Newbie learning the ropes

[claywine12204]

Sounds good. I think I will do morning at night since I'm working through the day. So this process might take a few weeks then? Trying to get a general idea of the progress I'm supposed to see every few days. Do I pretty much wait until the SG hits 1.000 no matter how long it takes then rack to the carboy?

So is my understanding that once the SG hits 1.000 it's considered "dry" so not sweet at all? Since I like sweet wine will most of the sweetness come from back sweetening then since I'm taking it all the way dry?

 

[Johnd]

Sounds good. I think I will do morning at night since I'm working through the day. So this process might take a few weeks then? Trying to get a general idea of the progress I'm supposed to see every few days. Do I pretty much wait until the SG hits 1.000 no matter how long it takes then rack to the carboy?

So is my understanding that once the SG hits 1.000 it's considered "dry" so not sweet at all? Since I like sweet wine will most of the sweetness come from back sweetening then since I'm taking it all the way dry?

You could get to 1.00 in a few days, could take a week or two, temps play a part in that. At 1.000, good time to rack to a carboy, should then finish fermenting to perhaps as low as .990. Anything below .996 is dry in my book, but when the SG doesn't change for three days in a row, it's done fermenting.

Once the sugar has been converted to alcohol, you can adjust the sweetness to your taste, but ONLY after adding both sulfites and sorbate. I think it's best to sweeten only after your wine is clear and free of CO2, so you can really taste the characteristics as you sweeten.

 

[claywine12204]

So I stirred, squeezed and measured tonight and the SG is 1.076 and temp jumped up to 75 so I moved the bucket to the basement to cool it down. Every time I have went to stir it looks really frothy so something is happening, so do I expect these very small changes in SG or at some point does it take off and I will start to see bigger changes in the SG?

Also, so far I'm measuring straight from the bucket, should I be taking a sample out to measure or does that make a difference?

 

[heatherd]

So I stirred, squeezed and measured tonight and the SG is 1.076 and temp jumped up to 75 so I moved the bucket to the basement to cool it down. Every time I have went to stir it looks really frothy so something is happening, so do I expect these very small changes in SG or at some point does it take off and I will start to see bigger changes in the SG?

@claywine12204 A temperature of 75 is perfectly fine for fermentation. Moving to the basement to cool it down will likely slow the fermentation. That's not necessarily bad, just means it will take more time.

 

[claywine12204]

So should I expect these very small changes in SG (this morning is 1.074) or at some point does it take off? I just want to make sure that it is progressing because I definitely see a lot of foam every time I go to stir.

 

[heatherd]

As long as your hydrometer readings keep moving it is still fermenting.

 

[claywine12204]

Ok sounds good. So I hope I'm on a good track. Here's how it's progressing:
12/26 9PM added everything in step 1 SG=1.082 57F
12/27 9PM pitch yeast SG=1.080 68F
12/28 9AM SG=1.078 71F
12/28 9PM SG=1.076 75F
12/29 9AM SG=1.074 69F
12/29 9PM SG=1.072 68F

Normally I see a purple sludgy/foamy material on top, but tonight in addition to that I'm also seeing clear foam/bubbles as well. Hope everything is ok because I really wouldn't know if it's not.

At least it doesn't stink!

 

[claywine12204]

So I know you guys are saying everything is ok, but I took another reading this morning and it is reading 1.070. So I'm happy it is going in the right direction, but I keep reading that you don't want the lees in the wine over 5 or so days. At the rate in which it's fermenting it might be several weeks until I hit 1.00. Should I worry?

 

[Johnd]

So I know you guys are saying everything is ok, but I took another reading this morning and it is reading 1.070. So I'm happy it is going in the right direction, but I keep reading that you don't want the lees in the wine over 5 or so days. At the rate in which it's fermenting it might be several weeks until I hit 1.00. Should I worry?

You shouldn't worry about the lees at this stage, but try to get the temperature up to 75 and keep it there. Temps dropping into the upper 60's will slow down the whole process.

 

[claywine12204]

So my batch has been progressing very well and I'm close to racking to the carboy. I'm not sure why I just now thought of this, but I may have been taking my readings incorrectly. So I normally twice a day open the lid, remove and squeeze the fruit bag, stir and then I take the measurement. With me taking the measurement at the end after stiring up the sediment will that interfer with the accuracy of the SG reading? Currently the SG is 1.010 and still very frothy. Should I still wait until the SG is at 1.0 before racking? Thanks

 

[Johnd]

So my batch has been progressing very well and I'm close to racking to the carboy. I'm not sure why I just now thought of this, but I may have been taking my readings incorrectly. So I normally twice a day open the lid, remove and squeeze the fruit bag, stir and then I take the measurement. With me taking the measurement at the end after stiring up the sediment will that interfer with the accuracy of the SG reading? Currently the SG is 1.010 and still very frothy. Should I still wait until the SG is at 1.0 before racking? Thanks

The hydrometer reading is affected by the bouyancy of the liquid, stirring solids back into suspension does not change your SG readings. What can affect them is CO2 clinging to the hydrometer, making it more buoyant, and causing it to float higher, you should watch out for that.

