New to all this, teensy bit of advice please...

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vicky

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Hi there, I've no idea if this is how to go about things but I'll give it a go! I started making wine a few weeks ago with my first kit which was a winebuddy chardonnay. That batch went fine and I've since started a new one. With the first I didn't take a hydrometer reading at the beginning only before bottling. In terms of gauging the alcohol content I realise that the start figure is necessary. I did take one with the second batch when I'd added the concentrate and sugar and water but not the yeast or oak chippings. Is this the right time to take the first reading?

Any hints and tips would be appreciated.
Thanks.
 
Hi Vicky and welcome to the forum from another newbie.

Most of the kits recommend 1 Kg of sugar to be added so if you've done the same with your second batch the result should be the same depending on the final gravity. Yes, O.G. should be taken before pitching the yeast and at an ideal temperature of 20 degrees C.
 
My view is that taking SG readings is a waste of time and effort, unless you are worried about excise duty. If you do kits and brew / make to the suggested volumes, then the SG is the SG and just basically end of story.

The main thing is getting the brew to the right FG before bottling - for wine this will be typically below 1.000 (water at 20C) by around 5 points - 0.995 or so.

So at this stage, I would encourage you to focus on just that, Vicky.

The ABV will be usual table wine - 11% or so if the FG is OK and you made to instructions - as you will have done.
 
vicky said:
Hi there, I've no idea if this is how to go about things but I'll give it a go! I started making wine a few weeks ago with my first kit which was a winebuddy chardonnay. That batch went fine and I've since started a new one. With the first I didn't take a hydrometer reading at the beginning only before bottling. In terms of gauging the alcohol content I realise that the start figure is necessary. I did take one with the second batch when I'd added the concentrate and sugar and water but not the yeast or oak chippings. Is this the right time to take the first reading?

Any hints and tips would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hi Vicky,

As Slid mentioned on an earlier post, the FG is the more important measure as it helps us determine if the fermentation has ended.

That said, and this is more important to beer brewers that make 2 can kits, taking a SG reading can be a good indicator as to whether you have mixed everything thoroughly - if the SG is low, you might have half a can of malt sat at the bottom of the vessel and not dissolved into the mix. The same might apply if you made a premium wine kit with say 10-16 litres of grape juice in the kit - a low SG would be a good indicator it isn't mixed properly.

Having made the WineBuddy Chardonnay myself, I know this isn't a problem as the amount of juice is low and it's also quite thin.

As for when to take it, after you have added the sugar and topped to the correct volume is the right time.

Hope that helps

FatCol
 
Thanks guys, I guess it's just for the OCD side of me that would like to know that I had made 'proper' wine that I could put a percentage value to like when you buy a bottle. I know it's not really important as the proof of the pudding as they say........ Anyway my second lot of Chardonnay will be finished in a few days, I'll compare it with a bottle of the first lot and hopefully it will be as good, it seems to have been fermenting longer but maybe that's down to the weather?
 

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