First timer - General Questions

Hi,

I've done homebrews for a number of years, and now I'm finally going to try wine at home. I have a few questions that I haven't readily found answers to in the archives.

1. When topping off, how close should the must be to the stopper? 1 inch, 2 inches?

1. My first attempt at wine making will be from a good kit. Is there any other testing items I should purchase (I only own a hydrometer)?

2. I use one-step or similar sanitizers when brewing, would this be ok to use when sanitizing fermenters, bottles, hoses, etc? Or should I purchase some other sanitizer?

Thanks for any help,

Michael

Anywhere from 1/2 inch to 2 inches should be fine. If you're using a standard glass carboy like most people than a good place to top off to is right at the bottom of the neck just before it straightens back out again.

When using the kits you'll be just fine with a hydrometer. But if you ever start making your own wine then you'll definately want an acid test kit. They're available at any brewshop for about $15. Also, if you don't already own an "Auto-Siphon" I'd highly reccomend one. They are one of the greatest inventions for the home brewer available.

A couple other sanitizers out there are Iodophor (Iodne) and Star San. I prefer Star San. One ounce will sanitize 5 gallons of water and there's no need to rinse afterwards because it works by lowering the ph, however I do use Iodophor on smaller 1 gallon batches. A great cleaner is PBW. This stuff will dissolve the nastiest caked on organic matter in less than an hour.

Terry

Yes. 1 to 2 inches is good. The level will change as the temp. of the wine changes.

For kits, there really isn't anything else required for testing. When you get into making it from fruit you may want to invest in an acid test kit and maybe a pH meter.

One step should do the job, but I wouldn't use it as a no rinse. It's a oxidizer and you don't really want any residue in the wine. I rinse all equipment and bottles with a Pot. Meta solution before use.

Andy

I agree with the answers above, the only thing you really need is the hydrometer.

I never use an auto siphon, but that may just be mee. I enjoy using my mouth. The alcohol is going to kill any germs that get in.

The only thing I would add is a bottling wand. They are less than $2 and they can prevent a lot of mess.

I would suggest that you start with a good white wine kit. They are ready much quicker than the red kits, quicker feed back, and most people agree that they generally give an excellent product while some like the reds and some don't.

Ray

Here here Ray!

I agree, -- go for a white wine kit before red for the reasons you said. A less expensive white kit will give much better results than a more expensive red kit ( and I am a distinctly red wine man) You can even get away without a hydrometer -- but it is useful to see what is happening -- but don't go overboard with taking SG readings to often.

I have never used an auto siphon either and it is an unnecessary refinement at this stage.

I tend to think that home brewing beers is somewhat more involved than wine making!

Not really. There are kits for both to make everything easier but if you do both from scratch it's just a different process, not really more involved.

Andy

I agree with the others as to the details, but as a fellow homebrewer who went from homebrewing to using winemaking kits, it is definitely easier to use winemaking kits. In a way, I'd recommend that path first, since that religious fanaticism towards sanitation that homebrewers have serves you well when you go into home winemaking.

--Mike L.

Michael, Welcome. I top to 1/2" from the stopper but other than that I would agree with everyone else. 2" would make me nervous on a finished and outgassed wine for long term aging. Kit wines bottled in a month would not be an issue, but most suggest longer bulk aging.

Joe

Michael, Welcome. I top to 1/2" from the stopper but other than that I would agree with everyone else. 2" would make me nervous on a finished and outgassed wine for long term aging. Kit wines bottled in a month would not be an issue, but most suggest longer bulk aging.

Joe

Really? You feel that using an extract kit for beer is harder than using a winemaking kit? I'm curious why you feel this way. What do you find difficult in the beer kit?

Andy

Just a few extra comments that I should have made earlier. A lot depends on how well the temperature is controlled in your wine room. When temperature goes up, the wine will expand and move up the neck. When it drops, the wine volume will drop. If your wine room keeps the temperature in a 3 to 5 degree F range, 1 inch is fine for head space. If it changes by 10 deg's, you will need more. I have seen head space go from 1 inch to 4 inches (yea, way down the jug) in the winter if the heat went off. If you fill the carboy to one inch from the top on a cold day, it will probably boil over when the temperature goes back up.

Ray

I diagree.....I haven't come across a wine kit yet where you have to boil for an hour.

Sorry, but I just don't find throwing extract into water and boiling for an hour that much more "involved" than making a wine kit. BTW, if this is too much work, there are no boil beer kits. I personally wouldn't recommend them, but to each his own.

Both brewing and winemaking can be as simple or involved as one wishes. Using kits makes it easy and produces drinkable products. Doing it from scratch gives you more control over the final product but presents more chances to make mistakes.

Andy