Stevorino
Well-Known Member
This is a new thread based on my advanced winemaking instructions thread.
Quick recap: I'm making my first wine kit and am underwhelmed by the basic instructions. I understand that following the instructions will produce a quality product. But I feel comfortable doing more based on my homebrew experience if it will help produce a finer product. I don't care to add chemicals/tannins/extra stuff to the wine - I just want to make the wine ingredients I have reach their absolute full potential.
My specific questions:
1) What is the ideal temperature to ferment a cab at? Pinot Grigio? Is it like beer where you want it on the cooler side to restrict ester/off-flavor production?
2) Is rousing the yeast daily really necessary during primary fermentation? Seems like sanitization hazard.
3) Can the primary fermenter have more headspace or does that volume need to be filled up to the neck of the carboy as well?
4) My instructions have a 35-38 day fermentation process before bottling. That seems fast. If I control the temperature, will it be better to let it sit for a longer period of time? How long is best? Can I let it sit in primary fermenter longer before transferring to secondary? (I don't do secondary in beer brewing - it's unnecessary most of the time).
5) The kit calls for 'warm water' - not sterilized water, not bottled water - So I assume they are recommending hot water from tap full of bacteria. Is this general practice? I would figure best practice would be to heat filtered/spring water up to boiling to sterilize, cover the pot, let it cool to the 'warm temperature' and then use it.
6) Rehydrate yeast or no? In beer dry yeast, there is a huge difference in yeast health/viability when rehydrated vs. pitched straight on top of wort.
7) This retopping off thing to keep down oxidation seems tedious but I understand it is necessary. What is the best practice for topping off? Water or similar wine or wine from earlier in the process?
8) If I used Jack Keller's advanced instructions, how much better is my wine going to be? Significant improvement? I'm more than comfortable with his process.
9) Is Starsan okay for sanitization?
10) Any recommendations for great online winemaking resources for kit making and/or books?
11) How clear will my wine come out assuming I do a superb job? Is there going to be crap and sentiment floating around and in the bottom of the bottles?
12) Filtering/Finings - what is the general practice here and what is the most cost/process efficient way to clear out a wine? Major difference vs no filter/finings?
13) The instructions have me testing gravity all the time - seems like you could waste a bottle of wine in gravity testing alone. Is transferring it right at the perfect gravity important or is it like beer in that you can let it go and it'll take care of itself?
Thanks!
Quick recap: I'm making my first wine kit and am underwhelmed by the basic instructions. I understand that following the instructions will produce a quality product. But I feel comfortable doing more based on my homebrew experience if it will help produce a finer product. I don't care to add chemicals/tannins/extra stuff to the wine - I just want to make the wine ingredients I have reach their absolute full potential.
My specific questions:
1) What is the ideal temperature to ferment a cab at? Pinot Grigio? Is it like beer where you want it on the cooler side to restrict ester/off-flavor production?
2) Is rousing the yeast daily really necessary during primary fermentation? Seems like sanitization hazard.
3) Can the primary fermenter have more headspace or does that volume need to be filled up to the neck of the carboy as well?
4) My instructions have a 35-38 day fermentation process before bottling. That seems fast. If I control the temperature, will it be better to let it sit for a longer period of time? How long is best? Can I let it sit in primary fermenter longer before transferring to secondary? (I don't do secondary in beer brewing - it's unnecessary most of the time).
5) The kit calls for 'warm water' - not sterilized water, not bottled water - So I assume they are recommending hot water from tap full of bacteria. Is this general practice? I would figure best practice would be to heat filtered/spring water up to boiling to sterilize, cover the pot, let it cool to the 'warm temperature' and then use it.
6) Rehydrate yeast or no? In beer dry yeast, there is a huge difference in yeast health/viability when rehydrated vs. pitched straight on top of wort.
7) This retopping off thing to keep down oxidation seems tedious but I understand it is necessary. What is the best practice for topping off? Water or similar wine or wine from earlier in the process?
8) If I used Jack Keller's advanced instructions, how much better is my wine going to be? Significant improvement? I'm more than comfortable with his process.
9) Is Starsan okay for sanitization?
10) Any recommendations for great online winemaking resources for kit making and/or books?
11) How clear will my wine come out assuming I do a superb job? Is there going to be crap and sentiment floating around and in the bottom of the bottles?
12) Filtering/Finings - what is the general practice here and what is the most cost/process efficient way to clear out a wine? Major difference vs no filter/finings?
13) The instructions have me testing gravity all the time - seems like you could waste a bottle of wine in gravity testing alone. Is transferring it right at the perfect gravity important or is it like beer in that you can let it go and it'll take care of itself?
Thanks!