First wine kit... help a newbie out

[DVCNick]

My first wine kit has been in the primary for almost 14 days and looks like it is done fermenting (no more airlock activity).

I have the directions... it says first transfer at 14 days.

I know with beer the newbie kit instructions really leave a lot to be desired. Are there any tips or deviations from the directions you should do with your first wine kit?
I think I read somewhere that oxygenating on first transfer is good, but not after that.... is that true?
Thanks

 

[Harleybrew32]

i followed the instructions on my kits and they turned out really good, i started adding some tannins to my recent attempts. i think the first transfer you degas the Co2 out of the wine. but i have only brewed 3 kits, soo im still a newbie myself.
cheers

 

[DVCNick]

Thanks sir....

One thing the instructions are completely silent on is whether and when you should worry about exposing the wine to oxygen (or not)... any thoughts on that?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Oxygen is not helpful after fermentation and should be minimized.

 

[DVCNick]

Thanks... so should I use the paint stirring attachment again to degas (as the directions say) or is that likely to result in too much oxygen exposure?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Degassing is fine, but whipping air into it isn't ideal. I find that it doesn't take much to degas a wine.

 

[DVCNick]

Also, I couldn't get the clay to dissolve no matter what... I hope that wasn't too important.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I put the bentonite in dry, at the start of visible fermentation (after degassing).

 

[Coffee49]

My first wine kit has been in the primary for almost 14 days and looks like it is done fermenting (no more airlock activity).

I have the directions... it says first transfer at 14 days.

I know with beer the newbie kit instructions really leave a lot to be desired. Are there any tips or deviations from the directions you should do with your first wine kit?
I think I read somewhere that oxygenating on first transfer is good, but not after that.... is that true?
Thanks

Wine kits are a good start for wine enthusiasts. Some of the premium kits are quite good after 4 months and fantastic after sleeping for a year.

My first wine kit has been in the primary for almost 14 days and looks like it is done fermenting (no more airlock activity).

I have the directions... it says first transfer at 14 days.

I know with beer the newbie kit instructions really leave a lot to be desired. Are there any tips or deviations from the directions you should do with your first wine kit?
I think I read somewhere that oxygenating on first transfer is good, but not after that.... is that true?
Thanks

Kits are a good start to the hobby, since 2007 I went from hobby to annual juice run. I would do 200 Gallo s if room permitted. A pricy premium kit is good after 4 months after a year long sleep it is great. As far as degassing I am hesitant to aggressively spin the c02 out of wine and always use a pinch of sullfite when transferring.

 

[DVCNick]

Ok so I'm at "Day 30 - polishing rack/aging" on the directions. Two questions:

-Reviewing the directions, I think I was supposed to put both packs of Chitosan in on day 15, but I only put one... should I put the other in now and leave it longer?

-How can I really tell if it is clear? It is very dark, but hard to tell how cloudy it really is in a carboy. It says if it is not clear, leave it longer, so I'm guessing there is no harm in leaving it longer?

I do see a layer of sediment on the bottom.
Thanks

 

[Seamonkey84]

If it’s in a carboy, shine a pen light through it and look at it from the other side. If there’s any haze or halo effect around the light, it’s not clear yet.