Island Mist question

MikeInCtown · 04-03-2008, 01:03 PM

Started the kit last Wednesday and transferred into secondary this morning. Has been happily bubbling away since last Thursday morning and when I checked last night, I had a gravity at 1.002, so it was ready to rack.

As I racked, I found that the liquid was still extremely cloudy and there was only maybe a total of about a cup of yeast and sediment at the bottom of the primary. Is this normal? I only ask because the yeast cake on the bottom of my beer batches would easily fill 4 or 5 cups (about 1/2" thick or more across the whole bottom)

I'm supposed to let it sit for 10 more days now to clear some and finish fermenting. Within 5 minutes of racking to the secondary it was bubbling around in the airlock.

Last question - Do the clarifiers that they make you mix in really clear the "wine" so much that all the cloudyness completely disappears?

I just want to make sure nothing abnormal happened.

-Mike

**Yooper** · 04-03-2008, 01:12 PM

Sounds perfectly normal! You don't usually get alot of lees with wine kits, so that sounds about right.

Those clarifyers are included because they DO work! Believe me, if you follow the kit directions, you will have a crystal clear wine when it's done. Make sure you fully degass according to the directions- getting rid of all the co2 is really the key to the clarifiers doing their job correctly.

It really sounds like your kit is doing what it's supposed to be doing at this point!

mr x · 04-03-2008, 01:42 PM

I've made similar kits before. When you add the clarifiers, it will really drop out a lot of suspended particulate, and you will have a very think sediment bed, and a very clear wine. It may look a little hazy in the carboy, but it will be crystal clear in the bottles. Just make sure you degas well. Everything sounds normal to me. If I was to do one again, I would have kegged and carbed it. They are a bit sweet for me straight up, even with extra sugar added to dry them out. A little carb bite would have been nice.

**BigKahuna** · 04-03-2008, 02:29 PM

I just added the last ingredients to my kit on Sunday, and today i can read news print through a 6 gallon carboy...At least on the top 1/3. Ya, the directions don't fail you, and the products do what they say they will.

MikeInCtown · 04-03-2008, 05:01 PM

Sweet, thanks guys.

I had to call Winexpert yesterday because I wasn't sure I was supposed to rack with the primary still bubbling every 7 seconds. I was told as long as the stuff was below 1.010 I should rack. This is new to me, but at least nothing smells out of place. (It's amazing at how much it's still going even though it's gravity is low and it's already 6% ABV according to the tester)

mr x · 04-03-2008, 05:05 PM

Racking wine to the secondary while it is still carbonating is standard procedure. Things look on track. Which kit are you brewing? I've made mango, blueberry, raspberry, and wildberry kits.

MikeInCtown · 04-07-2008, 02:06 AM

I'm making the mango citrus.

I looked at the secondary this morning and was amazed at how much sediment dropped out in the last three days. I barely got a half cup of sediment out from the primary (finally washed it this morning...ewww) but the bottom 1" of the glass carboy is already laden with sediment and I can see clarifying going on. Can't wait until next weekend so I can add all the chemicals and finally see some clearing going on.

Beer fridge is almost set up and I'm wondering if I want to bottle straight up, or bottle half and carbonate half.

**BigKahuna** · 04-07-2008, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeInCtown

I
Beer fridge is almost set up and I'm wondering if I want to bottle straight up, or bottle half and carbonate half.

I Talked SWMBO into this thinking I would carb it for her...Then it struck me...NOT WITHOUT A KEG. I Assume you are talking about kegging and force carbing. Because you kill all of your yeast when you add the chemicals before the syrup from the F Pack.

MikeInCtown · 04-07-2008, 06:29 PM

Yea, force carb. I have my 20lb tank out right now getting tested and filled.

I plan on getting a filter setup so that I can filter all the wine and beer I do before kegging. What sucks is that I have a dozen ball lock kegs I need to sell off but don't want to list them until I can pressure test them, but need the CO2 setup back from testing and filling. (sigh)

**BigKahuna** · 04-10-2008, 11:56 PM

Hay mike. We tasted our Kiwi Pear kit this afternoon. It kinda tasted like a flat, stale wine cooler.
Have you tried your kit yet?
SWMBO said "It smells terrible, and tastes like dirty socks."

I hope this mellows out quite a bit. It's clear...with large particle floaties still in it. I hope that is where the funk is coming from.