Flying by the he seat of my pants

[Mr Joe]

It doesn't matter if you use juice, the yeast doesn't care they will eat the sugar and turn it into alcohol, It depends on what kind of wine you're making, in most cases using juice of the grape you are using would be best. I don't think you need to do two yeast additions since they will multiply until they run out of sugar or the alcohol get's too high for them to survive. On your next batch try to find a recipe that you like and follow it. If you haven't gotten a thermometer and hydrometer yet you should, that way you can measure the amount of sugar that is in the must. One other thing try getting a wine kit they can help you with getting comfortable since they have good directions and can turn out very good. I made several before I used fresh grapes.

Thanks I think I will give a kit a try next. That and the Welch’s wine seems like good old high school fun! I did get both, the hydrometer and thermometer. When I took my hydrometer reading after initial racking, it rea.1.00. My reading of the must when I put in primary was .80. I was going to read about this to see if that is good or not. If not, then I’d like to know. If it is repairable.

 

[coboll2921]

Keep notes. I'm in my ninth year of making all different fruit wines and grape wine.
If I have an error situation, I go back and problem solve it and make note of it.
I have a pretty consistent product now, however it's a living, breathing thing so I still have surprises, like this year I found out that I can't use sulfites that are too old. Some of my corks popped off. It was the first year I ran into that problem.

 

[Mr Joe]

Keep notes. I'm in my ninth year of making all different fruit wines and grape wine.
If I have an error situation, I go back and problem solve it and make note of it.
I have a pretty consistent product now, however it's a living, breathing thing so I still have surprises, like this year I found out that I can't use sulfites that are too old. Some of my corks popped off. It was the first year I ran into that problem.

How’d You figure out it was old sulfites? What is too old? Can you test for old sulfites?

 

[coboll2921]

How’d You figure out it was old sulfites? What is too old? Can you test for old sulfites?

No, it was more process of elimination. At first I thought I forgot to put it in but it was different wines/batches popping corks.
Then I thought it was faulty corks or wrong size corks but I had two different types of corks popping. Then I read up that your sulfites can get old. Mine bag is 3-4 years old and not airtight. I use the same wine yeast in all my recipes. It's the only thing I can think of. I never had the problem in 9 years of making wine.???

 

[Ajmassa]

No, it was more process of elimination. At first I thought I forgot to put it in but it was different wines/batches popping corks.
Then I thought it was faulty corks or wrong size corks but I had two different types of corks popping. Then I read up that your sulfites can get old. Mine bag is 3-4 years old and not airtight. I use the same wine yeast in all my recipes. It's the only thing I can think of. I never had the problem in 9 years of making wine.???

I’m not understanding tho. How would old potassium metabisulphite cause this? Worst case scenario the wine would not be able to age as long id think. If it’s fermenting residual sugar in the bottle it’s not the kMeta that would stop it.
How long do you age before bottling?

I think kMeta keeps pretty well btw too. Maybe in extreme circumstances it doesn’t. But my bags are old and not sealed well. No issues. Regardless what “they” say. It doesn’t necessarily go bad, just weaker.

 

[Scooter68]

Agree Ajmassa5983 - Unless there was something to ferment, those corks shouldn't be popping. The wine might turn to vinegar or develop off tastes but corks are only going to pop if something is there to create a lot of gas. Old Sorbate could be a problem or not enough of it.

 

[Maynard123]

Thanks I think I will give a kit a try next. That and the Welch’s wine seems like good old high school fun! I did get both, the hydrometer and thermometer. When I took my hydrometer reading after initial racking, it rea.1.00. My reading of the must when I put in primary was .80. I was going to read about this to see if that is good or not. If not, then I’d like to know. If it is repairable.

I'm a little confused if your hydrometer reading was .80 when you started it doesn't go up, could it have been 1.80? Your hydrometer has a potential alcohol scale that is easy to read, I must admit that I tend to use it. However your hydrometer should have come with instructions on how to use it. It tells you how to add or subtract according to the temperature of your must, that way you can arrive at your actual gravity. If it didn't come with instructions you can look it up easily enough, you may find it here on this site.

 

[Jal5]

Mr. Joe welcome to a fun hobby that can be absorbing. Beware! You start looking at all kinds of fruit, veggies, and flowers as potential wine ingredients. LOL

READ LOTS HERE AND ELSEWHERE. And ask plenty of questions.
I am new to this too but sofar in almost a year made a kit valpolicella, dragons blood, reisling from juice and sangiovese from juice. This month I will start a juice bucket of merlot and will do a small batch of crabapple. Forgot the gallon of dandelion that is aging too.

Great fun for us heart patients!

Joe

 

[sugar]

The Basics:
Read
Have Patience
Read
Document everything you do
Read
Have Patience
Get the proper equipment and learn how to use it.
Read
Have Patience


(Have Patience = Don't rush things)

Welcome to a fun hobby that produces something friends and family will love.
(And if your friends don't appreciate it....find new friends.)

AMEN!!!

 

[Scooter68]

Mr. Joe welcome to a fun hobby that can be absorbing. Beware! You start looking at all kinds of fruit, veggies, and flowers as potential wine ingredients. LOL
Joe

I'd like to add - based on some comments on other threads. We get some pretty strange recipe requests on here, some that prompt me to think - Yeah, maybe you can make wine from that, but; just because you can, Should you?

To each his own but sometimes, wow! Guess I'd like to be there, fly on the wall, when someone offers a friend a 'bizarre' wine they make like Pinto Bean wine. (I know, I know absurd but...)

Still it's fun.