Advice needed on the rose kit.

[Gaz3376]

Started my first ever homebrew wine (rose from the range)

I've followed the kit instructions but I didn't use a bucket, instead I used a plastic fermentation barrel with a small screw top (this has been placed on top loosely to allow air to get in (see pic)

Made the initial mistake of using a vessel that was to small as it overflowed a little on first day.

I'm on day 7 now and the instructions say I should test to see if it tastes dry before I move to next step.

I've just tasted it and it's sweet and can hear it fizzing. I didn't use a hydrometer to start with but I do have one, but with the barrel I'm using I think I might struggle to read it.

Temp is 25.3 today using digital thermometer.

Should I give it a few more days for fizzing to stop and more of the sugar to be converted into alcohol?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If its still fermenting leave it until you cannot hear it and then have another taste a hydrometer takes away all the guess work and if you plan on making more wines it would be worth getting one.

Wilko sell a hydrometer and trial jar for £6.

http://www.wilko.com/search?q=hydrometer

http://www.wilko.com/search?q=trial+jar

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[Gaz3376]

If its still fermenting leave it until you cannot hear it and then have another taste a hydrometer takes away all the guess work and if you plan on making more wines it would be worth getting one.

Wilko sell a hydrometer and trial jar for �£6.

http://www.wilko.com/search?q=hydrometer

http://www.wilko.com/search?q=trial+jar

.

Thanks pal, I got the hydrometer yesterday from Wilko. Would it be worth testing it now?

I've also seen your previous review and will leave out the additional sugar, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

How are you going to test it do you have a trial jar?

 

[Gaz3376]

How are you going to test it do you have a trial jar?

No sorry thought I had one with the hydrometer but just checked and I've not.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I would leave it and go by taste for this one as you cannot put it into your barrel and read it, if you are going to make another in the future treat yourself to a fermenting vessel then you can simply throw the hydrometer into the bucket instead of messing with a trial jar, some members leave the hydrometer in the FV from start to finish.

 

[Gaz3376]

Thanks for the advice, I know for next time now.

Since starting this wine, I've been given 6 demijohns which are soaking in soapy water as we speak.

Thinking of doing a simple cider or a WOW of some description after readings the many recipes on here today. What a great resource you have here!! Think I've found my new hobby :smile:

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I prefer to use DJ's for the supermarket juice wines as you can play with different juices in several different batches, i have 8 plus a FV for the 30 bottle kits i make.

If you haven't seen it have a look at this - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49462

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[Gaz3376]

I would leave it and go by taste for this one as you cannot put it into your barrel and read it, if you are going to make another in the future treat yourself to a fermenting vessel then you can simply throw the hydrometer into the bucket instead of messing with a trial jar, some members leave the hydrometer in the FV from start to finish.

Ok so day 11, and its stopped making the fizzing noise and the taste is dry. I used the hydrometer using the plastic tube that the hydrometer came in as a trial jar and it was smack bang in the middle of the green wine indicated section. Cant remember the reading i was in a rush for work but wrote it down.

Will move onto next step tonight and tomorrow, degassing and adding stabilisers and finings.:thumb:

 

[GDog]

wilkos trial jar is fine (its all I use), but try to get a nice clear glass one if you can - the plastic ones are hard to see through

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I used to use the plastic one and you are right they can be difficult to see through i got round it by half filling the tube then putting the hydrometer in and topping up the the trial jar to the top so you are looking along the surface rather than through the tube.

 

[chewie]

Started my first ever homebrew wine (rose from the range)

I've followed the kit instructions but I didn't use a bucket, instead I used a plastic fermentation barrel with a small screw top (this has been placed on top loosely to allow air to get in (see pic)

Your letting Co2 out not letting air in, big difference as air getting in will spoil the wine or beer



I'm on day 7 now and the instructions say I should test to see if it tastes dry before I move to next step.

I've just tasted it and it's sweet and can hear it fizzing. I didn't use a hydrometer to start with but I do have one, but with the barrel I'm using I think I might struggle to read it.

Just open up the tap on the barrel to fill your trial jar from



Should I give it a few more days for fizzing to stop and more of the sugar to be converted into alcohol?

Ideally you want to hit the gravity you want that will give you the level of dry/medium/sweetness that you want, this comes with experience and is different for different peoples palate.

Most kit instructions give ballpark numbers with regards to the time taken to hit a final gravity so don't worry to much about them, just take a reading after 10 days and see where you are at.

 

[Gaz3376]

Update
I bottled it on day 14. Pain in the arse I'm going to have to invest in some better equipment I think to make the process easier. I'm enjoying a glass of wine now, my wife can't believe it's exactly to her taste!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If you are going to use the barrel again get a little bottler it makes bottling much less of a chore.

 

[Gaz3376]

If you are going to use the barrel again get a little bottler it makes bottling much less of a chore.

The barrel made the filling quite simple but I had to transfer from the barrel to a bucket and back into the barrel after cleaning out the sediment in order to use the tap. I'm keen to invest in a new siphon and bottling wand for my cider project when I will be using dJ's. Can you please give me your recommendations?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I use a stndard Syphon and I cut the tube off a little bottler which I insert into the end of the Syphon tube once I get the flow started, http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58393

 

[Gaz3376]

Thanks, do you Clip the syphon onto the dj/bucket somehow?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Yes with a bucket clip.

I bought a second cheap syphon and cut the solid tube in half and made a short sleeve out of a short piece of the spare soft tube to join the original and new parts together this makes racking a lot easier as you have plenty of length (unlike in picture two below where you have non) to play with and can adjust the position of the bottom of the tube with a clothes peg above the bucket clip.

 

[simmo3801]

If you have an IKEA nearby then buy one of their glass single flower vases called Tajt for £2, excellent glass trial jar!!