wine making- my first time

At the request of Joe.P I am going to keep a journal thread of my first time making wine. I am going into this as a wine drinkiner but I have never seen wine being made. So this is all new to me.

day 1:I started yesterday (march 17th, 2008..this was day 1).I did some research on wine making and what was needed.
I then went to a local wine making store, there was a very nice guy working. He helped me with what I needed and what i did not need yet. I spent wel over and hour just chatting with the guy.

So I got a starter kit:

first fermenting/mixing tub
a water bottle... i think its called a carboy
a mxing spoon
a themrometor
a hydromiter
a syphon home
a syphon thin with a sediment filter
the cleaning poweder
I think thats it.. the kit was about 75bucls...

I then needed a wine kit. So i asked the guy was easiet to make. It had to be red, but i did not want a complicated kit to start. He suggested a ken ridge merlot. So i got the ken ridge merlot. I got 10% off so it was just under 60 bucks for this.

It came with instuctions (wow i really needed these) all the chemicals needed for fermenting and what not. The yeast and most importantly the juice.

So i started by filling the carboy and pouring it into the bucket. I then marked the water level..I was told te kits make the same amout so now i dont need to mesure 26L evertime. I have it marked.

I then sanitized everything. Santiazation is key from wha i have read.

I then followed day one insutcutions.

When mixing the yeast i was worried I did something wrong. The first day had little to now bubbling.. nothing was happening.

Day 2. I checked on my wine today. It has started to bubble alittle, a slight foam has formed on the top. It also smells more like a wine. I can smell the yeast alittle.
So i know the yeast is working, i am seeing the signs of it it.... wich is good.

Here are pics of everything today

the kit



some of the stuff i bought







The wine in the tub







and finnaly the labels that will go on the bottles....




updates to come as this progresses

 

Calgary, do you want good wine or quick wine? You do not HAVE to follow their instructions. I have instructions you can use on the kit that will make it taste MUCH MUCH better using the chemicals you got with it. Do NOT use the clarifying agents, let time and racking do it for you. You should get a second Carboy to rack into. Let me dig up the Alternate instructions.

 

Extended Instructions for Making Wines from Kits

DAY 1:
• Rehydrate your must to the full 6 U.S. gallons in a 6-gallon carboy, stirring well. If your tap water is good, use it. Otherwise use bottled spring water. Distilled water contains no trace minerals, which yeast need, and should be avoided.
• Many styles of full-bodied red wine kits benefit from the addition of grape tannin to the must before fermentation. Therefore, one may wish to add 1 to 1-1/2 level teaspoons of grape tannin as follows: Before rehydrating the must, thoroughly dissolve selected amount of grape tannin in about 1 quart of boiling water. Once dissolved, add the tannin solution to the must as part of its rehydration.
• Use a hydrometer to check the specific gravity of the must. A starting s.g. of 1.088 is perfect if you have a finished dry wine of similar type and style to top up with. If you intend to top up with water, raise the s.g. to 1.095 by adding 1 pound 4 ounces of sugar to 6 U.S. gallons of must.
• Next, withdraw 1 U.S. gallon of the must to a sealed glass jug and refrigerate it as a reserve for later addition to the main batch.
• If your kit has oak powder, add it now as instructed. If not and an oak fermentation is desired, add 1.4 ounce (39 grams) of untoasted Oak-Mor American White Oak Powder or 1.5 ounce (43 grams) of toasted to the carboy. The 5 gallons will get the oak. The reserved gallon will not until added back later.
• Now, properly rehydrate the enclosed yeast. For detailed instructions on how to rehydrate your yeast, please go to the first link following this entry (3 Easy Steps...) when you are finished here. Also, please note the additional link at the bottom of that page (second link below).
• Add 1/3 cup of must to your yeast slurry to make it easier to pour and pour the mixture into the carboy. Do not attach your airlock for the first 48 hours of fermentation. Yeast need oxygen to propagate and you want them to do that. Instead, cover the mouth of the carboy with a sanitized piece of muslin secured with a rubber band.
• Place your carboy in an area where the temperature remains at about 70 degrees F. (20 degrees C.).


