Hi Again further to the helpful advice given by this group a short time ago, I have had my wine in secondary fermentation for three weeks, my wine is making around one bubble every few minutes. Assuming when I take a hydrometer reading it is 1000 I am going to rack into a clean demijon. Do I need to top up the demijon? I have heard that you can use a simular wine, as I do not have any I would have to use water? Is this ok or will it dilute the wine?
Thanks Alex K
You do need to top up the demijohn. Adding water will dilute the wine. How much wine are you making? What size carboys/bottles (demijohns) do you have?
It's best to have an assortment of bottle sizes so you don't face the problem of topping up with another wine. In our local amateur wine contest many fruit winemakers add grape wine. This always knocks down their score because it dilutes and changes the fruit character of the original wine. So, if you don't have an assortment of bottles, so you can avoid topping up, buy some commercial plum wine and use that to top up. Any other wine will change the character of your homemade plum wine.
Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA
---------------------------------------------------- Only two gallons, my first attempt, I have taken a hydrometer reading, about 990.
------------------------------------------------ 1 Gallon. buy some commercial plum wine and use that to top up. Any other
---------------------------------------------- Drat! I was on holiday last week in The west Country . That's Devon and Cornwall in the UK. loads of country wines in the shops. I even bought a small bottle of strawberry to try.
--------------------------------------------------- I have heard that malt whisky put glass marbles in their half empty bottles to bring the level up and stop oxidation.
Thanks Alex K
Filtered apple juice (usually from concentrate) has no character at all, but would dilute the wine a lot less than water. That's what I use to make up the difference when I'm making jelly and don't have quite enough juice.
As someone else has mentioned, you can also add glass marbles to take up the space.
Best regards, Bob
Just a suggestion but I would try to find a 1/2 gal jug. Then rack into a 1 gal jug and the 1/2. Any extra could be put in regular wine bottles. That way you would not have to top up at all. That is generally the best thing to do. Avoid topping up.
Ray
time ago, I have
wine is making
it is 1000 I am
use a simular
ok or will it
character at all,
use to
quite enough
to take up
How about just flushing the airspace with CO2?
Bob
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