It begins... RJS Cellar Series Cabernet

[jgmann67]

The more i think about it the more I feel like I should just follow the directions on this first run.

I've moved to warm water to "clean as I go" with equipment. Bottles, on the other hand = clean them with water hot as I can stand.

 

[jgmann67]

Day 4 -

I stirred the must first thing this morning. Smells even better than it did on Day 2. Interesting, the sock-o-grapeskins was floating around like a marshmallow in cocoa. I squished and squeezed it... Still a little buoyant. Stirred the must for a couple minutes and snapped the lid and airlock back on. I know... I don't need to, but that's what the directions said to do.

Lots of yeast action going on. Airlock blubbing every second or two.

I opened the door to the wine room, along with all the doors in the basement. The must is 69* and running a cube heater in there seems counter-intuitive (the money I save making my own wine being spent on running a glorified hair dryer to keep it the same temp as my wife's office... Just silly).

Questions of the day:

Does the Sorbate really give the wine a bubblegum taste that won't fade for a year or so? Since I like my reds dry... And not bubblegummy at all... I remain in a constant state of internal struggle on this issue.

 

[cmason1957]

I don't taste bubblegum when I have used sorbate. I no longer put it in to my dry reds, use it or don't it isn't worth thinking about for more than a few minutes. I believe kit manufacturers include it with a dry red as protection that the user misread the hydrometer.

 

[jgmann67]

I don't taste bubblegum when I have used sorbate. I no longer put it in to my dry reds, use it or don't it isn't worth thinking about for more than a few minutes. I believe kit manufacturers include it with a dry red as protection that the user misread the hydrometer.

Thanks. I'm using this thread like some sort of cathartic journal. Keeping track of what I do and asking questions along the way. Hopefully, it's a fun read in the end and I get useful input (like yours) along the way.

As with most things I do for the first time, I'm thinking too much, wrestling with direction and the need to be sure I know what I'm doing.

I probably won't make up my mind until the last second and I'm standing at the carboy with an open package of potassium sorbate in my hand.

 

[jgmann67]

Day 5 - things I learned this morning... Do NOT try to lift the sock-o-grapeskins out of the must by wrapping the end of the sock around the stir spoon. Bad, splashy things happen. Took 15 minutes to clean up the spatter.

Temp is around 67-68* in the bucket. The SG gives me a little pause as it's only around 1.088. I'm hoping that picks up in the next few days. I'm scheduled to move it the secondary this weekend. But at this rate, more likely on Tuesday-Wednesday. Wish I could get it warmer down there without running the space heater.

Will pulling the top off and letting more oxygen in accelerate the ferment? This is another "directions" vs. experience. The directions say snap on the lid and attach the bubbler, but a lot of folks on this forum say, it doesn't matter.

 

[bkisel]

Both the old instructions and the new on-line instuctions read the same... [Step 9 in old instructions and 11 in new instructions.]

11. Place cover (or lid with Airlock and Rubber Bung) onto Primary Fermenter. If Airlock and bung are used, fill the Airlock half-full of water.

I believe most, but certainly not all, of us choose not to airlock during "primary" fermentation.

I've done it both ways, kits without grape packs, and don't, from my experience, think it makes a dimes worth of difference so long has you've given the must a real good stirring before pitching the yeast and air locking.

 

[jgmann67]

Both the old instructions and the new on-line instuctions read the same... [Step 9 in old instructions and 11 in new instructions.]

11. Place cover (or lid with Airlock and Rubber Bung) onto Primary Fermenter. If Airlock and bung are used, fill the Airlock half-full of water.

I believe most, but certainly not all, of us choose not to airlock during "primary" fermentation.

I've done it both ways, kits without grape packs, and don't, from my experience, think it makes a dimes worth of difference so long has you've given the must a real good stirring before pitching the yeast and air locking.

Thanks. I stirred it really well initially. I also revisited and stirred three times since I started. I'm guessing the SG would be lower if the room and fermenter were a little warmer. Guess we'll see what happens.

 

[jgmann67]

I did the math this morning. The must is about 3.7% alcohol. After giving it a vigorous stir, I sealed it back up and the airlock is thumping like crazy. Still thinking we're not moving to the secondary till Tuesday.

 

[joeswine]

In the bag

LOOK, this is just my oppion, if your in a open container and the fpac is in a sock (which I can't see using) and the bentonite is first, second is your yeast then your reading moving to the addition of oak and then the fpac, leaving the lid off is the most effective way of having a complete mix,constantly stirring up the must isn't apart of the venue it defeats the purpose of the bentonite in the beginning, that's if I followed your format correctly? I have been known to be incorrect.

 

[jgmann67]

So, if I'm reading you right, Joe - you're saying that it doesn't much matter - lid on, lid off, stir, don't stir... The must will ferment in its own time and it's ready when it's ready. That about right?

The SG is about 1.06 now. It's early in day 7. Yep, Tuesday night, maybe Wednesday is moving day to the secondary.

 

[Dhaynes]

Jgmann67 -You're a man after my own heart. I went through all the same stuff you are when we first started, reading everything I could find, watching every YouTube video and fretting over every decision. What I eventually came to understand is that most of the time it doesn't matter very much. There are usually several different ways to do each step, each of which have ardent supporters that will argue to the death to prove their way is best but in the end most of the approaches work reasonably well. The differences usually come down to opinions and personal preferences.