As far as racking, you'll find that there are differing opinions here. Some like to snap their lids down and go dry in the fermenter, others like to rack sooner than that. Personal preference typically gets my wines racked to carboy somewhere around 1.000, could be .998, could be 1.005 just depends on when my next available window is to work with the wine.

 

[claywine12204]

So my SG reading is now 1.0 and I'm going to remove the fruit bag and quit stirring. Looks like step 4 says to take SG readings and temps until I have 3 consecutive days with no change to the SG. My question is should I snap the lid now or will I continue to have it loose? Am I taking only 1 reading per day?

 

[Johnd]

So my SG reading is now 1.0 and I'm going to remove the fruit bag and quit stirring. Looks like step 4 says to take SG readings and temps until I have 3 consecutive days with no change to the SG. My question is should I snap the lid now or will I continue to have it loose? Am I taking only 1 reading per day?

If you're down to 1.000, squeeze your bag out and toss the fruit, and rack into your carboy and put the airlock on it. Take daily readings and just let it go until your SG is unchanged for three days or so. DB usually gets pretty dry.

 

[claywine12204]

So I squeezed and discarded the fruit and took a reading which was 0.994. I put the air lock and will watch for 3 days unchanged.
So I'm reading step 4 and it says to add Potassium Metabisulfite, Potassium Sorbate, degass and add Sparkolloid and leave alone for 1 week. I have two questions:
1. I thought about hooking a mixer to a drill method to degas, how long is acceptable to do this and how often?
2. During the week that I am leaving it alone am I taking any other readings during this time?

Thanks again guys, it's looking pretty good!

 

[Johnd]

So I squeezed and discarded the fruit and took a reading which was 0.994. I put the air lock and will watch for 3 days unchanged.
So I'm reading step 4 and it says to add Potassium Metabisulfite, Potassium Sorbate, degass and add Sparkolloid and leave alone for 1 week. I have two questions:
1. I thought about hooking a mixer to a drill method to degas, how long is acceptable to do this and how often?
2. During the week that I am leaving it alone am I taking any other readings during this time?

Thanks again guys, it's looking pretty good!

I'm still unclear as to where exactly your wine is right now. Your 1/2/17 post talked about snapping the lid down, you should be in a carboy now under airlock.

If you have transferred to a carboy with an airlock, and your SG remains unchanged at .994, you should go ahead and add your potassium metabisulfite, sorbate, and do your drill degassing. I can't tell you how long to do it, but do it until you have the gas out. It is most effective at temps in the mid to upper 70's, as the gas comes out of solution easier at these temps.

Add your sparkalloid when you are satisfied that the gas is gone, and let it clear. Once clear, rack off of the sediment and backsweeten to taste.

 

[claywine12204]

Ok so its time to stabilize and clear. One question.....step 4 says to add Potassium Metabisulfite, but I think I bought Sodium Metabisulfite. Doesn't sound like there's much difference, but will the amount be any different?

 

[Johnd]

Ok so its time to stabilize and clear. One question.....step 4 says to add Potassium Metabisulfite, but I think I bought Sodium Metabisulfite. Doesn't sound like there's much difference, but will the amount be any different?

There is much difference. Sodium Metabisulfite will affect the taste of your wine. While it is just as effective as a sanitizer, we do not use it in our wine, we use Potassium Metabisulfite.

I had both when I started and when I realized the difference thought I'd just keep the Sodium for sanitizing and Potassium to add to my wine. Thought better of it quickly and tossed the Sodium. Now it's Potassium for everything.

 

[claywine12204]

I'm an idiot, I have Campden Tablets so that's the Potassium Metabisulfite I thought I was missing. I bought so much at once I don't know what half of this means. So just crush the tablets and put 1/8th in my 3 gallon carboy?

 

[Johnd]

I'm an idiot, I have Campden Tablets so that's the Potassium Metabisulfite I thought I was missing. I bought so much at once I don't know what half of this means. So just crush the tablets and put 1/8th in my 3 gallon carboy?

Don't be too harsh on yourself! The typical dose for the campden tablets is one tablet per gallon of wine, check your package to make sure that is the recommended dose. So that would be three tablets crushed to powder, dissolve completely in a little cup of wine, pour into your carboy and stir it in.

 

[claywine12204]

Thanks! So SG has been steady at .992 for several days, but it's bubbling a lot, 1 bubble per 1.5 seconds. Should I still move onto adding the stabilizer, Camden and degas?