Thank you!

[jpike01]

I want to thank all you folks for posting y our questions and solutions. I have been reading threads each night for over a month now, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. You all have been a big help. Just racked my second batch of wine and my first batch of blueberry. My first attempt will hopefully be drinkable someday. Best thing is thanks to you folks I don't think I have made any mistakes with the blueberry....yet. Thank you!

 

[Rocky]

jpike, if I may make one suggestion. I would pour some of the wine from the gallon jug into the carboy to reduce the surface area of the wine in the carboy. You are probably okay for now because it seems you have active fermentation. I would start looking for a 1/2 gallon jug real soon.

 

[jamesngalveston]

you need to add some from the little one to the big one, then find a smaller one for the little one.....
eliminate that big head space gap in both.....

 

[seth8530]

Welcome to the posting side of the forum. I hope you find yourself welcome. Most of us started out just like you. I wish you luck and i also concur with what the others are saying.

 

[jamesngalveston]

here is pic of proper head space for you....and, let us know how you progress.

 

[Jnay]

you need to add some from the little one to the big one, then find a smaller one for the little one.....
eliminate that big head space gap in both.....

Hello James,
Do you mind if I ask why there can't be a big gap in the demijohn please?

I only ask because the Demi John I have is quite large and I only have 2 gallons of wine going into it, will it be ok?

Thank you

 

[jamesngalveston]

you should try to keep the head space gap very narrow...if you leave a huge space between your wine and your air lock, you will have all that trapped air inside the carboy thus risking oxidation of the wine...
go here to see....http://www.preservino.com/oxidation.aspx

 

[vacuumpumpman]

jpike01
Like Rocky mentioned - you are still going thru fermentation so all that head space is being filled with CO2 due to the fermentation process.I would start looking for smaller vessels - I am assuming by the time you transfer off the sediment you should be able to fill up that carboy and have no more that 2 bottles left from the 1 gallon container.

BTW - Thanks for reading the forum and asking questions also !!!

 

[Jnay]

you should try to keep the head space gap very narrow...if you leave a huge space between your wine and your air lock, you will have all that trapped air inside the carboy thus risking oxidation of the wine...
go here to see....http://www.preservino.com/oxidation.aspx

Thank you James for the link
It's extremely doubtful that I will find a demijohn before I go into hospital though.

Do you think it would be ok to put the wine in the large demijohn for 4/5 days then when I'm out of the hospital my partner would be able to get hold of a smaller one I could put the wine into?

Will that be ok?

Thank you

 

[jamesngalveston]

i would top off the big one with wine from the smaller. there is not going to be much left in the little one, find a container that will hold what is left, might be just a few quarts.

 

[jpike01]

I am going to top off with what is in the gallon. The fermentation was up and down some. Went ahead and racked at 1.014. I left the head space just to see what she was going to do. After about an hour a nice layer of foam appeared so I was planning to leave the head space until she hits1.000' which should be this evening. The gallon has at least four inches of lees but I still should have enough to sample.

 

[JohnT]

Just to weigh in here,

You do not want to fill to that level if you wine is activly fermenting. Wait until it is almost fully fermented, then top it off as the others have said.

 

[jpike01]

Just an update

 

[jamesngalveston]

it does not look like its fermenting much. it looks about complete..any way thats a proper top off, the one on the right could use a little more, either wine are water...that little bit of water want hurt your wine.

 

[jpike01]

The one on the right is 33% goo. May let it settle for a few days and drink it!!

 

[dessertmaker]

Don't top up with water. That much in that small of a container will make a diff in the end. When youre brewing batches in small containers don't add water at all if you can help it. Not even to add chemicals. You don't have to worry about oxidation over the short term as long as the airlocks stay full of water. There's absolutely no way to tell if its done with a still shot either. Leave it alone or put a blow off tube/water bottle on it if you're gonna let it sit for a really long time without taking readings.

Oxidation is the boogeyman of winemaking. All the kids think he's in the closet, but usually there's nothing inside there but hot air. It's hard to "oxidize" a wine that fresh. It could be done, but not by leaving it the heck alone while its airlocked and doing its thing.

 

[JohnT]

Just to add to the post by dessertmaker..

I would strongly advise you to get a cheap acid test kit and make sure you r acid level is where it needs to be. PH is one of the most important things to maintain in winemaking!

 

[jpike01]

ph tested at 3.6 five days ago.

 

[jpike01]

Update on blueberry.

 

[Rocky]

jpike, that is a beautiful glass of wine! Good job.