Re: Wilco 30 bottle white wine kit

[fingersuk]

I started mine off Sunday its bubbling very very gently. This is the first time for me doing homebrew so not sure what to expect. I cant even see any bubbling the airlock. I've tried moving it to a warmer place and still if i take the top of the fermenter its bubbling very gently. Am I being too impatient or do I need to get some Lalvin EC-1118 wine yeast to try and restart it? (Bear in mind this is the first time i've ever done wine before, all the kit was sterlised).

I have a hydrometer but because I got the wilco 25l bucket and it hasnt got a tap it's awkward to take off a sample to measure.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Gayle]

8 weeks 3 days. I have lost the will to live. down to 995 tho

That's it done fermenting probably, unless it's supposed to finish bone-dry. It may well have been finished weeks ago, the airlock still bubbles occasionally after fermentation to let out excess gas. One bubble or less per minute is usually "done" in my book, and I've never had anything take more than 3 weeks.

I started mine off Sunday its bubbling very very gently. This is the first time for me doing homebrew so not sure what to expect. I cant even see any bubbling the airlock. I've tried moving it to a warmer place and still if i take the top of the fermenter its bubbling very gently. Am I being too impatient or do I need to get some Lalvin EC-1118 wine yeast to try and restart it? (Bear in mind this is the first time i've ever done wine before, all the kit was sterlised).

I'm guessing it's in a bucket fermenter? The seal between the bucket and lid on them isn't always perfect, and if gas is escaping through the gap the airlock won't bubble. No worries though, as long as no dirt or flies can get in. If it's bubbling then it's doing something, if you want to check it with your hydrometer you could just gently drop it (sanitised) into the bucket, to get the reading. Maybe someone else will come along and tell me that that is an inaccurate method, but it's always been close enough for me!

 

[fingersuk]

8 weeks 3 days. I have lost the will to live. down to 995 tho

That's it done fermenting probably, unless it's supposed to finish bone-dry. It may well have been finished weeks ago, the airlock still bubbles occasionally after fermentation to let out excess gas. One bubble or less per minute is usually "done" in my book, and I've never had anything take more than 3 weeks.

I started mine off Sunday its bubbling very very gently. This is the first time for me doing homebrew so not sure what to expect. I cant even see any bubbling the airlock. I've tried moving it to a warmer place and still if i take the top of the fermenter its bubbling very gently. Am I being too impatient or do I need to get some Lalvin EC-1118 wine yeast to try and restart it? (Bear in mind this is the first time i've ever done wine before, all the kit was sterlised).

I'm guessing it's in a bucket fermenter? The seal between the bucket and lid on them isn't always perfect, and if gas is escaping through the gap the airlock won't bubble. No worries though, as long as no dirt or flies can get in. If it's bubbling then it's doing something, if you want to check it with your hydrometer you could just gently drop it (sanitised) into the bucket, to get the reading. Maybe someone else will come along and tell me that that is an inaccurate method, but it's always been close enough for me!

Ok thanks will give it a shot

 

[Slid]

About the tartaric acid. I read that 12grams can be fatal to human beings. Do you think it is good to be messing with this stuff in your wine.??

Excess tartaric acid crystallises out in wine and is easily avoided as it sinks to the bottom of the bottle and looks awfully unpalatable. The old CWS used to frequently sell off cheap plonk from its site in Irlam to staff with tartaric acid crystals in the bottom. The wine tasted no worse for it (although it was pretty awful anyway TBH).

But since the median lethal dose is about 50 times the 12g quoted for an adult human, most drinkers would have died of alcoholic poisoning many times over before the acid got them.

 

[MrWoolf]

I have done the Wilko 30 bottle Dry white kit recently.

1) It took about 20 days to finish fermenting if kept at a constant 22-24 degrees
2) finished wine was very bland and seemed less than 12% volume after bottling, actually tasted like water with a little tang.
3) Leave the wine to "condition" for at least two weeks as more taste does develop

 

[Vinotinto]

I have done the Wilko 30 bottle Dry white kit recently.

2) finished wine was very bland and seemed less than 12% volume after bottling, actually tasted like water with a little tang.

Not sure how strong you really need a white but many will brew these cheap kits short and / or up the sugar.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Wow this thread took me back (originally posted 14-04-2013), i cannot remember the last time i was in a Wilko store.

 

[Emit]

Not sure how strong you really need a white but many will brew these cheap kits short and / or up the sugar.

I got taken in by the £15 price tag and bought it before doing my research
I've not received it yet so can't read the instructions but I am guessing that you start with a fermenting bucket filled to ~25L?

Before I start any advice on how to brew it short please? Presumably it means adding less water?
Any issue with perhaps adding water to 17L and adding sugar to get the gravity to 1.07 for example?

 

[Vinotinto]

I got taken in by the �£15 price tag and bought it before doing my research
I've not received it yet so can't read the instructions but I am guessing that you start with a fermenting bucket filled to ~25L?

Before I start any advice on how to brew it short please? Presumably it means adding less water?
Any issue with perhaps adding water to 17L and adding sugar to get the gravity to 1.07 for example?

Not really expert with this but in the absence of any other replies - brew short? Yes - less water. Add sugar? Up to you. You seem to be on the right track though so have a look at the calculators - link at top of page - to gauge what you want to make. These Wilko kits are not for me but if you have it I am sure you can up the abv by adding a few less litres and topping the sugar content. USE your hydrometer is the key.