Winexpert Selection Italian Amarone

[dcbrown73]

Hay dcbrown, does your chapitalization packs have little brown clumps/specks mixed in?

I have what looks like little red (bad lighting at night) dots in it. Some bigger than others, but overall. Very small.

Not sure if you can really see them here, but they are visable.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I did not use a fruit bag - I just let them float around like regular skins would and then I used a strainer to catch them at the end.

 

[Stevelaz]

Dcbrown, your cap packs do look like mine with them small light brown specks.

 

[jumby]

My ferment is really roarin. Is the fruit bag supposed to float all the time? I believe it does. I'm pushing it down when stirring but it pops right back up! Are u supposed to squeeze the bag at all during fermentation?

I put 25 large glass marbles in my mesh bag. That does a pretty good job of keeping it under the surface.

 

[Stevelaz]

Dam! Thats a great idea, wish i would have thought of that. Not sure i want to mess with it now. I have a ton of marbles. I use them to help top off my carboys!

Also how about the addition of FERMAID K with this kit? Do you think its ok to use? The kit direction do not say to do it or not. Anyone use fermaid K with this kit? Will it alter the results? I wouldn't think so...

 

[Johnd]

Also how about the addition of FERMAID K with this kit? Do you think its ok to use? The kit direction do not say to do it or not. Anyone use fermaid K with this kit? Will it alter the results? I wouldn't think so...

The kits typically come with all of the nutrients necessary for fermentation already in the juice, IMHO, there is no need to add any.

If you just want to do it, you can, but there may be nutrients left over in the wine that would be food for things you don't want to grow in your wine.

You'll likely get varying opinions, some folks here feed kits all the time without ill effects, some don't feed them at all, with no ill effects..........

 

[dcbrown73]

Dam! Thats a great idea, wish i would have thought of that. Not sure i want to mess with it now. I have a ton of marbles. I use them to help top off my carboys!

Also how about the addition of FERMAID K with this kit? Do you think its ok to use? The kit direction do not say to do it or not. Anyone use fermaid K with this kit? Will it alter the results? I wouldn't think so...

Make sure you use food quality marbles. The stuff from China can have lead and other chemicals in them and you definitely don't want that in your wine!

 

[Stevelaz]

Wow! What the heck? I pitched the yeast Sunday night, now this morning Wednesday, sg is at about 1.012! Not even 3 full days on the yeast! Directions are way off on days! I guess I better get Chaptalization started!

 

[drainsurgeon]

I had a skeeter-pee that fermented out--DONE in 3 days. I called it my microwave wine.

 

[Stevelaz]

After the Chaptalization packs were mixed and added the sg went to 1.022. Here I what it looked like after mixing! A brownish slurry

Also I'm still using a towel to cover primary. Am I still good with that or should I put cover on with air lock?

 

[Johnd]

Also I'm still using a towel to cover primary. Am I still good with that or should I put cover on with air lock?

You should be ok for a day or two, the new sugar in there will keep the ferment going. The Amarone's that I've done with the added sugar packs have all fermented down below 1.000, and typically get transferred to carboy in the 1.005 - 1.010 range, which is when they are slowing down a good bit. The transfer racking also seems to invigorate the fermentation a bit to help it get down below 1.000 as the alcohol is getting pretty high, just a personal observation..................

 

[dcbrown73]

After the Chaptalization packs were mixed and added the sg went to 1.022. Here I what it looked like after mixing! A brownish slurry

Also I'm still using a towel to cover primary. Am I still good with that or should I put cover on with air lock?

I haven't even read that far into the instruction for it. I supposed I had better if there are new things to do with the chap packs.

Last night when I checked it, it was at 1.060 @ 79F. (Started it on Sunday and hte gravity was only 1.090)

 

[Stevelaz]

Yes, keep an eye on it!! Yesterday my sg was at 1.040 and this morning is was at 1.012, well below the 1.020 (or less) where they say to do the chaptalisation. The temp in my room is only 72, but the must is at about 75 deg.

 

[Stevelaz]

Well, 5 days since i pitched the yeast and today sg was at 0.996-98. Racked into carboy and looking good...That was fast and way off from number of days in directions. Good to have hydrometer! Airlock bubbling nicely!