DAY 2:
• On the second day of fermentation, lightly stir the must to keep the yeast in suspension.
• At the end of the second day (after 48 hours), attach the airlock.


DAYS 3 - 5:
• Stir the must once a day on days 3 and 4. Stir on day 5 as well if the fermentation is not obviously vigorous.
• Always reattach the airlock after stirring.


DAY 7 - 9:
• Watch for the vigorous fermentation to subside (this will be on about day 7 or 8, but possibly 9 or 10).
• When the vigorous fermentation has subsided, slowly add the reserve 1 U.S. gallon of juice back to the main batch. If the juice is still cold from refrigeration, add 1 pint every 15 minutes and then stir the must for 15-20 seconds. If the reserve is at room temperature, add 1 quart every 15 minutes and again stir.
• Reattach the airlock and keep the must at around 70 degrees F. (20C) for the next three weeks.


DAY 28:
• Using a sanitized hydrometer, check the specific gravity of the must. Note the specific gravity and reattach the airlock.
• The specific gravity of the must should be under 0.995 for most kits (and under 1.000 for some kits for big reds).


DAY 29:
• If making a white wine, prepare your bentonite as follows:
o Place 1 quart of boiling water in a blender and turn the blender on to medium.
o Slowly add 1 level tablespoon of bentonite to the blender.
o The final slurry should have the consistency of pea soup. If required, add a small amount of additional water to make the slurry the proper consistency.
o Once the proper consistency is achieved, blend the bentonite on high for 2 minutes.
• Cover the bentonite slurry and set aside.


DAY 30:
• Using a sanitized hydrometer, again check the specific gravity of the must. Note the specific gravity. If the value has not dropped since Day 28, move on to stabilization.
• If the specific gravity has dropped since Day 28, reattach the airlock and allow further fermentation. Check the gravity on a daily basis until it remains unchanged for 2 consecutive days.
• Stabilization and Fining:
o Add the contents of the bag marked stabilizer or potassium metabisulfite to an empty, sanitized, 6-gallon carboy. If the latter, add 3 teaspoons of potassium sorbate along with the potassium metabisulfite.
o Rack the wine from its original carboy into the new carboy, leaving the lees behind.
o Degass the wine by stirring it vigorously for 3 minutes. Wait 15 minutes and stir it again, vigorously, for 3 minutes.
o If making a white wine, add the bentonite slurry which you prepared on Day 29. If possible, mix the slurry in your blender for about 2 minutes on high just before adding.
o If making a red wine, add the packet marked Kieselsol from a Wine Art Claro K-C red wine finings package (may not be included).
o Stir vigorously for 4 minutes.
o Top up with a similar, dry wine and reattach your airlock.


DAY 31:
• Using a wine thief, withdraw about 200ml of wine and set aside.
• If making a white wine, add the packet marked Finings which came in your kit to the carboy. Alternatively, you can add the packet marked Clarifier which comes in a packet of Wine Art Claro K-C white wine finings.
• If making a red wine, add the packet marked Clarifier from a Wine Art Claro K-C red wine finings package to the carboy.
• Stir vigorously for 4 minutes. Wait 15 minutes and again stir vigorously for 4 minutes.
• Top-up with the 200ml of wine withdrawn earlier. Reattach airlock.
• Place wine in a very cool location. Alternatively, the carboy can be stoppered with a cork and placed in a refrigerator.


