Newbie Question: WineXpert - Mezza Luna Red

[MarkPopkie]

Greetings,

My apologies if the answer to my query can be found by searching the forum... I did try, but did not find specific answers.
I just started my first kit... WineXpert Mezza Luna Red.
Now I do already understand the basics of fermentation... I've done a handful of successful batches of beer in the past 3 years, but as I said this is my first foray into the realm of wine making.
I did everything according to the directions so far. I'm current at day 9 in the primary fermentation bucket and I'm still seeing tons of activity in the airlock. If this was a batch of beer, it would've been done a couple days ago... So now I'm worried. Why would it still be kicking off CO2? Could it really still be fermenting by day 9? I mean this is a dry red kit... so it needs to gobble down as much of the sugar as possible. And the ambient temp in the room might be bordering on "too low" at around 68 degrees... but would that drag out the fermentation longer than expected?
I can't give you the original gravity because I don't have the sheet with me, but I know that we started right on what the kit suggested.
Is it safe to just let it keep going? Will it eventually stop before I move it to the secondary fermenter?

Thanks for your help, and again I do apologize if this info could've been found elsewhere.

 

[Flem]

I'm not so sure your lid should be snapped down with an airlock during primary fermentation. I believe you need more oxygen during this stage. Maybe someone with more experience will pop in soon.

 

[MarkPopkie]

I'm not so sure your lid should be snapped down with an airlock during primary fermentation. I believe you need more oxygen during this stage. Maybe someone with more experience will pop in soon.

Oh my god I think you're right.
I just pulled a PDF of the directions from the website and it NEVER says to seal the primary fermenter... The airlock is for the secondary stage.

Now I REALLY need some advice.
Is it ruined? It has been nearly oxygen-free for 9 days!
Why in the hell would they make the kit like that if you're not supposed to seal it up and cram an airlock into that little rubber grommet?

PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

[JordanPond]

A room temp of 68 could be slowing the fermentation. The real question is what is the temp of the wine. The fermentation process will generate heat, more active fermentation will generate more heat. My basement is 68 degrees and my wines will be 74 degrees during the fermentation process. As the fermentation slows I'll add a brew belt to the primary to maintain the temp between 72 & 75 degrees.

The key question to know if you wine is still fermenting is to take a series of SG readings over a 2 or 3 day period. If the SG is not dropping then your wine is probably release CO2 and not actively fermenting.

Keep asking questions. Doing and asking is how we learn.

 

[JordanPond]

Why in the hell would they make the kit like that if you're not supposed to seal it up and cram an airlock into that little rubber grommet?

PLEASE HELP!!!!

All ingredient kits are not created equally. The first kits that I did instructed to ferment to and SG of 1.xxx then transfer to a secondary. I'm doing a higher end kit now and the instructions are to leave it in the primary ferment to ferment dry. As the fermentation process slows you do need to snap on the lid and add an air lock to protect the wine from oxidizing. The primary with a lid and air lock hole are just options that allow you to many things. We just need to learn when and when not to use the options.

My car has air conditioning but I'm not going to use it right now. (20 degrees in Michigan today).

Again, keep asking questions. and your wine will probably be fine. Does it smell like rotten eggs? If not you are probably good.

 

[Arne]

Relax, you should be okay. Just pop the top off, give it a decent stir to get some 02 in there. If you have a hygrometer, get a reading with it. Probably still have a little ways to go so put a old dish towel or something over the top and just set the lid on. You can give it another stir every day or so til it finishes. Keep the temp. in the low 70's and before you know it you will be sittin there with a smile on your face sayin Man, this tastes great. Arne.

 

[MarkPopkie]

The key question to know if you wine is still fermenting is to take a series of SG readings over a 2 or 3 day period. If the SG is not dropping then your wine is probably release CO2 and not actively fermenting.

Thanks for the tip. I'll take some readings over the next couple of days...
Will it hurt anything to let it set a few days after fermentation has stopped?

