Costco Wine Kit - instructions unclear

[user 341090]

Hello all and thank you for any help you can provide this newbie.

I am making a Costco Cellar Master Pinot Grigio which I started 5 days ago in the fermenting bucket. I was very careful with the temperature and the yeast bloomed nicely. You can smell it "cooking" in my little wine room.

Question #1 - Should the airlock be bubbling? It's not and now Im thinking that maybe I shouldn't have put the airlock on so soon? Or am I being too impatient?
Question #2 - The instructions say to NOT stir for the first 2 days but it doesn't say whether I SHOULD be stirring after the first 2 days. It doesn't mention anything about stirring until Step 2 in the process which happens after approximately 14 days.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

 

[huckdavidson]

Don't stir until the second step.

Several reasons for an airlock not bubbling:

1.) The fermentation bucket lid may not be on tight or is not sealed completely

2.) The airlock might not have enough liquid

Check the lid to ensure it's on tight and that the liquid in the airlock is at an appropriate level.

2.) Fermentation may be done or has significantly slowed down

Check for signs of fermentation in the bucket, like foam on top of the wine or a krausen ring on the bucket above the level of the wine.

A sure sign is to take a gravity reading with a hydrometer or refractomer. If the gravity has fallen below the original gravity then it is actively fermenting.

If there are signs of fermentation then wait the entire 14 days.

If there are no signs of fermentation then you may need to pitch more yeast.

 

[user 341090]

Don't stir until the second step.

Several reasons for an airlock not bubbling:

1.) The fermentation bucket lid may not be on tight or is not sealed completely

2.) The airlock might not have enough liquid

Check the lid to ensure it's on tight and that the liquid in the airlock is at an appropriate level.

2.) Fermentation may be done or has significantly slowed down

Check for signs of fermentation in the bucket, like foam on top of the wine or a krausen ring on the bucket above the level of the wine.

A sure sign is to take a gravity reading with a hydrometer or refractomer. If the gravity has fallen below the original gravity then it is actively fermenting.

If there are signs of fermentation then wait the entire 14 days.

If there are no signs of fermentation then you may need to pitch more yeast.

Thank you! The lid seems to be tight - it was tough to get on. The airlock has water up to the mid-way mark. I'll chec the hydrometer tomorrow - thanks for the suggestions.

 

[bushpilot]

Don't sweat the airlock not bubbling, they often won't, and it is not a problem.

 

[user 341090]

Update - still no airlock activity but I checked the SG - starting 1.08, now at 1.00 so it seems like something is happening ....

 

[wwww.potatocol]

It's probably pretty close to done or done, so it's nothing to sweat you did good. I wouldn't stir any at this point because you could oxidize the wine. By the time it's cleared and ready to drink, most if not all the fermentation gasses would have escaped by now, so there is really not a reason to stir to degas unless at bottling time if your wine is still gassy

 

[lumpher]

I've been making wine for 15 years, and I can say there is nothing to worry about when the airlock is not bubbling. Wine yeast is not as active as beer yeast. Do NOT stir it during fermentation unless you want to drink liquid cardboard.

 

[szap]

Update - still no airlock activity but I checked the SG - starting 1.08, now at 1.00 so it seems like something is happening ....

Dont

Update - still no airlock activity but I checked the SG - starting 1.08, now at 1.00 so it seems like something is happening ....

It is pretty amazing how small the lid not being sealed all the way or a small crack that will let the CO2 out and not through the airlock. I have thought the lid was sealed but when I really leaned on it found out it wasn't all the way locked on.

 

[SatchIce9]

CO2 is probably leaking out somewhere else rather than going through the airlock. You can test the airlock and the gas seal by gently pushing down on the lid as you watch for bubbles being pushed through the airlock, or a change in water level in the airlock due to the reduction in volume of the vessel as you gently push on the lid. If the airlock water quickly returns to level after you stop pushing on the lid, that's the clearest indication there's no gas seal.