start. About 5 after picking out the trash. About a gallon after crushing. Ph at 3.2 and brix at 15.5. I added one camden tablet. Going to wait 12 hours then add some pectic enzyme, maybe some tannins, not sure how much, then another 12 hours add the sugar and yeast.”

Did you indeed add sugar to the must after taking the BRIX reading of 15.5?

yes I did add it after taking the brix!

 

[aleks88]

Update. After racking the other day and removing over 1" of sediment, I now see what I assume is yeast suspended in the carboy, its a bit more milky than it was for the first two or 3 days it say in the carboy, at that point it was completely clear with all sediment on bottom. but still no bubbles anywhere at all to this point, and dont recall seeing any since day 3 or 4 of primary. I accidentally moved the carboy a smidge earlier today, and did notice my airlock bubbled once...but that was it. I use a three piece airlock if that matters any. Keep it halfway full of water. There is currently maybe 3/4" of sediment on the bottom. Temps at constant 71F Did some reading on the ec1118. Its quite a fast and strong fermenter. Pretty sure my yeast ate everything available in the first few days, and I assumed it would be at least 5 so I let it go and I now assume its done, or is it Still fermenting?

 

[Johnd]

yes I did add it after taking the brix!

Then you didn’t really give us your starting BRIX to work with. And what was the BRIX reading AFTER you added this sugar? Can you see where this is headed? I suspect that you added enough sugar to your must to cause the ABV to exceed 18%, and that your yeast has expired due to alcohol toxicity, leaving you with unconsumed sugar. If you didn’t take one after adding the sugar, how much sugar did you add?

What are your SG readings? Are they still dropping, or are they steady?

 

[aleks88]

Then you didn’t really give us your starting BRIX to work with. And what was the BRIX reading AFTER you added this sugar? Can you see where this is headed? I suspect that you added enough sugar to your must to cause the ABV to exceed 18%, and that your yeast has expired due to alcohol toxicity, leaving you with unconsumed sugar. If you didn’t take one after adding the sugar, how much sugar did you add?

What are your SG readings? Are they still dropping, or are they steady?

Starting brix was 13.5. So I knew it was too low. Unfortunately i did not take a brix reading right after adding sugar. I added the recommended amount of sugar for a gallon, which was 1.5g per gallon to raise 1 brix. I added about 4.5ozs to raise about 3 brix. I dont think I added too much sugar as I knew I had very little to begin with based on my starting brix , maybe too little instead? I have yet to check my readings since I did the racking. 8/24 it was 1.004, and 8/25 it was 1.003. I will take another today and update later!

 

[Johny99]

I forgot to paste quotes. Regarding fatalities in the nets,

As long as you overlap the net at seams and completely wrap the cordons, leaving no spot a bird can get in, it works. Only casualties I’ve had are ones that fly straight into the net, but that is in an open vineyard. In a backyard I don’t see that as an issue. If they get in, they live and eat well for a couple of days. All you have to do is set them free.

 

[sour_grapes]

I added the recommended amount of sugar for a gallon, which was 1.5g per gallon to raise 1 brix. I added about 4.5ozs to raise about 3 brix.

Where did you get those figures? You only added about a teaspoon of sugar? According to FermCalc, adding 4.5 g of sugar to a gallon would raise it by 0.12 Brix.

 

[BigH]

Unfortunately i did not take a brix reading right after adding sugar. I added the recommended amount of sugar for a gallon, which was 1.5g per gallon to raise 1 brix. I added about 4.5ozs to raise about 3 brix. I dont think I added too much sugar as I knew I had very little to begin with based on my starting brix , maybe too little instead?

4.5 oz of sugar would raise 1 gallon of juice from 15.5 brix to 18.5. Do you have 1 gallon of juice? Or do you have 1 gallon of must (crushed grapes, seeds, skins and juice)? You never mentioned pressing. Did you press your grapes after crushing?

Advice for the future

• Always measure and record the brix after adding sugar and before pitching yeast. You have to know where you are starting from
• Add 1/2 to 2/3's what the calculator says at first, let it sit for an hour, then re-measure brix/gravity with a sanitized hydrometer (this advice was already given to you, it is based on experience)

The alcohol tolerance of ec-1118 is 18%. You would have needed a starting brix of 28.5 or so to reach that level.That would required a lot more than 4.5 oz of sugar in one gallon of juice

H