For example: Snapping down the lid and using an airlock. This is absolutely the safest most sure fire way to get through the primary fermentation stage in good shape. It provides the best protection against outside contaminants. Fruit flies can't get in. Microbes can't get in. If the dog or the kid walks by they can't cause a spill if they bump into it, nor can they reach over and take a drink or toss in a toy.

The downside of using an airlock is that in the first few days of fermentation some batches can be very active and foamy to the point that some of the wine can blow out through the airlock and make a mess. We've had maybe 1 out of 6 kits that had a minor problem with this and got a little crud in the airlock or on the lid. We've only had one that went full on geyser and sprayed everything in a 3 foot radius. Some people opt to leave the airlock out for the first few days and just cover the opening with a cloth or something that will let the CO2 pass but keep most contaminates out. If you get some foam being forced out it won't be under a lot of pressure so no wine volcano.

Other people like to just cover the top with a cloth, open it up every day to see how things are going, take an SG reading and play with their wine by giving it a good stir. The theory being that this provides the yeast with more oxygen which will help it reproduce better thereby causing the yeast less stress that can produce off flavors. Some people swear that this produces better wine but I think it is just a good excuse to play with your wine

In reality all of these approaches seem to work just fine. During active fermentation a lot of CO2 glass is being given off which is heavier than oxygen so it will settle on top of the wine forcing the oxygen out of the bucket and produce a productive "blanket" that will shield the wine from the air above.

The thing to keep in mind is that the kit manufacturer has made each one of the kits they sell probably hundreds of times before they ever release it for sale. They have tweaked their process and instructions to maximize each kit makers chances for success. They have a reason for each recommendation and they certainly would not incur extra expense by including anything in the kit that they didn't think was necessary. A beginning winemaker would be wise to follow the instructions as close as possible in order to maximize their odds for success. I'm sure that the kit manufactures may on occasion recommend the safest course of action over a more risky course that might produce a minor incremental improvement in the final taste. But honestly, a beginning winemaker probably doesn't have a sophisticated enough pallet to taste the difference. Just be diligent about keeping everything clean and sanitized, minimize exposure to oxygen after the first few days and follow the kit instructions and you will make a good batch of wine. Then as you gain more experience you can start to make tweaks to see if you can improve the results. At least that's my philosophy.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[jgmann67]

Thank you, DHaynes.

I'm glad it's not just a "me" thing. I'm going to try to be patient and follow the directions. Just want this batch to knock my socks off. It will do great things to justify the hobby to the domestic finance manager, if ya know what I mean.

 

[jgmann67]

It's day 8. The fermentation seems to have slowed (slow blubbing, no foam). But the SG is 1.048. Temp seems to be around 66* in the must. I'm concerned that the low temp has stalled the process.

I'm going to introduce a few degrees of heat via a heating pad, set on LOW for half a day and see what happens. Will track temps every couple hours.

 

[jgmann67]

Temp up 1.5*. Signs of fermentation returning. I'm going to guess the pad will push the temp to about 73*.

 

[jgmann67]

SG at 1.042. Must temp is 70*.

Yep, Tuesday at best.

 

[jgmann67]

Monday morning. Day 9. Must temp is steady at 70*. SG dropped a little more. Now at 1.032.

Unlikely that tomorrow is moving day... Maybe Wednesday.

The instructions say primary ferm should be between 68 and 78*. Lower temp = slower fermentation. I'm going to put up a chart that tracks both temp and SG over time., just to see what that looks like. Then use it as comparison with future batches.

Observations: There isn't a lot of CO2 fizz until I open it up to check SG and give it a stir. Then, it gives me a nice show. Starting to smell less like grape juice and more like wine.

*** The chart isn't terribly interesting, except the first 5 days were slow and that increasing must temp a few degrees has kept the ferment steady.

 

[jgmann67]

Down to 1.029 SG last night. Checking again in a bit.

Hoping I don't hit 1.000 or below late in the week. Didn't budget time to futz with it.

 

[jgmann67]

SG this morning = 1.024. Moving. Slowly. Ever downward. We're at a respectable 10.1% ABV and the temp is 72*. It smells pretty damned good, too.

I backed off the heating pad for today. I want to keep it in the 70-72* range. I've been taking the SG readings after stirring the must and releasing the CO2. I wonder if that makes any difference.

I wonder, too, if I had to leave the project until Sunday if that might cause any issues. I mean, if it ferments down to a .992 SG, is there any risk in letting it sit a couple days till I can get back to it?

Okay. Time to get cleaned up and go to that job thing. See you later this evening for another reading. If I get to 1.015 by tonight, I'll be a very happy camper.

 

[Boatboy24]

Patience. You're doing fine. If it takes until Sunday, well then it takes until Sunday.

 

[jgmann67]

Patience. You're doing fine. If it takes until Sunday, well then it takes until Sunday.

As long as it keeps going in the right direction, I'm happy.

My Before bed check on the project:

SG - 1.02

Temp - 70*