Im new to all this!

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roxychickfi

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I've just purchased my first home brew kit for a 20 day white wine.

The instructions are poor although i have set up the first stage (i think).
Am looking for advice and any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thankyou :)
 
I've got our first wine in the carboy, also. Our basic instructions are:

1) primary fermentation until active, visible fermentation ends (about a week)
2) rack off of yeast cake into a secondary fermenter
3) rack again and stabilize
4) de-gas and bottle

Are those about the same steps as yours? Also, if you read through the posts in this wine making forum, you'll find lots of info, too, to help guide you. And welcome to HBT!
 
+1 on Papper's instructions.

I might just clarify a bit.

1) keep it in the bucket you have it in after you add the yeast until the bubbles in the airlock die down significantly. (1 week is a solid time frame)

2) rack (transfer liquid with tubing) into a carboy (make sure you sanitize everything!). Leave all the nasty yeasty goop at the bottom. Keep it in that carboy with an airlock on it for another week or so.

3) Rack into yet another carboy (or temporarily back into bucket while you clean that carboy, and then rerack into said carboy). Add the fining agents and stabilizing agents (should come with the pack) then degas (ie. stir the heck out of it until you can put some in a wine snifter, shake it with your clean hand over top of the glass, and not hear a 'poof' when you lift your hand).

4) let it sit till it's clear and there is absolutely no fermentation activity (small bubbles in wine, bubbles on top of wine).

5) bottle: rack into bucket, leaving agents at bottom of carboy. use bottling wand and racking tubing to bottle into clean wine bottles. cork said wine bottles.

6) wait. In my experience, the inexpensive 20 day kits are about as good as they are going to get in a month or so. the more expensive kits can take a few months to a year to settle out--but dang are they good then!

Read through this forum. search any terms/processes in the search engine at the top of the page. You will learn much. Welcome to HBT.
 
roxychickfi said:
Thank you! Just one question, is a carboy the same as a demijohn?

Yes, they are basically the same thing.

Typically carboys are 1, 3, 5, 6, or 6.5 gallons

Demijohns are typically bigger 10-15 gallons.
 
+1 on Papper's instructions.

I might just clarify a bit.

1) keep it in the bucket you have it in after you add the yeast until the bubbles in the airlock die down significantly. (1 week is a solid time frame)

2) rack (transfer liquid with tubing) into a carboy (make sure you sanitize everything!). Leave all the nasty yeasty goop at the bottom. Keep it in that carboy with an airlock on it for another week or so.

3) Rack into yet another carboy (or temporarily back into bucket while you clean that carboy, and then rerack into said carboy). Add the fining agents and stabilizing agents (should come with the pack) then degas (ie. stir the heck out of it until you can put some in a wine snifter, shake it with your clean hand over top of the glass, and not hear a 'poof' when you lift your hand).

4) let it sit till it's clear and there is absolutely no fermentation activity (small bubbles in wine, bubbles on top of wine).

5) bottle: rack into bucket, leaving agents at bottom of carboy. use bottling wand and racking tubing to bottle into clean wine bottles. cork said wine bottles.

6) wait. In my experience, the inexpensive 20 day kits are about as good as they are going to get in a month or so. the more expensive kits can take a few months to a year to settle out--but dang are they good then!

Read through this forum. search any terms/processes in the search engine at the top of the page. You will learn much. Welcome to HBT.

Thanks for the fabulous explanation - very helpful!
 
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