Many wine making questions!

[brottman]

Sorry for all of these questions. I am a beginning fermentor and these are all of the questions I have recently written down

1. When is topping up important - all the time in carboy, or only once bulk aging begins? The two WE kits I've done both say do not top off after racking to carboy. I can see why, after adding the metabisulphate and sorbate, when degassing the whole thing bubbled up and overflowed a little bit.

2. Why do some people say stir wine daily, while others warn about oxidation from over stirring/degassing?

3. Many people suggest stirring wine daily or even multiple times a day, yet many kits say to pitch the yeast, then let sit for 5-7 days, or even longer in later stages. Why the discrepancy?

4. When bulk aging, why, or is an airlock important verses a solid rubber bung?

5. What does everyone think of the new waterless airlocks/bungs?

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Sorry for all of these questions. I am a beginning fermentor and these are all of the questions I have recently written down

1. When is topping up important - all the time in carboy, or only once bulk aging begins? The two WE kits I've done both say do not top off after racking to carboy. I can see why, after adding the metabisulphate and sorbate, when degassing the whole thing bubbled up and overflowed a little bit.

2. Why do some people say stir wine daily, while others warn about oxidation from over stirring/degassing?

3. Many people suggest stirring wine daily or even multiple times a day, yet many kits say to pitch the yeast, then let sit for 5-7 days, or even longer in later stages. Why the discrepancy?

4. When bulk aging, why, or is an airlock important verses a sold rubber bung?

5. What does everyone think of the new waterless airlocks/bungs?

1 = whenever fermentation is stopped and there is lack of CO2 to push out the Oxygen

2= stirring wine while under fermentation , will not cause any form of oxidization - you actually want the oxygen to feed the yeast

3= ?

4 = air lock will adjust under temperature and barometric pressures and such as a bung may be pushed out of the carboy without your knowledge of it

5 = I personally like the S air locks as I can tell that there is a difference in pressure inside the carboy - telling me that I do not have air entering the carboy - possibly spoiling my wine

 

[cmason1957]

Sorry for all of these questions. I am a beginning fermentor and these are all of the questions I have recently written down



3. Many people suggest stirring wine daily or even multiple times a day, yet many kits say to pitch the yeast, then let sit for 5-7 days, or even longer in later stages. Why the discrepancy?

All great answers to the other questions, so I will take a shot at this one.

Kit manufacturers write the instructions so that the beginning winemaker has the best chance at making his wine. They also tell you to clamp that lid down and put an airlock on. You can make any wine that way, it will work. There is plenty of oxygen in the top air space for fermentation to work. Doing ANYTHING other than following the directions provided may invalidate the warranty from the manufacturer.

I prefer to leave the lid just resting lightly and stir twice or three times a day. It makes it very easy to check the SG and see it dropping.

 

[brottman]

Thanks for the great answers! cmason1957, you say you prefer to just leave the lid resting lightly, but also say the kit instructions "will work". Is there evidence that stirring/daily attention produces a better wine? I would think that messing with the wine every day introduces chances of things going badly perhaps. Any validity to this thought?

 

[cmason1957]

I don't know for sure that stirring daily makes a better wine. I do know it ends up with less CO2 and an easier degassing process. With my first few kits (lid and airlock) I almost always had a volcanic like reaction when I added k-meta and sorbate. Since stirring every day, I never have that problem.

Oh and also always follow the extended kit timberline hinted at by Tim Vandergrift.

I started stirring daily after making my first from grapes wine. You have to punch down a cap twice or so a day.

 

[Putterrr]

5. What does everyone think of the new waterless airlocks/bungs?

I love the waterless airlocks. I do use the 3 piece one during fermentation and then switch to waterless after that.

I also just rest the lid on top but don't stir daily unless there is something floating on top like a grape pack or oak tea bag. Everyone has there own techniques and we all end up with great tasting wine which is the goal.

cheers

 

[Floandgary]

Stirring the must helps insure a more even/complete fermentation. May even speed the process a bit. All ingrediants and conditions within tolerances, it'll occur regardless. A cheesecloth or loose lid simply allows easier access for stirring, sampling, hydrometer readings, etc. while keeping the bugs out!
Oh by-the-way,,, of prime consideration from the moment you start is SANITATION!!! All equipment at each use will eliminate the likelihood of "things going badly"..

 

[fabrictodyefor]

IMHO making wines from kits and making wine with fruits are very different. When I have a mesh bag with fruit in my must I want to squeeze and stir at least twice a day, this helps to get all the flavor out of the fruit and helps to release CO2. I do not have much experience with kits, just started my first one and am following the instructions! However I did not lock down a lid on the ferment bucket, just tied muslin on the top. I think oxidation happens later, after the wine has quit fermenting.

 

[Turock]

You should always follow the kit instructions. They are much different, however, than the techniques you use in making wine from grapes or fruit. I think this is why so many people want to to sorbate wine as soon as it goes into the secondary---because kits want you to do this. Don't think that the techniques used for kits necessarily translates over into other wine making. Kits are made to be done in a certain way and not following their directions may not yield a correct result.

 

[Vertumnus]

Speaking to the water-less airlocks, I'm using them almost exclusively when I can. The silicone makes it much easier to fit it into the carboy, even when a little wet. Not having to deal with overturned airlocks or fruit flies floating in there and possibly contaminating the wine far outweighs for me currently the wonderment I get from watching the bubbles.