DAY 45:
• Carefully rack the wine into a sanitized carboy. Avoid splashing.
• If making a red wine or a Chardonnay and you did not add oak powder earlier (on Day 1), you may add some now using either of the following two alternatives:
o Add Medium toast, French Allier white oak chips (from World Cooperage). "Heat sanitize" 4 oz (115g) of chips for 30 minutes by placing them on a piece of aluminum foil in an oven preheated to 250 degrees F. Allow the chips to cool and add to wine.
o Add medium toast French StaVin (http://www.stavin.com/homewinemaker.htm) oak cubes at a rate of 3.5 oz (100g) per 6-gallon carboy. No preparation of the cubes is necessary. Simply add to carboy.
• Top-up carboy to the very top with a similar, dry wine. If wine was refrigerated, allow about 2.5 inches of ullage below the bung for expansion of the wine as it warms up.
• Place wine in a cool dark place. Over the next 35 days, check to be sure that your airlock remains filled with fluid to the indicated level.


DAY 80:
• Rack wine off of its light lees into a sanitized carboy.
• If using the oak chips, discard the used chips.
• If using the Sta-Vin cubes, rinse and return them to the fresh carboy.
• Top-up the carboy with a similar, dry wine.
• Check fluid level in airlock and reattach to carboy.
• Place wine in a cool dark place. Over the next 60 days, check to be sure that your airlock remains filled with fluid to the indicated level.


DAY 140:
• Your wine should now be crystal clear.
• Degass the wine as follows:
o Stir it vigorously with a sanitized plastic or wooden dowel. You must cause the wine to cavitate (stir vigorously enough that an air cavity forms behind the dowel as it moves). Foam will be released,
o Be careful at first to not create so much foam that it rises out of the carboy and overflows.
o Stir for 2-3 minutes, then let the wine rest 10-15 minutes under airlock.
o Repeat until foam stops rising.
• Check your wine for residual CO2 as follows:
o Use a wine thief to place about 200ml of wine in a 375ml clear wine bottle.
o Cover the mouth of the bottle with your thumb and shake vigorously.
o If the wine foams substantially, further degassing is warranted.
• Rack the wine into a sanitized carboy into which 1/4 tsp of potassium metabisulfite has been added.
• If using the Sta-Vin cubes, and further oak character is desired, the cubes can be rinsed and returned to the fresh carboy.
• If the wine needs further degassing (as determined above), stir vigorously for 4 minutes. Wait 15 minutes and stir vigorously for 4 more minutes.
• If the wine does not seem to need further degassing, stir lightly.
• Taste test the wine.
• Top-up with wine in 375ml degassing test bottle and additional dry wine if necessary.
• Check fluid level in airlock and reattach to carboy.


DAY 170:
• Reds which are still in contact with the StaVin cubes and which are going to be filtered can be racked into a sanitized carboy. Top-up with a dry wine. Cubes should be discarded.
• Taste test the wine.
• If wine tastes balanced, is free of defects, and free of excess CO2, bottle at leisure or filter for bottling on Day 180.


DAY 180:
• Taste test the wine.
• Bottle wines filtered on Day 170.

 

add alittle bit of pinniclee shampoo for some added kick:yikes:

 

awsome thanks chris, i dont know what iw ant yet lol.. well i do want taste, I am going to trythe intuctions they give me first and see how it goes. You instuctions are much better so I will def thema shot. I already have friends lined up to make wine with me tey buy the kit i have everything else incl the space soi will have lots of wine to play with..thanks for the tips

and tom, that might work... but im thiknking not lol

 

You mentioned before you are a hobby wine drinker. Make the kit in 30 days, take a taste and I will not need to explain anymore I hope you like grapejuice. LOL

 

We have Detailing Bliss and now Wine Fest........

 

haha yeah well i know itys goig to need longer, im just impatient. :shead:,,, I am planning on buying another carboy next week so i can star a second batch. I figure while one is again I can drink the other :shrug:,, so I will def try your method...

