Vineco I'm confused. Need advice.

[vinny]

I just made my first 2 kits. A Pinot Gris (vineco) and a Shiraz (Winexpert). I followed directions to the letter.

I used a fermenting bucket with measurements on the side.Topped up to 23 liters, and moved to a 23 litre corboy after bulk fermentation. The wine only came up to the shoulder, but I thought nothing of it figuring I needed space for finings and I could top up. I lost very little to racking as nothing had settled.

I just racked after 2 weeks to carry on to step 2 and I lost a significant amount of Pinot Gris compared to shiraz, but there were 2 pack of yeast compared to one.

Anyway, this is where my levels are. I was at the top shoulder rib before racking.


SG for both kits was 1.090. Shiraz was 25.5 degrees. PG was 24 degrees.

I am wondering how to proceed. Add water because they will be concentrated/acidic. Add wine? Both?

Move to smaller vessels and just hope for the best?

Save me!

 

[VinesnBines]

Either move to smaller carboy or add a comparable (same) or complimentary wine. I keep my carboys topped almost to the bung.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

I would go smaller carboy. It looks like it would take 3+ bottles to fill them

 

[vinny]

Thanks.

I was annoyed enough by that that I just filled carboys and tranfered to fermenters to see what happened. A full carboy is 24 liters on the fermenting bucket. I was a liter short on both from the beginning, then racking.

I am about 2 bottles shy in the shiraz, and 3 1/2 in the PG. I have half a mind to top up the shiraz and leave it in the 6 gallon and move the PG into smaller carboys.

Anything to worry about with the concentrations or acid levels, or should I just top up and carry on.

 

[Ohio Bob]

In the end it’s what your comfortable with. Adding 2-3 bottles to a 24 bottle (?) batch isn’t going to off-balance the final product very much. Since your adding ~1/12 store bought.

 

[sour_grapes]

I vote for topping off a similar wine. Bota wine boxes are a fine choice...

 

[salcoco]

if you have confidence in your sanitizing technique no need to top up. take 3 grams k-meta and 11 grams of tartaric acid to one gallon or water. using a spray bottle spray anything that will touch the wine. keep an airlock on the carboy. keep the airlock on at all times reduce time to check the wine. works great have been doing this for almost 40 years without a problem. also add 1/4 tsp of k-meta to wine every three months

 

[vinny]

if you have confidence in your sanitizing technique no need to top up.

I have no confidence in anything, but only because I have no experience. I am using pink chlorinated TSP. I washed the carboys with dish soap, got a brush in and sudsed them all up. Dumped in a cup or 2 of tsp solution, swirled it around and let it sit a few minutes swirled again and rinsed with tap water. I spray everything befor use and even if I put something on the counter without using I spray it again.

The carboys sat for 20 minutes before I got the wine transferring..

I think I feel more comfortable to transfer and top up just to reduce variables, but thought it might be prudent to have my sanitation technique evaluated.

Would you consider that sufficient?

 

[WinoDon]

I just made my first 2 kits. A Pinot Gris (vineco) and a Shiraz (Winexpert). I followed directions to the letter.

I used a fermenting bucket with measurements on the side.Topped up to 23 liters, and moved to a 23 litre corboy after bulk fermentation. The wine only came up to the shoulder, but I thought nothing of it figuring I needed space for finings and I could top up. I lost very little to racking as nothing had settled.

I just racked after 2 weeks to carry on to step 2 and I lost a significant amount of Pinot Gris compared to shiraz, but there were 2 pack of yeast compared to one.

Anyway, this is where my levels are. I was at the top shoulder rib before racking.
View attachment 84784

SG for both kits was 1.090. Shiraz was 25.5 degrees. PG was 24 degrees.

I am wondering how to proceed. Add water because they will be concentrated/acidic. Add wine? Both?

Move to smaller vessels and just hope for the best?

Save me!

 

[WinoDon]

I found you cannot rely on the measurements posted on the buckets and I make my own measurement and mark the bucket with a sharpie.

 

[Bill Pet]

I don't know how others feel about my solution. After degassing and stabilization, if I have too much head space I use a Harbor Freight hand vacuum pump to create a -20lbs vacuum. I make sure there are no leaks and maintain that negative pressure a few days as the vacuum pulls gasses (O2, CO2, and maybe a little alcohol?) out of solution. Eventually the vacuum stabilizes at -10lbs or so. No more O2 can get in there unless I take the stopper out. Whenever I do, I just pump out the air again.

 

[vinny]

Eventually the vacuum stabilizes at -10lbs or so.

This is interesting. I have a vacuum pump, it's an option.

Do you leave the pump connected and that is how you are getting you readings?

 

[Bill Pet]

I use a Harbor Freight hand vacuum pump intended for brake bleeding: Brake Bleeder and Vacuum Pump Kit. It comes with a gauge as well as a tubing, a trap, and a bunch of connectors and fittings ... enough stuff for everything I needed to cobble something together. I just pump according to the gauge. Initial pumping will build lower arm strength, especially if there is a lot of head space. I use it both for degassing and head space elimination substitute. It's a cheap solution so I don't have to dilute with water or have to spend or waste money on extra bottles of wine. And yes, I leave the pump connected.

 

[Bill Pet]

https://www.harborfreight.com/brake-bleeder-and-vacuum-pump-kit-63391.html

 

[Bill Pet]

By the way, I am not in any way associated with HF. They have other pumps and I'm sure other auto supply stores have equivalent ones.

 

[vinny]

By the way, I am not in any way associated with HF. They have other pumps and I'm sure other auto supply stores have equivalent ones.

Harbor Freight is so cheap, even in canada I know of them. I have gotten neighbors to fetch me good deals on their runs to the US.

I have one of those pumps, too. I'll see what I can rig up.

 

[salcoco]

your techniques are more than satisfactory. assure the use of k-meta is followed using a dosage of 1/4 tsp per 5 gallons. minimize removing the airlock and spray any tool that touches the wine and you should be fine. age the wine about six months and then bottle.

 

[vinny]

Thanks for everyone's reply's.

I put them on vacuum. I feel pretty confident with that after all that was said.

I will need to monitor it. I don't have a closet in my space, and I think it wise not to start to encroach until some benefits have been produced. Is a black garbage bag suffient for light protection?

 

[VinesnBines]

I use black garbage bags for keeping wine and beer from light. Seems to work well.

 

[wineh]

Winodon said :"I found you cannot rely on the measurements posted on the buckets and I make my own measurement and mark the bucket with a sharpie."
From the old-timers files. Fill carboy with water, dump water into (level) primary fermenter, mark waterline on 4 sides with a jiffy marker.
As far as your shortage of liquid, it's hard to say whether you shorted your mixture of water, or had losses related to racking. Once you determine where 23 litres is on the primary, you'll know whether to top up with water or wine.