Hello everybody! I just signed up today and have a few questions about brewing. I am new to the hobby and have only made one batch of cranberry raspberry. Now while doing lots and lots of research and starting on future batches I'm doing things a little bit differently. In my search and also by talking to my home brew supply store I have come to the conclusion that there really isn't basic rules for brewing. Everyone does it differently and where one person does one thing another does the complete opposite. Each recipe has you doing something new. However, I have been creating my own projects by not following recipes but by trying to make my own creations. Here are the "basic rules" I have come up with in my research.
First we pitch the yeast. I have gathered that you use 1 gram of yeast per gallon. My home brew store has advised me to still use a whole packet (5 grams) even when making 1 gallon of wine. The yeast I use says to hydrate the yeast in 50 ml of warm water. Once this has been accomplished I set the yeast in a warm area to let it activate. The packet says 15 minutes but I'm sure I let it sit a little longer than that as I let it sit while preparing everything else.
Second, I pour whatever juice I'm going to use into a vessel such as a bucket, carboy or whatever. I use a plastic food grade 2 gallon cereal container marked with #5. I have found these work pretty well since I want a little over a gallon of must since I will lose some of it while racking to a 1 gallon glass carboy and I want it filled up to the neck so that there is less surface area exposed to oxygen during secondary fermentation. I have read that some people stir and pour the whole must into their secondary stating that most of the active yeast is at the bottom of the fermenter and you will get a stuck or sluggish ferment if you rack off of it. However, I have experienced that this is not the case and my fermentation is still pretty active after my racking. I believe this to be the better option as the purpose of racking is to get it off the sediment to help clear the wine and prevent off flavors later on. After all, wouldn't it defeat the purpose to move it to a secondary fermenter if you were taking all the sediment with it? I don't use a bucket or jar for the primary fermentation because the depth of the must isn't deep enough for the hydrometer to float in and if I were to take samples out for testing or use a wine thief I'd either be losing some of the must or risking contamination each time. I feel this is less risky and a lot easier by leaving the hydrometer to float so I can check up on it and get an instant reading without any work or risk.
Thirdly, I add sugar to the juice until the hydrometer reads a potential alcohol volume of 12%. I believe most yeast tolerates up to 12-14% and this is definitely enough alcohol. I believe there are tables to calculate exactly how much sugar to add to get where you want but I just gradually add and stir the sugar in until I get a close reading around 12%. This probably takes way longer but I don't mind doing it this way.
Fourthly, I add the yeast in. By now the yeast looks pretty active, it has expended and looks pretty bubbly. I also add 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient and stir it in real good. I put a cloth over the fermenter so that nothing gets into the wort. I wait 24 hours and then add 1/2 teaspoon of yeast energizer as I read it works better to add this 24 hours after pitching the yeast. I have to stir this in slowly because it creates a big reaction and the must starts to fizz, almost enough to fizz right out of the fermenter if I stir it in too fast. It's just like opening a pop bottle after you shake it up.