Also, any tips regarding the sealed/air-lock debacle would be much appreciated. I clearly had a beer kit in my head when I was reading the directions because I put steps in that weren't actually on the paper.
Is the batch salvageable? As I said, I'd like to think that I know a little about fermentation... but I don't know what this means for wine. I know there is a difference between fermentation with and without oxygen present... So if I starved the batch of oxygen, what have I done? Any clues?

Thanks again for the help...

 

[MarkPopkie]

Relax, you should be okay. Just pop the top off, give it a decent stir to get some 02 in there. If you have a hygrometer, get a reading with it. Probably still have a little ways to go so put a old dish towel or something over the top and just set the lid on. You can give it another stir every day or so til it finishes. Keep the temp. in the low 70's and before you know it you will be sittin there with a smile on your face sayin Man, this tastes great. Arne.

Thank you Arne! You posted this right as I was typing another message. I'll get to this right away...

 

[Malkore]

Also, any tips regarding the sealed/air-lock debacle would be much appreciated. I clearly had a beer kit in my head when I was reading the directions because I put steps in that weren't actually on the paper.
Is the batch salvageable? As I said, I'd like to think that I know a little about fermentation... but I don't know what this means for wine. I know there is a difference between fermentation with and without oxygen present... So if I starved the batch of oxygen, what have I done? Any clues?

Thanks again for the help...

I've only made 24 gallons of wine so far, and tons of mead. I've NEVER left my bucket unsealed.

Two schools of thought: don't aerate, and run an open primary VS. aerate with pure O2 and seal it with an airlock.

All of my WineXpert kits were aerated, sealed, and fermented with no problems or slowness or lack of full attenuation.

But, I aerate with pure O2 and a stainless airstone, just like my beers. So I see no reason to allow the wine to breathe in primary because it only needs oxygen for yeast growth, not sugar to alcohol conversion.

 

[robie]

Don't panic! You are OK. It's hard to actually ruin a kit, especially at this stage.

You didn't say if you are in secondary or not; I'll assume you are still in primary.
You should not be paying any attention to bubbles, as they can be fermentation or just loads of CO2.

What you need is to take the SG. I just looked at the Luna Rossa instructions and they say that after approx 7 days, at 1.010 you are supposed to leave most sediment behind as you rack from the primary, which needs oxygen and some stirring, over to a carboy, which should be sealed with an airlock and a bung installed. The number of days is not nearly as important as the SG.

Because of your low temperature, after 9 days your fermentation should have already cooled and should be near room temperature. The room temperature of 68F would have slowed your fermentation time somewhat, so after 9 days, it should still be fermenting. However, at this point I would be surprised if it is not already at an SG level requiring the wine to be sealed and under an airlock. Probably below 1.010, but that's not the end of the world for sure.

Check with hydrometer and if 1.010 or less, move to sealed container. Remember, bubbles don't mean much in wine making.

If the wine temperature is below 70F, I would up the temperature in the room or get a brew belt. Get the temp up to about 75F. If will need to be that high for sure, when you start degassing.

Leave in secondary until SG has not changed for 3 days in a row and is at .996. Don't be surprised if it stops at some point between .996 and .998; it will be fine as long as the SG has not changed for 3 days.

 

[davewaz]

Robie nailed it on the head.... You are on the right site as there are alot of knowledgeable people looking to help.

Wine Kits are pretty hard to mess up, trust me I've made every mistake in the book and my first two kits came out excellent.

One thing I'd like to add, the directions on the kit are in my opinion designed to get your wine ready as quickly as possible. If at any point you run behind in the speed of fermentation or clearing or anything else, simply give it time and it will work out just fine. These kits are extremly forgiving.

Good luck

 

[MarkPopkie]

Thank you for all the help, folks...
It's good to know that the kits are forgiving. I definitely think that I'm going to test its limits this week. Haha

I'll get the gravity reading this week and get it into secondary fermentation before the weekend.

It's difficult because the equipment is being stored at a friend's house and he does not feel comfortable touching the wine without my help... So I'm bound to his schedule and I can't pop in whenever I want to take readings or work on the wine.

But thanks again for the tips!