Wine Process

OK, where do I start? I bought some wine making equipment off of Craigslist. The guy already had some batches going so instead of pour out, I took it. I am new to the wine making process, I am thinking what do I need to do to make sure I am not wasting my time with these (2) 5 gallon batches of wine?


Any help is appreciated, I am ready to start making my own wine and have been reading until I am confused.


:rockin:

What wines did you acquire with the equipment purchase? I assume they are still in the carboys?

It'd probably be helpful to know a few more details. Type (as requested already) and what stage in the process they're currently at. Are they bulk aging, still fermenting, in a bucket or carboy?

All these are questions folks would have, plus more. So, any details you can give will be helpful. Otherwise you're just gonna get shots in the dark as to what you should do.

Thanks for the replies.............

Both are Reds, they are in a carboy and at the beginning stages. I am not sure what the stages are called. Sorry.

I really do not want to just throw them out but need to know if I need to and not waste time.

Thanks for the help.

What variety?
Were they kits or pressed from grapes?
Clear or cloudy?
Thick layer of sediment?
Did he give you his notes on them?
How do they smell?
Do the airlocks have enough liquid in them?
Did he say why he was willing to part with ten gallons of wine?

I understand your situation, If it taste alright right now and there are no bubbles in it then bottle it. Clear or not, you are just going to drink it anyway, right? As far as reading everything in this forum and getting confused, calm down. I was doing that same exact thing when I started but a local Vintner from a local winery gave me the best advice on that, ( this might sound a little awful, but) this is what he said, " the stupidest people make the best wine", They don't over think it and they don't throw in a bunch of **** that they don't need. I've seen people use more additives than a commercial winery, not needed. Just do your thing and take your time, you'll get it. No worries. Sorry that was so long winded.

I wouldn't do anything with it until you call the guy who started the batches and ask some questions, including, but maybe not limited to:

- kits or grapes?
- if kits, what stage of the process? Most importantly, have they been stabilized and degassed? (I assume you have a hydrometer and can determine if they're done fermenting yourself.)
- if grapes, have they gone through MLF? Have sulfites been added? If so, when and how much? Does he know the starting brix, pH and/or TA? (Again, I assume you have a hydrometer and can determine if the wine is dry yourself.)

Since you say the wine is in the 'beginning stages,' I wouldn't bottle until you figure some of this stuff out. If the carboys are topped up, I would assume the wines are done and you could safely let them sit around while you give yourself a crash course in winemaking. As a start, I'd suggest that you go to MoreWine's website and download their free 'Guide to Red Winemaking' manual, like, today.

I wouldn't go to too much trouble. I'd use the hydrometer and check the gravity. If the wine is done, I'd let it sit until clear. If your hydrometer sample is clear when you hold it up to the light, and it's finished, it can be bottled. Taste the hydrometer sample to make sure it's ok tasting when you take the sample.

It doesn't matter if it's a kit, grapes, juice, etc. Done is done.

If it's not done, let it sit until it is. Rack (siphon) to a new carboy whenever you have lees (sediment) 1/4" thick or so. Then, when it's clear, bottle it.

Wine is pretty forgiving, and someone else has done all the work for you already.

Yooper said:

I wouldn't go to too much trouble. I'd use the hydrometer and check the gravity. If the wine is done, I'd let it sit until clear. If your hydrometer sample is clear when you hold it up to the light, and it's finished, it can be bottled. Taste the hydrometer sample to make sure it's ok tasting when you take the sample.

It doesn't matter if it's a kit, grapes, juice, etc. Done is done.

If it's not done, let it sit until it is. Rack (siphon) to a new carboy whenever you have lees (sediment) 1/4" thick or so. Then, when it's clear, bottle it.

Wine is pretty forgiving, and someone else has done all the work for you already.

Click to expand...

OP, please ignore all of my original questions. Yooper knows her stuff better than most and I bow to her wisdom.

Felixio said:

OP, please ignore all of my original questions. Yooper knows her stuff better than most and I bow to her wisdom.

Click to expand...

Oh, no, your input is very important! That's what makes a forum a place to share our experiences. I'm not "right" all the time, just because I have a whip in my avatar. I think we all can provide good insights into winemaking, and all are valuable thoughts.

The bottom line is just that if it's good, then it's good. No matter what the source, the technique is basically the same. We don't know if the wine has been treated with sulfites, nor if it's a kit, or even if it's done. But it still might be a really nice wine worth saving. Or not. Tasting it and seeing what the SG is would be the only way to know anyway, in my opinion.

Yooper said:

I wouldn't go to too much trouble. I'd use the hydrometer and check the gravity. If the wine is done, I'd let it sit until clear. If your hydrometer sample is clear when you hold it up to the light, and it's finished, it can be bottled. Taste the hydrometer sample to make sure it's ok tasting when you take the sample.

It doesn't matter if it's a kit, grapes, juice, etc. Done is done.

If it's not done, let it sit until it is. Rack (siphon) to a new carboy whenever you have lees (sediment) 1/4" thick or so. Then, when it's clear, bottle it.

Wine is pretty forgiving, and someone else has done all the work for you already.

Click to expand...

As is the case with most things Yooper writes, I tend to agree with this post. That said, and while I agree that 'done is done,' I don't believe that 'done' can be determine by hydrometer alone. Beer, sure. Not wine.

If the OP puts this wine into bottle before MLF has been dealt with one way or another, he could be looking at blown corks down the line. Maybe that wouldn't be a big loss in this specific case since the OP is already thinking about dumping the wine anyway, but certainly not best practice, generally speaking.

I suppose if this was my wine, I'd make sure it tastes ok, that it measures dry by hydrometer, and then bottle once it's clear. At which time, I'd stabilize it with the standard dose of k-meta, plus maybe a smidge extra (or better yet, a dose of Lysozyme) just to make sure MLF doesn't start up unexpectedly in the bottle.

jwalker1140 said:

As is the case with most things Yooper writes, I tend to agree with this post. That said, and while I agree that 'done is done,' I don't believe that 'done' can be determine by hydrometer alone. Beer, sure. Not wine.

If the OP puts this wine into bottle before MLF has been dealt with one way or another, he could be looking at blown corks down the line. Maybe that wouldn't be a big loss in this specific case since the OP is already thinking about dumping the wine anyway, but certainly not best practice, generally speaking.

I suppose if this was my wine, I'd make sure it tastes ok, that it measures dry by hydrometer, and then bottle once it's clear. At which time, I'd stabilize it with the standard dose of k-meta, plus maybe a smidge extra (or better yet, a dose of Lysozyme) just to make sure MLF doesn't start up unexpectedly in the bottle.

Click to expand...

Oh, yes, I agree! When I suggested bottling if done, this assumes that the wine is clear and properly dosed with k-meta at bottling (and probably higher than 50 ppm since we have no idea if any k-meta was every added or even the type of wine).

It is a learning curve. Like a previous post stated, you can over think it. I over thought everything in the beginning. I made plenty of mistakes. It took me more than two batches to get something drinkable. I would start on a small scale ( one gallon). It also gives you a way of figuring out what wines you like. I would get a recipe book.

Good luck