Newbi from Big Island

[Chirata]

I'm soooo excited! As the 3 gal carboys still have not arrived I'm making do with 3. 1 gal glass bottles. I love that now I can see all the bubbling action going on and the air locks doing their thing.
My son thought they look more like dragons blood than the dragons blood wine. I think it's going to look beautiful! Fingers crossed!

 

[mauijoe]

Nice, they're probably bubbling a nice tune. When you got like eight going fresh, it almost sounds like a bubbler band!
Should you ever run into a situation where you found that you do not have enough airlocks to take on the additional emergency carboys, you could always just attach an airhose like those used for aquarium pumps...drill a cork for a smaller bottle, or insert the hose into the bung..you may have to wind a couple turns of tape to match the snugness of the bung opening...rubber band all hoses to a jar of water, weigh it down some and you have a community bubbler going!

 

[Chirata]

Nice, they're probably bubbling a nice tune. When you got like eight going fresh, it almost sounds like a bubbler band!
Should you ever run into a situation where you found that you do not have enough airlocks to take on the additional emergency carboys, you could always just attach an airhose like those used for aquarium pumps...drill a cork for a smaller bottle, or insert the hose into the bung..you may have to wind a couple turns of tape to match the snugness of the bung opening...rubber band all hoses to a jar of water, weigh it down some and you have a community bubbler going!

Funny you should say that....I was short one airlock for the small amount left over.....it wasn't even enough for another bottle of any size.... I still have it in a bottle that's way to big for it. I'm thinking I have to toss it, im just having difficulty with that....
Great advice ill take note of for next time!
Mahalo

 

[mauijoe]

I had just mentioned about odd sized bottles and 1/2 gal juice jugs that you can find at the store on another thread... I use to save a lot of "Arizona Tea" glass bottles that took a little room and they are thick walled glass that come in handy where you can insert a 1-gal. bung into them....good for those 1/2 bottle left overs that you may need 3-4 days down the road. If you don't have anything for the left overs now....just cap it and fridge it for later use...let it settle in, then take the good of the top later when needed.

 

[Chirata]

Update. Air locks are still bubbling away, SG is currently 1.003 +.oo3 for temp. I'm seeing about 1/3" of sediment on bottoms of the carboys. Is it time to rack or should I wait until .995 or bubbling stops?

 

[mauijoe]

We have always at this point racked for the "positve approach," keeping the idea of having more oxygen generated in the racking, and getting the positive in motion to exhaust from your carboy. Hold the hose high in the carboy and gently lowering it as you approach the shoulder towards the neck. Try not to get tempted to go up the neck of the carboy but hold back. This way when you notice that you either do not have enough to gradually add to the carboy or, you have a lot left, you can take the time to gradually extract the remainer without the sediment/muck. Then take a breather, let it settle for a few minutes, slowly pour the remainder or hopefully you have a petcock valve installed on your primary, you just tilt the bucket to another vessel, allowing it to settle a few moments, then pour up to where you want below the bung....you're done....if I see that there is a bit of tasting still in the primary./...why not! I would go for it at this time!

 

[Chirata]

I was hoping that the first time I read this that the reason I didn't quite understand the "positive approach" was due to the fever/flu. However I am recovered and still don't quite get the terminalogy.
Implements I have primary with the cool siphon near the base.
Auto siphon for the carboys

As you suggested earlier I racked them into the carboys at 1.030. They are still bubbling at about 5 air lock bubbles per minute but I am seeing a bit of sediment on the bottom. The current SG is 1.000.
Wishing the 3 gallon carboys were in stock as I'd like to rack them into one rather than redoing the 3 one gallon ones. It may be another week before they come into Hilo.
Would you recommend that I wait to all bubbling stops or re rack to remove sediment now?
I do also have potassium sorbate and Camden tab....
Aloha,Colette

 

[mauijoe]

Aloha,
[We have always at this point racked for the "positve approach," keeping the idea of having more oxygen generated in the racking, and getting the positive in motion to exhaust from your carboy.]
As you can see on my earlier thread, the "positve approach" refers to the air pressure (exhaust) of the yeast still in action. You'll probably get a lot more sediment from falling yeast and particles however let it go....then rack after all the bubbling has stopped. You'll get sediment as the product clears and don't worry about that, it's a natural process...main thing that you don't let the wine sit on dead yeast particles for long term aging. When you're reading to rack again and prepare for bottling, you need to stablize/add sweetners or whatever to your taste. For long term aging in the jugs, then you must consider adding the necessary chemicals for that process.
I would consider and "early wine." Get the experience of a process (that you're doing) of converting fruit to wine, then go for the experience of long term. Right now soon, enjoy the product.....

 

[Chirata]

Sounds like a great idea Maui joe! Thanks for all your support!

Aloha,
Colette

 

[mauijoe]

One good option of having individual jugs coming from the same base, you can experiement with one (1) gallon after tasting prior to bottling, you can adjust the sweetness if you prefer. If you over sweeten abit, you are able to blend the other two gallons when you rack into one container and then "taste test" prior filling the jugs.

Next time you do say three gallons, you can do the same thing into separate jugs, adjusting the base, sweetness, and whether you want a dry, semi-sweet, or a sweet-desert wine having separate endings using the same primary base as a starter.
Good luck-hope this helps some!

 

[Chirata]

Thanks Maui joe, it certainly does help. Mahalo!

 

[TheWineGuy]

What part of Hawaii are you from? Big island? Ohau?