My first wine is on the go

[Eorling]

Hey guys,

I bottled up my TC today, and once everything was cleaned I started work on a Young's Cabernet Sauvignon kit. It was dead easy to do following the instructions and I really hope it produces a nice wine. If it tastes good after a few weeks I will leave a few bottles to really mature. Has anyone else made this wine, what was it like :)?

Will.

 

[cnelsonplumber]

I make quite a lot of wine but have not tried that particular kit.

Make sure you boil your water, treat with a Campden tablet and follow the instructions and you will enjoy it all. 3 to 6 months is a good length of time for ageing but longer is even better.

Cantina kits are a favourite if you want to be drinking it in a week but these also improve greatly with age.

Enjoy :

 

[Eorling]

I didn't use a campden tablet, what is it? I used tap water - I hope this isn't a cardinal sin ! The kit was pretty cheap so even if it is a bust it's no great loss and all experience is good experience.

Will.

 

[AllyBally]

Dont panic about the tap water,, it will be fine.
I "usually" boil tap water or use mineral water, but have occassionally have forgotten/ not worried about boiling, never any problems. I believe the reason for boiling is to remove/reduce the chemicals and soften the tap water,our water is very chalky here,so thats usually left in the kettle, i am sure some one more knowledgeable will correct me if wrong.
On the occassions where i havent boiled the water, ive never had any problems with the wines involved, so i shouldnt worry too much.

 

[cnelsonplumber]

Just wrote a short essay on the subject and lost it so this is a quick insight.

There is tons of stuff on the site if you use the search button towards the top right of the screen.

Basically boiling and treatment remove the chlorine and derivatives which give homebrew the anti septic taste. Don' worry though you can still enjoy the wine without either it's just better with.

:drink: :drink:

 

[Eorling]

Ah thankyou! Very informative! I will definately get hold of some then. I don't expect these first bews to be brilliant but they have been lots of fun to make and everyone who comes in and out of the house where we keep the DJ's during fermentation is very interested. Practice makes perfect I suppose .

Will.

 

[cnelsonplumber]

Just enjoy and keep on brewing.Good luck with the Cab Sav

:thumb:

 

[Eorling]

Hmmm it's been about 20 hours and it sin't bubbling as much as my TC did yet, is that normal? Looks nice though :).

Will.

 

[cnelsonplumber]

To early to worry yet. What temperature are you fermenting at? Around 22 degrees is a good average.

I use aquarium thermometers stuck to the outside of all my dj and fv's so I can keep a quick eye on things. They are under £2 and easily available from pet shops and local home brew stores/ on line.

One of these is a good investment if you are getting seriously involved and a must if you are going All grain.
:

 

[Eorling]

I'm fermenting at room temp, whatever that is - probably around 20 degrees ish. It seems to be going ok though, wine is a slower process as I have found out.

Will.