New with wine making.

[Brigitte]

So we are new with making wine. Using our own grapes and this is first time making wine ever.
Been checking Brix daily. I like doing Brix rather than so gr.
It just seems easier. Are there any probs with Brix meter versus hydrometer ?

Pitched yeast a week ago Friday on edelweiss and a week ago today on Cayuga.
cotes des Blancs on both. Fermentation took off -- used yeast nutrient. Starting Brix were around 22. I don't have numbers with me. Not at home.
All week numbers are dropping and this morning my husband checks and sends me this:
Edelweiss. Is 6.6 Brix and was 6.3 yesterday
Cayuga batch # 1 ( 3 gallon batch )7.3. Was 7.6
Cayuga batch #2 (4 gallon batch) 6.7 and was 6.6 yesterday.

Is it really possibly to get higher numbers ? Also the Cayuga has been hovering in the 7 Brix for about 3 days.
Do we need to act in this.
Fermenting in open buckets with cheese cloth over top.
Should we rack to carboys?

 

[stickman]

There are calculators and charts online. Based on the one below you are probably done, but re-run the exact numbers for each to be sure.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/resources/refractometer-calculator/

 

[Brigitte]

Hi stick man. I have been running the calculations all along. I just didn't post them here. I am at around 1.02 sp gr at 6.7 Brix.
I guess my question is- is it time to rack to carboys?

 

[stickman]

I would rack to carboys. The reason I said to calculate again is because the starting brix is critical to determine the final sg using this method. If the starting brix was 22 as you indicate above, then the wine is dry and ready to rack to carboys and top up. I always use a hydrometer near the end of fermentation, just my preference.

 

[Brigitte]

So fermenting to dry isn't always below 1.000 sp grav? Excuse my ignorance. I am trying to learn. Lol. I really appreciate you taking time to answer my questions!

 

[stickman]

I plugged in 22 brix starting and 7.6 current, and the calculator returns .992 which is a reasonable dry sg, but to determine if the wine is truly dry requires other testing. For most purposes what you have done is good enough, any residual sugar should continue to ferment in the secondary, and it will be better protected from oxygen in a carboy. Depending on the layer of lees present, it is typical to rack again in 24 to 48hrs to remove the gross lees.

 

[Brigitte]

Thank you so much. That makes sense to me ... First finally