Wondering what I should have seen

[Jbuck]

Hope this is not too elementary but I am working on my first batch. Followed the instructions on the fruit wine base lable, yesterday was add yeast, today is stir gentely and repeat daily until SG lowers to 1.040 (four or five days). When I uncoverd the primary fermenter today I observed an off white froth or foam on the top of the contents, is this what I should have seen? Also I just keep reading more and more on the internet then ordering more supplies, do you ever get to the point where you think you have everything you need? My wife is starting to hope so.

 

[Racer]

Depending on the yeast strain that you are using you will see a little foam to a lot of foam as the fermentation takes off and goes to work.Yeast convert sugar to alcohol and CO2 so you should be able to hear some sizzling going on if you get your ear near the top of the bucket. Just don't stick your head over the top of the bucket and inhale deeply

As far as your other question on is there a point where you finally have enough stuff to make wine with? That depends on how deep you are into this obession. Oops I meant hobby! I'm over 8 years into it and I have only slowed down in my purchases.

 

[Torch404]

Sound like everything is fine. I found with lower temperatures I would only see a few little patches of foam. Early on in the ferment it would sometimes be just a couple little bubble hanging on the side of the primary. The warmer the must the bigger the patches. As to: if there is an end to things you need, I guess that depends on your wallet.

 

[AlFulchino]

in the end.....if the wine is any good, then the money issues become justified...but you have to be willing to take and put the effort in the journey to find out

 

[koda_ky]

Sounds like you have a good fermentation, i usually get worried when I am not getting any foam. On the other thing it will be 2 years in march for me and I think I might have to go to the wine store and pick some stuff up this weekend.

 

[Green Mountains]

Yup, froth is good. And like all of us....you'll spend a bunch on this hobby but all in all, none of it is all that expensive....

 

[Wade E]

Make a list of what you have and we'll tell you what you need and what you bought that you shouldnt have if any!

 

[Larryh86GT]

Hope this is not too elementary but I am working on my first batch. Followed the instructions on the fruit wine base lable, yesterday was add yeast, today is stir gentely and repeat daily until SG lowers to 1.040 (four or five days). When I uncoverd the primary fermenter today I observed an off white froth or foam on the top of the contents, is this what I should have seen? Also I just keep reading more and more on the internet then ordering more supplies, do you ever get to the point where you think you have everything you need? My wife is starting to hope so.

I'm not sure you ever get to the point you have everything you need. But the taste of my wine from my first batch makes it all worthwhile.
Larry

 

[AlFulchino]

hahahhaa..make two lists

list A: what is practical and essentially needed

list B: what you dream about

this list serves two purposes

purpose one, we will skip for now

purpose two is for your wife's eyes.....say, honey, look it could have been these things....dont you want me to be happy?

 

[non-grapenut]

hahahhaa..make two lists

list A: what is practical and essentially needed

list B: what you dream about

this list serves two purposes

purpose one, we will skip for now

purpose two is for your wife's eyes.....say, honey, look it could have been these things....dont you want me to be happy?

You're such a sales pro, Al! We should all be paying for you lessons, you amazing guy!

 

[Jbuck]

Make a list of what you have and we'll tell you what you need and what you bought that you shouldnt have if any!

7.9 gal food grade bucket with grommeted lid
econolock air lock
6 gal glass carboy
hydrometer
bottle brush
racking tube with tip
container of easy clean
ferrari auto bottle filler
shut off clamp
easy double lever corker
24 inch plastic spoon
5/16 inch auto-siphon
reciepe handbook
30, 750 mil bottles & corks
carboy brush
45 bottle tree
can't recall the proper name, put sanitezer in it push bottle down squirts into bottle.
mesh bag
one container each of:
pottassium sorbate
tannin powder
campden tabs
petic enzyme
acid blend
yeast nutrient
one pkg. yeast
one 96 oz can of elderberry fruit wine base.
The only thing I know of right now I wish I would have also bought is a handle to pry the lid off my bucket, didn't see that when ordereing.

 

[rawlus]

thats a very good list for a beginner.
a thermometer is also handy time to time. floating thermometer or just one of those LCD ribbon ones that tapes to the side of your primary and carboy.
over time you should acquire a collection of airlocks, bungs and drilled stoppers of different sizes, tubing of different sizes and lengths, etc. so if you have excess wine you needed to ferment in a wine bottle, you'd have the #3 drilled stopper and an airlock to do it. save beer growlers too, or large carlo rossi wine jugs, 1 gal jugs, etc for excess/topping up wine.

you might eventually want something to mount to a power drill for degassing, unless you plan on stepping up to vacuum pumps right off the bat, then you can vac degass and vac transfer and van bottle too.

if the hobby picks up and you end up doing more - floor corker is a great investment.

other than that, more carboys/better bottles will prob be what you need soonest.

 

[Wade E]

I agree that you will want the drill mounted mix stir for degassing the wines or take the best step ever and buy a electric aspirator pump off Ebay for degassing, racking your wines and even bottling as Ive heard that Ferrari bottler doesnt work to well. The device Im talking about will save you from ever having to lift up a full carboy ever again and youll be able to degas your wine in no time with very little effort unlike any other method. Below is a picture of my pump which costs about $95 delivered to my house and in use racking a wine which you would not be able to do withouty a pump as youd have to have the 2nd carboy on the floor.

 

[non-grapenut]

I agree that you will want the drill mounted mix stir for degassing the wines or take the best step ever and buy a electric aspirator pump off Ebay for degassing, racking your wines and even bottling as Ive heard that Ferrari bottler doesnt work to well. The device Im talking about will save you from ever having to lift up a full carboy ever again and youll be able to degas your wine in no time with very little effort unlike any other method. Below is a picture of my pump which costs about $95 delivered to my house and in use racking a wine which you would not be able to do withouty a pump as youd have to have the 2nd carboy on the floor.

Wow, Wade...great example! The orange 2-hole stoppers you have on each carboy to do this..where did you get those? Your local retailer?

 

[Jbuck]

Wade, I am impressed. So you are pulling a vacume on the empty carboy with a hose running to the full one, which in turn pulls the liquid into the empty one? Searched for a pump but need a little more informantion. if you could supply the brand and mod. I can get the specks and find something close. Thanks everyone for you guidance thus far.

 

[non-grapenut]

Wade, I am impressed. So you are pulling a vacume on the empty carboy with a hose running to the full one, which in turn pulls the liquid into the empty one? Searched for a pump but need a little more informantion. if you could supply the brand and mod. I can get the specks and find something close. Thanks everyone for you guidance thus far.

I'm with you, Jbuck...NEED MORE INPUT.