My first day of winemaking

[RylanJacobs]

Not to say that anything is wrong with your technique, but if you want an accurate reading a graduated cylinder is handy to have. Use a wine thief or turkey baster to pull samples.

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Good point. I do have a wine thief and cylinder. Is it okay to put the sample back into the must once the reading is complete?

 

[Ohio Bob]

Good point. I do have a wine thief and cylinder. Is it okay to put the sample back into the must once the reading is complete?

As long as the thief and cylinder were sanitized you can return it to the carboy. Also it’s good to taste, not just smell. I doubt you can smell sweetness, but you sure can taste it. It’s good info to have and record.

 

[Jovimaple]

Would you mind sharing a template of your spreadsheet? I'm currently using a notebook, but find digital spreadsheets much easier. Thanks!

Sure! DM me your email address and I can send it. I am out of town until Tuesday and it's on my computer at home so it will be a couple of days.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

Also it’s good to taste, not just smell. I doubt you can smell sweetness, but you sure can taste it. It’s good info to have and record.

I don't disagree that tasting throughout the winemaking process is useful, both for its educational value and to make adjustments if needed... but every day during fermentation might be overkill. I will typically taste my starting must, end of fermentation and then at various points during elevage. As you say, keep good notes - eg my notes from the aforementioned white pinot noir:

10/24/22 Color: faint blush, not entirely clear. Nose: Stone fruit. Palate: Peach, finish a bit sharp but still pleasant.
12/08/22 Good clarity. Tastes as above; pretty stone fruit, a little tart but not overly so. Will probably add a little sugar at bottling depending on how much acid drops over winter
12/29/22 Seems smoother than a month ago. Nice fruit flavors
02/04/23 Beautiful nose of stone fruit and citrus, tastes great, more integrated than before. Not sharp at all. Slight yeastiness on finish

 

[vinny]

Good point. I do have a wine thief and cylinder. Is it okay to put the sample back into the must once the reading is complete?

Absolutely, just keep up good sanitation practices.

I tend to dump back 90+ % and have a taste from the cylinder. one less thing to drag around and sanitize.

 

[RylanJacobs]

Update 7/6 @ noon

- SG: 1.000 (fermentation started Saturday morning, so 5 days long)

- Temp: Inkbird on bucket: 63.7F; Internal Must: 68F

- Smell: Almost no yeast smell. I can actually smell some alcohol

- Taste: Bitter, hot, sour. Almost like a shot of grapefruit juice. Not really pleasant, but didn't make me gag. What does VA taste like, that I might be able to detect it in the future?

Question: The FWK kit suggests racking to secondary in 21 days. I am currently on day 5. Does it seem appropriate to wait that long? There are gross lees forming on the bottom of the fermenter that I am stirring back up. I don't want this wine to be harsh and bitter, so am leaning towards racking this weekend. (If I can get the SG to 0.996-0.998)

 

[RylanJacobs]

I don't disagree that tasting throughout the winemaking process is useful, both for its educational value and to make adjustments if needed... but every day during fermentation might be overkill. I will typically taste my starting must, end of fermentation and then at various points during elevage. As you say, keep good notes - eg my notes from the aforementioned white pinot noir:

10/24/22 Color: faint blush, not entirely clear. Nose: Stone fruit. Palate: Peach, finish a bit sharp but still pleasant.
12/08/22 Good clarity. Tastes as above; pretty stone fruit, a little tart but not overly so. Will probably add a little sugar at bottling depending on how much acid drops over winter
12/29/22 Seems smoother than a month ago. Nice fruit flavors
02/04/23 Beautiful nose of stone fruit and citrus, tastes great, more integrated than before. Not sharp at all. Slight yeastiness on finish

I hope my wine takes the same trajectory as yours. Very hot and sharp today. Although fermentation started less than a week ago.

 

[Jovimaple]

Update 7/6 @ noon

- SG: 1.000 (fermentation started Saturday morning, so 5 days long)

- Temp: Inkbird on bucket: 63.7F; Internal Must: 68F

- Smell: Almost no yeast smell. I can actually smell some alcohol

- Taste: Bitter, hot, sour. Almost like a shot of grapefruit juice. Not really pleasant, but didn't make me gag. What does VA taste like, that I might be able to detect it in the future?

Question: The FWK kit suggests racking to secondary in 21 days. I am currently on day 5. Does it seem appropriate to wait that long? There are gross lees forming on the bottom of the fermenter that I am stirring back up. I don't want this wine to be harsh and bitter, so am leaning towards racking this weekend. (If I can get the SG to 0.996-0.998)

Go by your hydrometer. I usually ferment to dry (under 1.000 and stable for 3 days) in the fermenting bucket, then rack. Others will rack at 1.020 and under, especially for whites, to keep some of the more delicate flavors and smells.

The CO2 in the wine adds bitter flavors that should disappear as the wine degasses as it ages. The wine kit instructions are written so winemakers of any experience can be successful, but wine can go at its own schedule. I have had some that ferment to dry in a week and others that take 3 weeks or, on a couple of occasions (Key Lime Skeeter Pee, for one), it never did get below 1.010 and I finally just called it done after a few months (under airlock, by then). The CO2 does provide a blanket to keep oxygen out at this point in your fermentation process, so that's why there's wiggle room - you probably would be okay leaving it for the full 21 days, but since you have a hydrometer, you can go by when it's actually done.

Edited to add that your wine is just a baby, barely born. Use your tasting notes to get an idea of the process that wine goes through, but try not to worry about it. It has many months for the magic to happen and it to smooth out and become a delicious wine. To paraphrase Bryan @winemaker81 , once the wine is under airlock, think of the kit instruction timelines as minimums, not a schedule. Give your wine time to finish its processes and you will be amazed at the changes it goes through.

 

[sour_grapes]

Yes, new wines taste kinda sour. I think it is the carbonic acid from the CO2.

VA is vinegar, basically. You are a long way from having to worry about VA in your wine. (It needs alcohol, time, and bacteria.)