Fifthly, I wait until my hydrometer reads a specific gravity of 1.020. This is where the debate comes in. Some sources say to rack when specific gravity is on or below 1.030, others say 1.020, a lot say 1.010, and even some say until it's all the way fermented. However while researching most say to rack between 1.030 and 1.010 so I rack in the middle at 1.020. I've noticed after racking it at this specific gravity to my secondary fermenter it is still pretty active and when I put it under airlock the bubbles are still coming out like crazy. It says online that this primary fermentation lasts anywhere from 5 to 7 days but mine reaches this level in just a few days, usually 2 or 3. I'm assuming maybe it's because I use yeast nutrient and yeast energizer and this speeds up the process like crazy. Anyway, I rack it into a 1 gallon glass carboy, fill it up to the neck so there is less surface area exposed, slip the hydrometer inside and then fit it with an airlock. I like the S shaped ones but I have read that both types of airlocks have their advantages. I was going to get a floating thermometer for around $6 at my home brew store but now I'm thinking of using a liquid crystal thermometer. It would be way cheaper and I believe it would be easier to use. I can stick it right on my glass carboy for a temperature reading. I have read that when I get a specific gravity reading anywhere below 1.000 the fermentation is done. At this point I believe I can rack it into another carboy for aging or maybe even get away with bottling it at this time. My first batch got ruined because I bottled it at specific gravity 1.000 without doing a temperature reading adjustment and it must not have been done fermenting all the way as the corks kept popping right out of the bottles and it got exposed to air. Although, this fault was my own I am still not fond of push in reusable corks after this because I believe they pop out too easily. Screw tops seem to be the safest to me but could explode the bottles and I've read using real corks allow the wine to breathe and heighten the wines flavor. I am not sure how much pressure is required to explode a bottle or push out a cork but I assume fermenting after a gravity reading of 1.000 wouldn't create so much C02 to do the job. Maybe it doesn't take much. Anyway this leads to my question, I want to add some things into my wine after fermentation to prevent this from happening again. I have read that you can add 1 campden tablet per gallon of wine in combination with some potassium sorbate to stop a fermentation from reoccurring and also protect the wine from contamination. I would also like to reduce oxidation while bottling and have read to add ascorbic acid (An antioxidant) to the wine. However I have read that campden tablets will work as an antioxidant. Another source said I can add ascorbic acid in combination with campden tablets. I am so confused, can or should I add all 3 or do I only add a combination of 2? Which combination works best and will campden tablets remove oxygen just as well as ascorbic acid? How do I add them? Do I add them to the fermenter before bottling or do I add them to each individual bottle? If I add them to the fermenter do I have to wait a set time period for it to take effect before bottling or do I bottle it instantly right after putting it in? Do I stir the ingredients in or will this oxidize the wort and mix in contaminates? Maybe it wouldn't matter if I stirred because these chemicals would remove whatever was introduced by stirring? Also, I've read the reason you leave the primary fermenter open to air is because yeast grow healthier with oxygen. However I read that the C02 created by the yeast shields the oxygen and contaminates from getting in. Wouldn't this defeat the purpose of leaving the fermenter open for yeast? Am I suppose to occasionally stir the wort during the primary fermentation to introduce oxygen or would this add too much oxygen and stir in the sediment defeating the purpose of racking it off to a secondary? Why do people say corks allow a wine to breathe? Wouldn't this breathing create oxidation or is oxygen good for wine in slow small amounts? Thank you for any help you may be able to give me and sorry if this got a little too long.
First we pitch the yeast. I have gathered that you use 1 gram of yeast per gallon. My home brew store has advised me to still use a whole packet (5 grams) even when making 1 gallon of wine. The yeast I use says to hydrate the yeast in 50 ml of warm water. Once this has been accomplished I set the yeast in a warm area to let it activate. The packet says 15 minutes but I'm sure I let it sit a little longer than that as I let it sit while preparing everything else.
Second, I pour whatever juice I'm going to use into a vessel such as a bucket, carboy or whatever. I use a plastic food grade 2 gallon cereal container marked with #5. I have found these work pretty well since I want a little over a gallon of must since I will lose some of it while racking to a 1 gallon glass carboy and I want it filled up to the neck so that there is less surface area exposed to oxygen during secondary fermentation. I have read that some people stir and pour the whole must into their secondary stating that most of the active yeast is at the bottom of the fermenter and you will get a stuck or sluggish ferment if you rack off of it. However, I have experienced that this is not the case and my fermentation is still pretty active after my racking. I believe this to be the better option as the purpose of racking is to get it off the sediment to help clear the wine and prevent off flavors later on. After all, wouldn't it defeat the purpose to move it to a secondary fermenter if you were taking all the sediment with it? I don't use a bucket or jar for the primary fermentation because the depth of the must isn't deep enough for the hydrometer to float in and if I were to take samples out for testing or use a wine thief I'd either be losing some of the must or risking contamination each time. I feel this is less risky and a lot easier by leaving the hydrometer to float so I can check up on it and get an instant reading without any work or risk.
Thirdly, I add sugar to the juice until the hydrometer reads a potential alcohol volume of 12%. I believe most yeast tolerates up to 12-14% and this is definitely enough alcohol. I believe there are tables to calculate exactly how much sugar to add to get where you want but I just gradually add and stir the sugar in until I get a close reading around 12%. This probably takes way longer but I don't mind doing it this way.
