1st Wine brew started!

MrWoolf · Mar 7, 2017

Hi all,

Total newbie to home brewing but have been interested in getting involved for a while, so on Saturday i finally took the plunge and startd by first ever batch of Kit wine. Start slowly, gain confidence and get more elaborate is my thinking.

Purchased a Wilko white wine 23L kit and after a successful Ebay bid, Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½ÃÂ£30, secured all needed equiptment ( FV's x 2, 1 FB, 2 x brewbelts, spoon, siphon and 6 x glass DJ's) from a chap giving it all up.

It was a nervy couple of days as i was not getting any bubbles in the air lock, but after searching this forum I found that these FV's dont seal very well !!
Oh no i thought - what have i done wrong??

Turns out nothing ( so far) as listening to the FV closely I can hear the bubbles being produced inside -Phew.

Will let you know how i get on with the next stage once fermantation stops and i start messing around trying to siphon it off and degass!

This is going to get messy!!

Here is my work in progress

pvt_ak · Mar 7, 2017

Looking good matey and welcome aboard. Get yourself a hydrometer that way you can always reassure yourself that the yeasties are working their magic. I've got a couple of FV's but one doesn't seal that well so I had a panic when it did the same but the hydrometer reassures you that it's all doing its 'thang' !

It's addictive this lark though so beware !!

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MrWoolf · Mar 7, 2017

Thanks for the advice ref the hydrometer :) going to order one and read up about how to use correctly. Shame the kit didnt mention this!

chewie · Mar 7, 2017

Try tightening the lid up a bit more and make sure the rubber bung is pushed in well, i use those very same FV's and they seal as good as any other plastic one out there. It also looks like you have it placed right beside a window, I'd be inclined to get it away from sunlight as much as i could, good luck:)

MrWoolf · Mar 7, 2017

I have tightened it up as much as i dare and even put some vasoline on the sealing surfaces - inside the cap and around the top of the bung.
Luckily the window its near doesnt get any direct sunlight but thanks for the heads up on that :thumb:

Chippy_Tea · Mar 8, 2017

MW try putting a heavy weight in the centre of the FV lid it worked for me on a FV that never seals properly.

MrWoolf · Mar 14, 2017

quick update - Day 10 and its still fermenting away, positive pressure still showing in the air lock. The instructions in the wine kit states that it should stop fermenting after 7 days.

Questions - Will it eventualy stop once all the sugar has been converted and should i just wait for this to happen?

As i didnt get the SG is it possible to actually tell when its stopped fermenting by using a hydrometer - the kit should prduct a ABV of around 12%

pvt_ak · Mar 14, 2017

Without knowing your original SG it's going to be difficult to calculate the final ABV , but what your aiming for is at least 1.000, I normally stop mine somewhere between 0.990 and 1.000. That's normally an indication it's done [emoji106]

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MrWoolf · Mar 14, 2017

I'm going to leave it for tonight and take some hydrometer readings over the next few days to see if it continues to drop. If I get a constant reading then i guess it maybe time to move onto the next step.

I'm aiming for a Dry white ( will never hear the end of it from the other half) so worried about left over sugar,

Beginners nerves.

Vinotinto · Mar 15, 2017

If it s still bubbling and you want a dry wine then let it carry on. Don't worry about the time either. The 7 day thing is normally nonsense and will vary anyway deoending on the temperature of the room which, if like mine, also fluctuates.

chewie · Mar 15, 2017

You will want the hydrometer reading .990 if you want a dry wine, this could take a week or more yet to achieve so if your next hydrometer reading is higher than .994 then leave it for at least a week. You may also not be able to get to .990 depending on the yeast supplied but we will cross that bridge if it appears.

MrWoolf · Mar 16, 2017

Thanks for the replies chaps :thumb:

Taken a reading and its currently at 1.003. I replaced the screw top, not as tight as before, and to my suprise its started bubbling away, getting a bubble through about every 5-10 seconds. Guess its going to be a while yet but at least now I can keep a visual on its progress

Edit - bubbles stopped next morning - still fermenting away.

MrWoolf · Mar 24, 2017

update -
After several hydrometer readings during the week, it has finally stopped at 0.990, in total the wine kit has taken around 20 days to reach this stage.

Stabiliser and finings added and the FV has been moved to a cooler place to clear

Manxnorton · Mar 24, 2017

Well done m8,
It bought distance memory's lol
It's exiting..and nerve wrecking sometimes.
Your in good hands for help..just pop in to say hi :-)
I've got 3 DJ's on the go n I love making wine...keeps me busy with lagers and beers on the go.
Looking good pal.
Bri

Chippy_Tea · Mar 24, 2017

MrWoolf said:
update -
After several hydrometer readings during the week, it has finally stopped at 0.990, in total the wine kit has taken around 20 days to reach this stage.

Stabiliser and finings added and the FV has been moved to a cooler place to clear

You will be surprised at how much faster they ferment as your house warms up heading into summer.

I make these regularly and even in a cold kitchen in winter they don't take much more than 7 days to finish fermenting - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49462

.

Tanzanite · Mar 24, 2017

MrWoolf said:
update -
After several hydrometer readings during the week, it has finally stopped at 0.990, in total the wine kit has taken around 20 days to reach this stage.

Stabiliser and finings added and the FV has been moved to a cooler place to clear

its to late now but you should have gave it another week , just to make sure its fully finished, then add stabiliser etc. this extra time will help ensure you dont get a restart in the bottles when conditioning as the temps rise when the summer comes

Chippy_Tea · Mar 24, 2017

its to late now but you should have gave it another week just to make sure its fully finished,

Sorry mate but i have to disagree, every kit i have ever made has stated wait until it gets to .995 or below then add stabiliser, degas and add fining no mention of giving it another week.

.

bomberns127 · Mar 24, 2017

hi, please tell me you didnt keep the 2 brewbelts on through the fermentation???? look to buy an stc 1000 (google it) make yourself a little system to control fermentation temp, best investment you will make, welcome to the mad addictive world of homebrewing!!

MrWoolf · Mar 24, 2017

Chippy_Tea said:
You will be surprised at how much faster they ferment as your house warms up heading into summer.

I make these regularly and even in a cold kitchen in winter they don't take much more than 7 days to finish fermenting - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49462

.

I had a brew belt on the whole time, during the day it was kept at a steady 22-24 degrees. Not sure what it droped to overnight but was still 22 when i get up at 7am.

Also CT, this wine kit wants me to add stabiliser/ finings before degassing

Chippy_Tea · Mar 24, 2017

Also CT, this wine kit wants me to add stabiliser/ finings before degassing

I assume its so they get well mixed in, i add the finnings after but still give it a good mix with the degassing wand.

.

1st Wine brew started!

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