Help needed

[frdmorley]

Okay
5 litres Apple juice
5 litres grape juice
3.5 k sugar
5 tsp yeast
3 tsp yeast nutrient
Lemon juice
Cold tea about 5 cups

Question should I melt the sugar in water before the water is added to
Make up the 22 litres or should I heat the fruit juices and blend the sugar into
That, not sure but have been told this affects the natural sugars in the fruit juice in a beneficial way any sound advice very welcome

 

[Chippy_Tea]

When you are using a plastic FV its not so important to dissolve the sugar in hot water as you can stir it easily with your long spoon, you will of course have to add some hot water to get the temperature up to between 20c and 30c as pitching your yeast above or below these temperatures is not recommended.

Make it up to 22.5 litres for the full 5 gallons.

I dont know if this was a typo but its should be - 3 tsp yeast, 5 tsp yeast nutrient :thumb:

 

[frdmorley]

Was advised five of yeast but will adjust to three and five of nutrient using young's so all good, what about the tanning/ tea was going to to strong day two bags for 10 minutes

 

[frdmorley]

That's per cup for each gallon sorry on the phone not the of lol

 

[frdmorley]

Meant the pc now embarrassed this is going on tomorrow hopefully ready for crimbo ?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

For a gallon i use 3 bags in a mug and stir it every couple of minutes while i wait for the steriliser to work.

I use a tub of citric acid instead of lemon juice, i am not sure how much you would use per DJ.

 

[frdmorley]

Advice was the juice of one long per gallon but have got citric acid so will use that as seems like good advice

 

[frdmorley]

Well it's on it's way first ever go at this just waiting for it to start bubbling away [emoji3]

 

[Chippy_Tea]

It may take a few hours to start as temperatures in our houses are lowering, not a bad thing as slower fermentation makes for a better wine.

 

[frdmorley]

It's bubbling slow and steady now it's time to wait [emoji6]

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Keep us posted. :thumb:

 

[frdmorley]

Will do first attempt so a reasonable result or something drinkable will be cool

 

[frdmorley]

Okay one month later still bubbling away although very slowly although attributing. That to change in temperature seems that the airlock goes about every 9 to 10 minutes at present any ideas on how long fermentation takes ?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

4 weeks :shock: mine normally finish around 9 days a little longer in winter, are you sure there was no preservative in the juices?

Do you have a hydrometer if not can you get one or borrow one its the only way to know for sure how far it has gone.

 

[frdmorley]

All the juice was 100% checked and rechecked after reading here, yes i bought most of what I thought I needed including a hydrometer I am going away for a week so going to let it run its course, what should I be looking for in readings and what would be my next step ?

 

[frdmorley]

The fermentation is very slow I thought this would be purely due to temperature change didn't know it should have stopped at about two weeks where now

 

[Chippy_Tea]

You need to take a reading, if its below .994 you can move on to the next stage, it will get down to .990 (dry) if left long enough normally a couple of weeks as i said above, after 4 weeks i will be amazed if it is not close to that figure.

 

[frdmorley]

Okay will leave it the few days I am away to see if it stops then take the readings and post them up here, what is the next stage j know numpty lol but this is the first time won't be the last though[emoji3]

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If you have another FV you rack into it, degas, add 5 crushed Campden tablets, fermentation stopper and fining and give it a stir.
You need to add five times what the instructions say.

 

[frdmorley]

I don't have another fv I do have Camden tablets will this stop the process and will it hurt if I allow it to progress