fermenting

Well, I don't know that I would wait 2 weeks to transfer to a glass demijohn, but I would ferment in a bucket at least until the SG hits 0 or below. When I ferment on fruit, I have a glass container/bucket which I ferment in. Usually, a ferment needs a little oxygen to make sure it keeps going, and this you do by stirring the must 2 times a day. If you are fermenting on fruit, then you might need to push your cap (bag with fruit or just the fruit) down each time you stir. Maybe I should ask, are you fermenting on fruit or are you just using cherry juice? Darlene

hi i crushed the cherries then poured boiling water over them kept them in a bucket for 2 days then strained them and added the yeast. Now they are in a barrel closly covered

In article , Hugh Willmer writes

Mainly because the initial fermentation is done on the fruit, which you wouldn't want in the demijohns. Depending on the recipe or method you are following, fermentation is often much more rapid at the early stage and is easier to handle in a bucket or bin than in airlocked jars.

I agree with Darlene. 2 weeks is a bit long. Actually there is a simple way to tell when to move it. Start your fermentation. It will get to going real strong and all the crushed fruit will tend to rise to the top and form what is called a cap. You need to stir this back down in the juice 2 times a day. If you do not, it will start to dry out and mold will start growing on it. Not good! Do not worry about O2 getting to it while you stir it. At this stage there is not enough alcohol in it to have a serious oxidation problem and the yeast need a bit of oxidation to reproduce and build up a good colony.

Then the fermentation will slow down. When it slows down enough, the crushed fruit will stop rising to the top. When this happens, it is time to move it to sealed carboys. This is an indication that fermentation has slowed to the point that it will not keep a good enough CO2 blanket on the wine to protect it. This may be in as few as 3 days or many as 7 days.

Ray

Initial fermentation can be rather robust, creating a bunch of foam that could either pop or gum up your airlock. Also, it's a whole lot easier to get the fruit out of a bucket than out a bottleneck.

Woods