 

well you need something to drink while enjoying your hard work

 

How bout a Beer Fest? :drinking2: Enjoy your first batch of wine. And yes i do enjoy a drink after i been beaten on a long day of detailing..:headbang:

 

Quick update, its day 4. Lots has happened but nothing very pic worthy.
There is a deaper more gelitiny (i know its not a word) film on the top. It keeps poping and "gassing" whic means the yeast is doing what it needs to .Its really cool you can actually hear the bubbling...

Also Its starting to smell like wine,it has a yeasty smell but I can smell a hint of wine not just grape juice

And finnaly. I checked sued calgary (free ad site) and managed to get a sweet wine kit for 75bucks. I have to pick it up on sunday, but how can i go wrong for 75 bucks... here is a pick the people sent me



so there are seven carboy's ther... looks like its going to be a good summer

 

Nice score. Thats a lot of equipment for $75.

I know you can't drink commercial beer, but with all the wine making equipment you have, you could start making your own gluten free beer with a few more pieces of equipment.

If you are interested let me know and I'll dig up some links to info on gluten free brewing and gluten free breweries for you...just need to do a bit of looking.

 

Where are you getting your grape juice?

My BIL is really into making his own wine and goes down to South Philly to get his grapes or juice. He is telling me you have to pick them up at certain times and they have different juice pending on what type of wine you want to make etc. I wish I liked drinking wine as it sounds interesting to make. I am sure my wife would drink it for me but I have plenty of other things I can be doing with my time than supporting her bad habits. ;-)

I think he pours olive oil on top of it to keep the air from getting to it. Just something I overheard in conversation.

 

It is alot of stuff, i dont know how im going to fit it in my car, it may take two trip hehe

And i would love that info if its not to much trouble.There is a store in town that sells GF beer but at 20bucks for 6 bottles i shy away. Its for special ocasions only. So any info on brewing GF beer would be grealty appricated

I just started so for now I am going to just buy the ktis that have the juice. I will eventually buy grapes so i can get the stems and what not.mmm tanin....

Its cool your BIL likes wine making and has found a sourse for grapes. I still have to figure out how i can do it living in calgary... not exaclty the best grape growing area

 

Great score. When I clean up my wine/sausage room Ill take a few pics.

 

you have a hell of a lot more patience than I. 6 months!!! Hope you bought a case of wine while you were there to have something to drink while that damn brew takes it sweet time. LMAO

 

Calgary,

Check out the Jan. 18, 2007 podcast at Basic Brewing radio (link below). There are links to gluten free breweries and home brewing projects as well as an mp3 file of the interview.

Basic Brewingâ„¢ : Home Brewing Beer Podcast and DVD - Basic Brewing Radioâ„¢ 2007

Here is another good link:
BYO - Gluten-Free Brewing

Best of luck on your wine (and hopefully beer) making endeavors this summer.

 

thanks for the links... good reads.

So the wine has calmed down. IT has some parcipitate on it from day 3 and 4.It has since all gone away, there is a light pink foam on the top.
Also the crazy bubbling has slowed down, there is the odd bubble but nothing like when it started.

I also went out today and pick up all those carboyus and what not. I cracked one on the way home but i still think it was a great buy. Looks like im starting batch 2 tom.

 

this is going to be the death of me. I want to put the wine in the carboy but its not ready yet. It looks like its going to e another day or two. I have been checking it more then a few times aday. I really want this wine..

I have the day off so I think im going to pick up another kit just to have some fun.. maybe buy a 7 day kit and make the shittiest wine ever... but 7 days how can you go wrong. lol.

So my advice to those looking at making wine, make a few batches as waiting sucks

 

LOL....when I started brewing I was the same way. I would always drink the beer too young and by the time I got down to the end of the 5 gallons it was so much better. Like you said the trick is to have multiple batches going at once.

Now I have 8, 5 gallon kegs and have enough refrigeration to keep 6 of them cold and ready to be served!

No more :waiting2: to :drinking2:

Oh and be careful with those carboys, they are a pain to move when full and very dangerous. Try to get a brew hauler or a milk crate to use when picking them up.