WineXpert Need advice! Secondary in fermenter bucket

[sand]

Hei.

I need your advice in this matter...

I'm making a WinExpert red Temperanillo with grapeskins. I'm not planning in storing the wine for more than 6 months.

It has been fermenting for 8 days. The instructions say to rack over to a 23 liter carboy for secondary fermentation. Then I shall wait for 10 days, and start stabilising and clearing.

Yesterday I did this, BUT... I don't have a 23 liter carboy, so I just put it back in the 30 liter fermenter bucket. I've now read that this may cause problems due to more air in the bucket.

How do I best solve this? I see that the fermentation has stopped, there is no more production of CO2.

- Should I shorten the time for secondary, to ex. 5 days?
- Should I add the metabisulphite and sorbate now, and wait 10 days?
- Or sould I skip secondary, and start stabilising and clearing?

How fast does a red wine get oxidized before adding sulphite?

I appreciate your help...

 

[Julie]

Why do you not have a 23L carboy? Do you have any size carboy?

 

[TonyP]

Sand, welcome to the forum. Sorry to sound critical on my first post to you, but you read the instructions so knew you needed a carboy over a week ago. My suggestion is get a carboy, bung, and airlock ASAP.

I'm not following what you mean when you say you racked over to something then put the wine back in the primary bucket. What did you rack to?

In terms of the balance of your post, you're not describing SG, so I'm wondering if you have a hydrometer. Instruction days are meant as a guide, but you should be using a hydrometer and making decisions based on SG readings.

I would do nothing until I got a carboy except keep the lid closed. Hopefully the CO2 in the primary will protect you until then

 

[sand]

I have two containers of 10 liter and one of 5 liter, with screw cap, which I used when I siphoned from and to the bucket. I could transfer the wine into these, and squeeze the containers to push out the air. I do not have an airlock to these, but maybe it doesn't matter, since the fermentation has stopped.

 

[dralarms]

Like Tony said, how do you know feremntation has stopped unless you have a hydrometer? If you have one please tell us the reading.

 

[sand]

I have an oechslemeter, and it shows -6.

 

[dralarms]

OK, I'm not what that is, but if it is finished fermenting then you need to stabilize it. And you really NEED a carboy with airlock and bung.

 

[TonyP]

OK, I'm not what that is, but if it is finished fermenting then you need to stabilize it. And you really NEED a carboy with airlock and bung.

FYI, he's referring to the oechsle scale, with -6 equaling 0.994 at 68F.

 

[sand]

FYI, he's referring to the oechsle scale, with -6 equaling 0.994 at 68F.

Ok. Thanks. Seems like the fermenting went a bit fast, since it's on 0.994 after 8 days of fermenting.

Then I will just skip "secondary fermention", and jump to "stabilising and clearing". And I will transfer it to a smaller container.

I think I just misread the instructions...

 

[dralarms]

FYI, he's referring to the oechsle scale, with -6 equaling 0.994 at 68F.

Well that's done. lol

 

[DoctorCAD]

That is WAAAAAAAY too good of a kit to wreck by open secondary.

No shortcuts...FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS...unless you want to waste $100 worth of great wine.