RJ Spagnols Primary Fermentation

[chardon-man]

This is my first batch and the instructions say to wait 14 days ( Approx)) before you transfer . I noticed that the airlock has slowed down in bubbling ( down to one bubble ever 2-3 min) and it's been 6 days since i put it in. I'm not in any hurry but just wondering. It's a White Strawberry Zin from RJ.

Thanks in advance

 

[vcasey]

Check your SG, if it has reached the target move on to the next step. Some wines will ferment faster and some slower. Welcome to the forum.
VPC

 

[Wade E]

Agree with above post and welcome to the forum.

 

[Dean]

RJS instructions say to keep it the primary until day 14 for much easier degassing. I'd wait until day 14. I've been following the 14 day primary routine and it's been amazing how easy degassing is now.

 

[Wade E]

Still not on top of my game here from being sick and didnt notice this was a RJS kit, wait the 14 days like Dean said and Im going to bed!

 

[chardon-man]

Thank you all. I will wait the 14 days i did a SG test and it was at 1.000 they say to wait till .998 but if it helps to degass the wine by waiting i will. Any special way of degassing i have a wip rod i call it ?

 

[Dean]

LOL, I could totally tell that Wade. It's not too often we have a difference of opinion on things. I kind of thing of you as my Eastern US half.

 

[TikiWine]

Just piggy backing on the instructions for primary. This is my first kit. I followed the directions in the kit word for word. During more research and reading I found a youtube video from the marker that had a lot more details in what to do and if you don't it's ruined basically. The big two are mix the bentonite in two cups of hot water vs 2 liters of almost boiling water. I did my best but it still has small clumps. Second was the video said to stir vigorously for 30 seconds. The kit said pour in the juice and add water. Then stir well. I think I did that as I added the oak packets and such. Also the yeast packet said to hydrate the kit says sprinkle. So far the airlock is bubbling every couple seconds but the temp doesn't seem very high it's not registering on the thermometer. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[sour_grapes]

Just piggy backing on the instructions for primary. This is my first kit. I followed the directions in the kit word for word. During more research and reading I found a youtube video from the marker that had a lot more details in what to do and if you don't it's ruined basically. The big two are mix the bentonite in two cups of hot water vs 2 liters of almost boiling water. I did my best but it still has small clumps. Second was the video said to stir vigorously for 30 seconds. The kit said pour in the juice and add water. Then stir well. I think I did that as I added the oak packets and such. Also the yeast packet said to hydrate the kit says sprinkle. So far the airlock is bubbling every couple seconds but the temp doesn't seem very high it's not registering on the thermometer. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Hi, Tiki,

First, realize that this thread is fully 10 years old, and that no one on the thread will likely see your post. (It may have been better to start a new thread, but we can continue here.)

There is almost NOTHING, short of peeing in it, that you could do that would make it "basically ruined." In particular, the clumping or non-clumping of the bentonite is essentially irrelevant to your future wine. (The bentonite won't help the wine clear quite as much if it is clumped, but no biggie.)

As far as the yeast, you can either hydrate or sprinkle; both work fine. It may take the yeast slightly longer to get going if you sprinkle, but they eventually "know what to do."

If the must is cold, it will be slow to ferment. When you say "not registering on the thermometer," do you mean one of those changing-color strips on the side of the bucket? You could use a conventional thermometer, like one meant for cooking. You can move it to a warm room, or wrap a heating pad around it, or just a blanket. (The fermentation gives off heat, so a blanket will help keep the temperature up once it gets going.)

So my suggestion is to relax and wait a couple of days!

 

[TikiWine]

Thanks for the reply. And I see so many people say to search as someone probably already aaask before you post. But oh well. Yes it is a stick on. I have a floating one inside, but I used all my sanitizing package whem I started it. So didn't want to grab it out and spoil the wine.the spit stays pretty steady. I try the blanket. Thanks.

 

[crushday]

Good evening, Tiki... @sour_grapes has great information. Wine kits (and wine in general) is very forgiving as long as you have exercised excellent sanitation habits. In my experience, once primary fermentation is over, the rest of the process is an exercise in patience. Take it from me, if you add time to your process by extending the timelines in the instructions you'll have better wine. As an example, I frequently leave wines in "second fermentation" for 6-8 weeks. After I rack, I then bulk age in a glass carboy for a year or so (or six months in a carboy and then six months in a barrel) before I bottle. After the wine is in the bottle, I typically wait 18 months before trying my first taste. By the time this happens the wine is 2.5+ years old and delicious.

Do yourself a favor and skip the sorbate. As long as your RED wine has fermented out, .997 or lower, you don't need to use it. Some WHITE kits have F-Packs that add sugar back into the wine. In this case, you'll want to use the sorbate. IMO, sorbate adds a "funky" taste to the wine that eventually becomes regretful.

Every home wine maker eventually strikes the balance between drinkability and waiting for the wine to mature. Remember, wine making in an exercise in patience.

For curiosity sake, what do you have "floating" in your wine? Is it a Tilt Hydrometer?

 

[TikiWine]

So SG at .994 after 7 days? Is that normal? I guess it's time to rack to carboy right?

 

[crushday]

Very normal for a temperature in the mid to upper 70's. I would rack to a carboy ONLY - don't add anything now but time. You won't oxidize the wine in that time even with a good amount of headspace in the carboy. There's enough residual CO2 to preserve the wine. In 21-28 days you can de-gas and add K-Meta- but it's going to mostly de-gas naturally over that time if kept in the 70's. And, you'll knock free any CO2 left when you add the K-Meta in 21-28 days. Again, I would recommend not using the sorbate.

 

[TikiWine]

So this is my first batch and I am doing it by the directions. But I have another batch that I have been changing up. It is a kit. They are reds. So I don't need to add the sorbate? At all? Just the kmeta when I add the F pack? To stabilize? I don't think it will be kept in the 70s. Just high 60s. Then after another 3-4 weeks rack again, degassing. Add kmeta and fpack?

 

[Johnd]

So this is my first batch and I am doing it by the directions. But I have another batch that I have been changing up. It is a kit. They are reds. So I don't need to add the sorbate? At all? Just the kmeta when I add the F pack? To stabilize? I don't think it will be kept in the 70s. Just high 60s. Then after another 3-4 weeks rack again, degassing. Add kmeta and fpack?

If your wine ferments dry (under .998 or so), and you do not intend to sweeten it, consider skipping the sorbate altogether, it’s unneccessary. The one with the fpack will certainly need to have sorbate added.

Follow the sequence given by your kit instructions for both wines, adding the ingredients / performing operations at the appropriate time.