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Hi everyone,

I am new to this & have just made my first gallon of blackcurrant wine - I put it in the demijohn last night with the airlock on.

what rate should the bubbles be coming up the airlock at ?

theres 1 every second & I can see the wine actually moving up inside the demijohn. As I have never done this before I'm not sure what is ok/normal or what is too active. I am going away for the weekend and don't want to come back to a problem....or exploded demijohn.

can anyone help ?

Thanks Gail

It's bubbling away nicely  :) I would empty a little out of the demi and put it in the fridge just to be on the safe side. If the air lock gets blocked you would have purple walls when you get back! When you get back and the fermentation has slowed down, top it up with the fridged juice.

Hi Biscombe,

thanks for the info - too late to put in the fridge ( plus I don;t think it would fit ) I filled it to just under the neck of the demijohn. There was a bit of froth this morning.

I've put it in the shed as I left just in case.

How/ why would the airlock get blocked ? I didn't put the cap on.

regards Gail

Hi Gail-M, Biscombe means for you to empty some of the wine out of the demi john and put that in the fridge not the demi john  :) . When the ferment has slowed down top it back up with the wine you put in the fridge.

You could fill the demijohn only to the 'shoulder', and 2/3rds fill an empty wine bottle with the rest and push a cottonwool ball into the top - top up once ferment slows :)