New Winemaker...please help

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HoppyDaze

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So I made a SunCal kit "merlot type wine" what I did was add the grape juice the kit came with, 6.5 lbs of gradulated white sugar, grape tanin, acid blend and some yeast nutrient. Never added the campden tablets (nowhere in instructions) I waited 7 days (should have only done 5) The wine was foaming pretty good with CO2 at this point. I assume this why you degas the wine at various times. The instructions never told me to degas anything; it simply said rack after 5 days, then again at two week and again in two months. It never mentions anything about adding finings or degassing.

Well when I racked last night (at 7 days in primary) I decided to degas it via hard stir with paddle. this made the top really foamy so I just scooped most of it out with my funnel.

So my questions are these (lots of them):
-Was I right to degas? How often should I degas?
-Should I have added finings? When are finings added? What the the specific names of finings. The kit came with containers called "acid blend" Grape Tanin" "Yeast Nutrient" and campden tablets. Out of all those things I have only used nutirent before this batch (Apfelwein:rockin:)

So bacially I would like to know if the next time I rack I should add "finings" and also do I degas? Also, the things that I did not inclue: pectic enzyme, absorbic acid and stabilizer; when do I add these? (if I even should)

Also have I done anything wrong so far?

Thanks all!!
 
Im justing looking for some guidance on general procedures...nothing earth shattering going on here
 
So my questions are these (lots of them):
-Was I right to degas? How often should I degas?
-Should I have added finings? When are finings added? What the the specific names of finings. The kit came with containers called "acid blend" Grape Tanin" "Yeast Nutrient" and campden tablets. Out of all those things I have only used nutirent before this batch (Apfelwein:rockin:)

Also have I done anything wrong so far?

Thanks all!!

No need to degass and following the instructions would have been fine, as is true in most circumstances. The foam you scooped out was actually wine that would have gone back to liquid form (think removing the foam from a glass of beer). Finings aren't needed, especially with red wine, assuming you allow it to bulk age for a few months. You need the acid blend (malic, citric, tartaric) and the tannin to balance the wine and they're absolutely necessary in certain (most) wines.
 
Generally, yes. If you plan to bottle within a couple of months it'll likely be gassy. The degassing process is usually done after fermentation is complete and at the time of stabilizing.
 
next week I am supposed to rack to a different container for two months. Is this when I add the sulphites?
 
If I was going to degass, which if the kit doesn't call for it I wouldn't, I think I would wait until it is done fermenting. I'm not sure it would be done fermenting in 7 days, but that only my opinion.
 
If I was going to degass, which if the kit doesn't call for it I wouldn't, I think I would wait until it is done fermenting. I'm not sure it would be done fermenting in 7 days, but that only my opinion.

It appears that when he wants to rack next week the wine will be nearly three weeks old and fermentation should be complete by that time. Regardless, if one is going to rack with the intention of allowing the wine to sit for two months, I feel that adding sulfites would be a good idea. However, opinions on an anonymous forum are cheap and should be taken for what they're worth. :mug:
 

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