I have just mixed up all the ingredients for my first batch of wine (from concentrate) (oh cherry btw) and i have a good book and a warm cupboard, but one thing keeps bothering me.
Should wine brewing be left in the dark or rather, will light in any way harm the process
(by first cupboard for it had no door)
Light will at worst only fade the colour. I tend to leave wine where I can see what's going on - once had a very messy explosion under the stairs, took years to clear it up!
Hi fingle, :D
During fermentation the wine will be just fine in the light. Keep it out of strong sunlight or this may make the contents too hot. When you have racked the wine after fermentation then it would be better in a cool area out of the light, a cool garage or under the stairs is fine. In the good old days :'( you could get brown demijohns which helped to keep out the light , sadly these seem to be un available these days.
Adrian.
Touch wood it shouldnt explode as the lid is barely on it, in a week or so I will tighten it and let the airlock on the lid look after the anerobic fermentation
Fingle,
I would keep the lid on all the time, small flies, wild yeast and, worst, vinegar can get in otherwise
Phil
Lid is ON, but just not screwed on yet. No danger of stuff getting in, only air getting out.
Fingle,
What sort of container are you talking about? I'm not familiar with a screwtop fermentation vessel
Phil
Its a little 6 bottle one. (one at the bottom of this page...click pic to see)
http://www.art-of-brewing.co.uk/acatalog/intro.html
Starting small, as im just learning. my aim is to harvest apples and plums from the lotti and try making wines from them.
Screwed the top right on today to see if gas was being made...it is...loads of it !!!
every bubble = same amount of alcohol !!! hehehe
Fingle,
The link to the page you sent was to the home page - I was unable to find a 6 bottle fermentation vessel on the site - but screwing the top onto any fermentaion vessel is not a good idea - unless you want to clean up the mess after the explosion.
I'm afraid I have bad news for you on the alcohol front, the amount prodcued is equal to the amount of CO2 but only in terms of molecules not volume
Just slightly less in terms of weight, so weigh all the gas produced and you'll have some idea of the alcoholic content ;)
Phil
the screw top has a built in airlock valve thingy with water in. so gas can escape but not enter.
essentially its a plastic demi-john
Bloody Hellfire !!
Just did my first racking before adding finings. It already tastes like a REALLY GOOD red wine !!!
I hope nothing ruins that taste !
Im hooked !!
Thanks for all the advice on here all !!!
Now to go buy a bottle washer brush ..... ;)
Makes you wonder why you never started earlier eh?
Next stage - fresh fruit?
My rhubarb is going great guns!
Ah sheer joy!