Fourthly, I add the yeast in. By now the yeast looks pretty active, it has expended and looks pretty bubbly. I also add 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient and stir it in real good. I put a cloth over the fermenter so that nothing gets into the wort. I wait 24 hours and then add 1/2 teaspoon of yeast energizer as I read it works better to add this 24 hours after pitching the yeast. I have to stir this in slowly because it creates a big reaction and the must starts to fizz, almost enough to fizz right out of the fermenter if I stir it in too fast. It's just like opening a pop bottle after you shake it up.
Fifthly, I wait until my hydrometer reads a specific gravity of 1.020. This is where the debate comes in. Some sources say to rack when specific gravity is on or below 1.030, others say 1.020, a lot say 1.010, and even some say until it's all the way fermented. However while researching most say to rack between 1.030 and 1.010 so I rack in the middle at 1.020. I've noticed after racking it at this specific gravity to my secondary fermenter it is still pretty active and when I put it under airlock the bubbles are still coming out like crazy. It says online that this primary fermentation lasts anywhere from 5 to 7 days but mine reaches this level in just a few days, usually 2 or 3. I'm assuming maybe it's because I use yeast nutrient and yeast energizer and this speeds up the process like crazy. Anyway, I rack it into a 1 gallon glass carboy, fill it up to the neck so there is less surface area exposed, slip the hydrometer inside and then fit it with an airlock. I like the S shaped ones but I have read that both types of airlocks have their advantages. I was going to get a floating thermometer for around $6 at my home brew store but now I'm thinking of using a liquid crystal thermometer. It would be way cheaper and I believe it would be easier to use. I can stick it right on my glass carboy for a temperature reading. I have read that when I get a specific gravity reading anywhere below 1.000 the fermentation is done. At this point I believe I can rack it into another carboy for aging or maybe even get away with bottling it at this time. My first batch got ruined because I bottled it at specific gravity 1.000 without doing a temperature reading adjustment and it must not have been done fermenting all the way as the corks kept popping right out of the bottles and it got exposed to air. Although, this fault was my own I am still not fond of push in reusable corks after this because I believe they pop out too easily. Screw tops seem to be the safest to me but could explode the bottles and I've read using real corks allow the wine to breathe and heighten the wines flavor. I am not sure how much pressure is required to explode a bottle or push out a cork but I assume fermenting after a gravity reading of 1.000 wouldn't create so much C02 to do the job. Maybe it doesn't take much. Anyway this leads to my question, I want to add some things into my wine after fermentation to prevent this from happening again. I have read that you can add 1 campden tablet per gallon of wine in combination with some potassium sorbate to stop a fermentation from reoccurring and also protect the wine from contamination. I would also like to reduce oxidation while bottling and have read to add ascorbic acid (An antioxidant) to the wine. However I have read that campden tablets will work as an antioxidant. Another source said I can add ascorbic acid in combination with campden tablets. I am so confused, can or should I add all 3 or do I only add a combination of 2? Which combination works best and will campden tablets remove oxygen just as well as ascorbic acid? How do I add them? Do I add them to the fermenter before bottling or do I add them to each individual bottle? If I add them to the fermenter do I have to wait a set time period for it to take effect before bottling or do I bottle it instantly right after putting it in? Do I stir the ingredients in or will this oxidize the wort and mix in contaminates? Maybe it wouldn't matter if I stirred because these chemicals would remove whatever was introduced by stirring? Also, I've read the reason you leave the primary fermenter open to air is because yeast grow healthier with oxygen. However I read that the C02 created by the yeast shields the oxygen and contaminates from getting in. Wouldn't this defeat the purpose of leaving the fermenter open for yeast? Am I suppose to occasionally stir the wort during the primary fermentation to introduce oxygen or would this add too much oxygen and stir in the sediment defeating the purpose of racking it off to a secondary? Why do people say corks allow a wine to breathe? Wouldn't this breathing create oxidation or is oxygen good for wine in slow small amounts? Thank you for any help you may be able to give me and sorry if this got a little too long.
