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  1. B

    Hydrometer accuracy

    Thanks for the replies. Hydrometer seems to read 1003 in water, so I guess all my readings to date have been suspect!! Think I'll give it another week as suggested to be on the safe side. Its supposed to be bottled with sugar, so was a bit worried about exploding bottles. Thanks again for the...
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    Hydrometer accuracy

    Just brewing my first beer after a few efforts with wine. Its a Georgie Bitter 40 pint kit. Seems to be stuck at 1012 after a week fermenting - just wondering if its OK to bottle at that - instructions say 1005 or below, which seems unlikely. Temp has been 22 degrees give or take throughout. Cheers.
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    Cleaning equipment

    Thanks for that! Is that the stuff you use for washing? Does the strength of the solution matter too much? Cheers.
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    Cleaning equipment

    A quick query about cleaning. I've just been using washing up liquid, then sanitising everything prior to storage, and sanitising again before using. Is that a no no? Seems to have been OK so far, but was wondering what other people do to clean their equipment.
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    Love Brewing Premium Chardonnay kit

    Don't know how much use this will be, as it was my first effort at any sort of home brewing, but here goes... I got the kit with a starter bundle from Love Brewing, and wasn't really sure what to expect. There was a 5litre jerry can of juice (well, juice plus sugars etc) and everything else...
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    Demijohn headspace

    Thanks - have topped it up and will wait and see if I've managed to ruin it!! I think I'll stick with my plan and see how much hassle it turns out to be. If I bottle each demijohn into six bottles every now and then, it might be OK. Or not. Cheers for all the advice again.
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    Demijohn headspace

    Thought I could bottle each demijohn as I need it - now I think about it, probably more of a pain than just bottling straight off.
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    Demijohn headspace

    Yeah - seemed like a good idea at the time! Just thought it might be easier to leave it conditioning in fewer containers really. Is water the best thing to use?Had heard of people using vodka.
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    Demijohn headspace

    Have just finished a batch of Merlot, and decided to use demijohns rather than bottles. Managed to fill 3 right up to the neck, but the 4th is a little short - just above the point where the demijohn begins to curve towards the neck (the shoulder maybe??) Is this too much headspace, and if so...
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    Has fermentation finished??

    I think it was well mixed - took one reading, mixed again, took another - both the same. Also I only made up to 22litres. The kit only has 5 litres of juice - don't know if that makes a difference,
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    Has fermentation finished??

    Its a wineworks merlot kit from Love Brewing. Maybe I'll judge its strength by its effect rather than gravity!
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    Has fermentation finished??

    Just based on hydrometer readings - OG 1077, 996 after fermentation.
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    Has fermentation finished??

    Has a sneaky taste after three weeks - actually not too bad! Bit of sediment in the bottles, but otherwise definitely drinkable. Bit low on the abc though. Got a Merlot on the go which looks like it'll be around 11% ish. Is it possible to increase abv by 1 or 2% by adding extra sugar, or will...
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    Has fermentation finished??

    Got it in the bottles - 28 of them so have managed to lose 2 somehow along the way. Time will tell whether it is best in a glass or on chips. A thing called a little bottler came with the kit to help with bottling. It was useful, but I found it difficult to fill the bottles enough due to the...
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    Has fermentation finished??

    None of that with my kit - probably not as good a quality one guess. Still complicated enough for me at this stage though!
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    Has fermentation finished??

    Thank you. I will do that in the next day or two. All this advice is really appreciated - it's been a real help.
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    Has fermentation finished??

    Yeah - its a Wine Works Chardonnay kit. I've followed the instructions, just a bit unclear about whether there is any benefit in leaving the wine for a bit longer before bottling. Stabiliser and finings already done their bit.
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    Has fermentation finished??

    Update ...first attempt at wine making! Readings seemed to stabilise at 1000, so degassed. Was expecting loads of bubbles/foam, but there was very little really. Used a wine wand in the end for a couple of minutes, then a bit with a paddle out of paranoia! Now its cleared and is in a plastic...
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    Has fermentation finished??

    Will do. Thanks - looking forward to it. I'll give it a couple more days and check the reading again. Cheers for the advice.
  20. B

    Has fermentation finished??

    Thanks for that. Instructions said 5-7 days for fermenting, but I guess it's not an exact science! Have had it on a heat pad so temp has been fairly constant I think. Trying not to be impatient.
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