Primary fermentation question

[Paul Gardner]

I have 18lb Niagara grapes, 8 1/2 lb sugar, 2 gallon water 2 quart juice from last years harvest, pectin enzyme, yeast nutrient and 5 crushed Camden tablets in a 5 gallon bucket. I've been hand crushing some grapes and setting skins aside to make some head room in the bucket. My question is when I toss the yeast tomorrow will this bucket overflow? Should I continue to crush and remove skins?

 

[user 36973]

Yes and yes. The yeast will certainly cause the bucket to overflow when fermentation starts. And the skins will only add bitter, tannic astringency to the wine when the Niagara style is usually sweet and fruity.

I'd get the skins out of there and see where your bucket level ends up. You'll need it no more that 3/4 full. A colander and funnel will help get the most out of the grapes.

And you've probably added way too much sugar. Your 8.5lb in 5 gal alone is 21% sugar. Plus you have the sugar in the juice and the grapes in addition to that. Your fermentation may stick but the residual sugar will balance the acidity.

 

[Rice_Guy]

From the look you have about two inches of clearance, yes with the crushed grape tends to float above the must, I would ballpark this as three inches of floating cap. It will be hard to mix back in to prevent mold growth on the grape solids. From your post I am reading that you would like to ferment with the skins if possible. ,,,, GOOD NEWS, Wine is forgiving so what you have mixed together will work to make a wine!
options
* transfer some of it into a smaller bucket, so you have two primaries side by side.
* pull off a gallon of the juice back out and hold in the fridge till you press the pulp, then add it back in,,, (chilling juice is a normal winery technique to crystallize tartaric acid/ remove it)
* buy a new brute bucket or waste basket that is in the seven gallon range
* press, however if you are within four inches of the rim it still could foam enough to be a mess (two inches very likely)

! You have 8.5 gallons of sugar in the must already, therefore it is trying to ferment already,, I normally add the campden (K meta) and wait at least over night to kill wild yeast before adding sugar. I have done this enough that I calculate expected sugar and water additions and probably would have calculated the five gallon carboy recipe and only add the last water to fill the carboy to the neck.

 

[Paul Gardner]

Before pitching the yeast, my s.g. was 1.112. Will I need to add a second yeast packet to overcome this s.g or will it ferment alright?

 

[sour_grapes]

Before pitching the yeast, my s.g. was 1.112. Will I need to add a second yeast packet to overcome this s.g or will it ferment alright?

What yeast did you use?

 

[Paul Gardner]

Lavin D-47

 

[Bossbaby]

That is about 14.5 % Alcohol if it finishes, It will depend on what yeast you are using but I cant see why 1 sachet in 5 gal wont work.

 

[Bossbaby]

D47 will tolerate 15% alcohol under proper conditions.

 

[Paul Gardner]

Ok, thank you.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Yeast is something which is alive and has babies, (a cell culture) it will grow until it hits a barrier, like the US growing to several hundred million. A second packet of yeast is like adding the population of one town.

Will I need to add a second yeast packet to overcome this , , ,
or will it ferment alright?

will it be OK? as @Bossbaby pointed out one barrier is 15% alcohol (alcohol is a preservative), another barrier is nutrients. Many of us add di ammonium phosphate (DAP) some add more organic nutrients as Fermaid O. Another barrier is temperature, (but yeast like room temperature) or pH or high metabisulphite or running out of sugar (AKA dry wine)
Wine and ciders as a fermentation system are quite forgiving. Yes it should be OK but it always is possible that it stops with some residual sugar, ,,, and some of us intentionally do things to accomplish some sweetness.

Flavor of wine or all foods is a balancing act. Many recipes that add water also add acid blend so that the flavor balances the finished sweetness (alcohol is sweet), ,,, we can’t tell you how it will taste that is a judgment call when finished. In between CO2 makes it taste more acid & bitter notes, yeast floating makes yeasty flavors, ,,, and the solution to a lot of these is patience, ,,, to let it degas and clarify.

 

[Paul Gardner]

Thank you. I guess I'll see what my result is in a few months. I'm keeping good notes, and will learn from this first time through.

 

[Paul Gardner]

Day 3 and the fermentation is doing very well, so all looks good. I know about the SG needing to be below 1.0 but I wondered if the cessation of foaming would also be an indication that it is ready for secondary fermentation.

 

[sour_grapes]

Day 3 and the fermentation is doing very well, so all looks good. I know about the SG needing to be below 1.0 but I wondered if the cessation of foaming would also be an indication that it is ready for secondary fermentation.

I would say it is an indication that it is time to test the SG!

 

[Rice_Guy]

why below 1.000?

Day 3 and the fermentation is doing very well, so all looks good. I know about the SG needing to be below 1.0 but I wondered if the cessation of foaming would also be an indication that it is ready for secondary fermentation.

.. I will transfer below 1.020, as mainly fruit wines my feel is that there will be better aroma retention if part of the sugar is slowly fermented (including reducing temperature), Niagara being a white grape could follow the aroma retention principal
.. red grape is usually processed hot and dry which blows off aromatics and allows tannic flavors to dominate.
.. you don’t really want to put wine in a container with a narrow neck when there is active CO2 generation, it will be like a tsunami and in my experience blow through the air lock,,,, possibly I just said go below 1.02 and possibly I said let it degas a few hours before topping off head space and putting the air lock on

 

[Paul Gardner]

I started this on 12-27 with an SG of 1.112. Today I removed the bag with the lees, and when I tested the juice that came out of the filter bag it came in at .82. Should I wait a day to check foaming before moving to gallon jugs for secondary fermentation?

 

[beano]

Do you mean [email protected]?

 

[Paul Gardner]

Yes, sorry. Just learning how to read the Hydrometer. 1.082

 

[beano]

I'd say it's not close to finished. I would wait until it's an sg of 1.010 before transferring to your secondary vessels. Or more. And put the fruit bag back into the must. Get the most out of it.
You want your wine to finish up at below 1.000 if possible. Your choice of yeast and starting high sg my not let that happen.

 

[Paul Gardner]

If it doesn't, should I toss another yeast?

 

[beano]

Check your SG daily to see if it is dropping. As long as it is dropping,its all good. Stir at least once daily to oxyginate. If your SG remains the same for 3-4 days and is above 1.010 you may think of trying to restart fermentation or let it go as done giving your starting sg of 1.112.