winemaking- need help with primary fermentation?
Apologies in advance if too much detail and too many questions. We planted grapes a few years ago. Not sure what kind, have been told they appear to be concord. This year we got a 5 gallon bucket plus two ice cream buckets - probably 7 gallons in all. Mashed the grapes with a potato masher then got VERY confused by the instruction booklet that came with the new wine making kit. Put in 4.5 c sugar and a campden tablet with the pulp and juice in the plastic primary fermenter pail and put the lid on. Next day, called the store where equipment purchased for further instructions. Removed pulp and juice from plastic pail for primary fermentation - wrapped the grapes in cheesecloth and squeezed them to get all the juice my hands could squeeze out - about 1.5 gals. Figured there's 2 gallons with the juice still in the grapes. Added 2 gals well water filtered thru 2 filters; Pectic enzyme per recipe in book, yeast nutrient per instructions in recipe and 1 campden tablet for additional gal. over 1 gal (already put in one tablet the nite B4) + 13.5 cups sugar. Spec. gravity measured a few times appears to be about 1.100. Stirred well and put the grape pulp back in the bucket with the juice solution (want dark, pink wine)
We like sweet wine- really sweet wine. Not puckery dry stuff.
Let sit a day - added the yeast per packet instructions by putting in 2 oz. warm water, letting sit to 'wake up' for 15 mins then pouring into bucket and stirring. Bucket is covered with the lid it came with and a dry washcloth over the hole to keep fruit flies out.
This morning it's not fizzing. Shouldn't it be fizzing or bubbling? What did I do wrong? Everyone says how wine making is easy but it's a little stressful this first time worrying if you've just wasted all your grapes and not knowing what to expect..... I've looked all over the net, all different SG readings are provided but how can they be helpful unless one knows what the outcome will be from a reading? One person's successful SG might be another's puckery wine.
I know that when the primary fermentation stops, it's time to siphon off into the carboy, cap and put the water lock on. but I'm a little lost between now and then - please help?
Uh oh - you bring up a clue - I did NOT melt the sugar in warm water then cool before adding - I just put it in the juice, stirred then let sit overnight. I stirred before adding the yeast, then again after adding the yeast. The darned book that came with the kit has suggestions and facts but is not put in an orderly fashion at all and lacks some key details. (Such as not putting the raw sugar in the must and also about multiplying a grape recipe when it gave ingredients for one gallon.). It would have helped in retrospect if I'd joined one of those groups and made it first with a 'coach".
Damon - the point was to use the grapes we were growing. We like White Zinfandel and Cafe Zinfandel - often they're still a little puckery though. I REALLY like Sangria - that's good stuff!
Y'all better keep watching, surely I'll have more questions. You guys are great!