Hello everyone.

Aurielia33 · Oct 2, 2024

Hi I live in Arizona
I have been making homemade wine for a while now ,but still no oro. I use what I have as I am on a budget .
I have question for all of you

I'm making wine in a bottle with a balloon on them. I have two bottles. I started them on September 27th. It's October 2nd now. .The balloons are still sorta deflated ,about a good half of where they were at first which was fully inflated. The balloons are still on .
I can't see any bubbles fermenting anymore . Also I use grape juice which was dark color and now it's easily. To see they like a clear red wine
Should I let it keep fermenting as my brain thinks so, and let the balloons to fully deflate. Or is it possible that it's done .
Thanks

Aurielia33 · Oct 2, 2024

Aurielia33 said:
Hi I live in Arizona
I have been making homemade wine for a while now ,but still no oro. I use what I have as I am on a budget .
I have question for all of you

I'm making wine in a bottle with a balloon on them. I have two bottles. I started them on September 27th. It's October 2nd now. .The balloons are still sorta deflated ,about a good half of where they were at first which was fully inflated. The balloons are still on .
I can't see any bubbles fermenting anymore . Also I use grape juice which was dark color and now it's easily. To see they like a clear red wine
Should I let it keep fermenting as my brain thinks so, and let the balloons to fully deflate. Or is it possible that it's done .
Thanks

Still nonexpert typo above. Not still no oro

winemaker81 · Oct 2, 2024

Welcome to WMT!

The balloon deflating doesn't indicate fermentation is complete -- it just means the wine is no longer emitting CO2 is enough quantity to keep the balloon inflated. If the ferment is stuck, it may re-ignite later. To determine if the ferment is fully completed (yeast ate all the sugar), you need a hydrometer.

The wine will continue to emit CO2 for weeks or even months after fermentation is complete. There is a lot of CO2 dissolved in the wine, and most of it comes out of suspension over time. Without a hydrometer, the best you can do is taste the wine -- if there is any sweetness, then it's not done.

So at this point your ferment may be complete. Or it may not. Give it a few more days and see what the balloon looks like. Note that when it's fully deflated, O2 may be getting in, so oxidation is very possible.

What are you using for secondary storage? Because the wine is emitting CO2 and will continue to do so, sealing a bottle (e.g., screwcap bottle) is a VERY bad idea. Bottles are either rated for pressure or unrated, and unrated bottles are not safe for any pressure. A weak spot may give way, producing an explosion.

TechAdmin · Oct 2, 2024

Welcome to the forum.

Rice_Guy · Oct 2, 2024

welcome to WMT

You are currently making my grandfather’s wines, or jail house hooch. It works, it can occasionally fail. The main risk is it doesn’t taste as good as you want.
To your finished question, a hydrometer is a basic tool that costs under $10. The hydrometer measures sugar so you can tell if any is left (it’s finished). And when you start it gives an indication of potential alcohol. Subtracting beginning and today gives an estimate of alcohol now.

We are on the web, not grandpa tasting what I made. Numbers help us answer you. Not very precise but grandpa learned from his grandpa that floating an egg gave an indication of residual sugar.

Kraffty · Oct 2, 2024

Welcome to the group, there are many knowledgeable people here willing to share info. There are a few inexpensive tools you should consider investing in that would be helpful to you. The most important being a hydrometer and most under 15.00. Testing with one tells you when your wine is fully fermented and your alcohol level. Best of luck