Baglady, Your fermenting wine question.

[Coppertop]

Quote Originally Posted by Baglady View Post

I didnt know that's how they made pepperoni and salami. I'd be interested in knowing this process too.
Cool beans Inor.

Btw Inor. Speaking of fermenting..that's one of my problems with the beer and wine making.
I don't have a single place in the house that maintains a certain temp. (!) I've tried wrapping heating pads
around the 5 gal. buckets, and keeping a light on in the closet.
But, when you burn wood to heat your house, and at night it gets cold, etc..no good options.

Above is Baglady's quote from a different thread, but I felt we were Hi Jacking Inor's thread so I am starting it over here.

Baglady.

I have made wine and beer in a basement that didn't get much light, and the temp varied from 60-75 degrees on a daily basis. The biggest thing about "cold' fermenting is that it just takes longer. It also makes a slightly sweeter wine than what you would expect. It isn't a big difference but it's noticeable. I just used more tannins when I finished it. I also found that a hydrometer was pretty necessary for checking to see if the wine was done fermenting. I have done batches in a garage that stayed about 60 all the time and again it just took a little longer, but it had indirect lighting through the day.

They make heating bands that are built for the fermenter buckets, but I really didn't see where it kept it much warmer. I think you would be fine if you used a place that was fairly consistent in temp, even if it is a little on the cooler side. If you start with a little warmer (5-10 degrees) mix to get the yeast going good, then leave it alone, it should be ok. Another thought I have about this is to wrap a blanket around the fermenters so you don't get "shock" temp changes. I never had to do that so it's just an idea.

Biggest thing is to make sure it's done fermenting before you go to the finishing stage.

Thanks

[Inor]

No worries CT. These conversations drift where they drift. That is one of the things I like most about this site is that we are not militant about staying "on topic". :D

As an aside, I will be sampling the very first bottle of home brewed beer this evening! WOO HOO! I have no idea how or even if it turned out yet. If y'all do not hear from me after today, you will know it is an experiment that failed badly. :D

[Coppertop]

Thanks Inor,

I doubt your beer will be bad. You seem to be the kind of guy that watches the details and puts some care into things so I'm sure it will be just fine.

There are two things I miss now that I'm sober. The taste and the making (experimenting with the flavors in the wine). I don't miss what the alcohol did to me and my attitude, but the taste is something I struggle with almost daily. I wish I could find something to take the place of it. I can get my making fix through you and baglady though :-) .

Let me know how it turns out please.

[Baglady]

Quote Originally Posted by Baglady View Post

I didnt know that's how they made pepperoni and salami. I'd be interested in knowing this process too.
Cool beans Inor.

Btw Inor. Speaking of fermenting..that's one of my problems with the beer and wine making.
I don't have a single place in the house that maintains a certain temp. (!) I've tried wrapping heating pads
around the 5 gal. buckets, and keeping a light on in the closet.
But, when you burn wood to heat your house, and at night it gets cold, etc..no good options.

Above is Baglady's quote from a different thread, but I felt we were Hi Jacking Inor's thread so I am starting it over here.

Baglady.

I have made wine and beer in a basement that didn't get much light, and the temp varied from 60-75 degrees on a daily basis. The biggest thing about "cold' fermenting is that it just takes longer. It also makes a slightly sweeter wine than what you would expect. It isn't a big difference but it's noticeable. I just used more tannins when I finished it. I also found that a hydrometer was pretty necessary for checking to see if the wine was done fermenting. I have done batches in a garage that stayed about 60 all the time and again it just took a little longer, but it had indirect lighting through the day.

They make heating bands that are built for the fermenter buckets, but I really didn't see where it kept it much warmer. I think you would be fine if you used a place that was fairly consistent in temp, even if it is a little on the cooler side. If you start with a little warmer (5-10 degrees) mix to get the yeast going good, then leave it alone, it should be ok. Another thought I have about this is to wrap a blanket around the fermenters so you don't get "shock" temp changes. I never had to do that so it's just an idea.

Biggest thing is to make sure it's done fermenting before you go to the finishing stage.

ThanksThanks for the info, CopperTop. What do you think is the best time of year to make wine or beer?

[Coppertop]

I made it all year long so I don't know that it really matters. If you are worried about shocking your yeast maybe wait until your temp stabilizes a little in a month or so, But I don't think I would worry about it.

[Inor]

Yeast appear to be remarkably strong little buggers. When I mixed up my current batch of brew, I stupidly put the yeast pack into the sanitizer not thinking that I had just drawn the water for the sanitizer from the hot water spigot. It was maybe 170 or 180 degrees. I was sure I had killed the yeast, but I pitched it anyway since it was the only packet I had. It was a little slower to get started, but within a day or two I had a good 4 inches of foam on the top of the fermentor. I think it is going to be fine.

[Pauls]

Typically yeast is good to about 120F and can survive freezing temps just fine.

With sourdough starter the reson you don't freeze it unless it is completely dry is so you don't kill the secondary bacteria that make the dough "sour". I see no reason to heat the fermenter, as coppertop said it just takes longer the cooler it gets. I often put my sourdough in the frige (at 35F) to keep it working over a longer period of time. The longer it works the more "sour" it gets. With alcohol production you don't have or want the secondary bacteria - unless you are making vinegar. Yeast is an anarobic (without air) bacteria and the other bacteria is arobic (requires air) that is why wine that is exposed to air will turn to vinegar.

[Baglady]

Thanks for the reply's. I had the idea to get the juice from my grapes, pears, plums, etc, and can it until the weather was warmer.
If the fermentation process is interupted, or too slow, I'm not going to know when it's finished.

[Coppertop]

Thanks for the reply's. I had the idea to get the juice from my grapes, pears, plums, etc, and can it until the weather was warmer.
If the fermentation process is interupted, or too slow, I'm not going to know when it's finished.

I know Inor's guy told him to wait, But a Hydrometer will be your savior in this endeavor. I did it for a while with out one but wouldn't try another. Especially if it is a "cooler" batch of wine. It saved me a few times when I was bottling in the basement.

If you bottle too early you will have fountains in your wine cellar. A hydrometer can tell you when the sugars are eaten. The gas you get from fermentation is the by product of yeast eating the sugar- Not the yeast itself.

Thanks

[Inor]

I will be buying a hydrometer at your recommendation the next time I brew a batch. Thanks for all of the great info!

[Baglady]

I know Inor's guy told him to wait, But a Hydrometer will be your savior in this endeavor. I did it for a while with out one but wouldn't try another. Especially if it is a "cooler" batch of wine. It saved me a few times when I was bottling in the basement.

If you bottle too early you will have fountains in your wine cellar. A hydrometer can tell you when the sugars are eaten. The gas you get from fermentation is the by product of yeast eating the sugar- Not the yeast itself.

ThanksI have a Hydrometer. It's been a few years since I tried making the wine. I did'nt know that tho. I need to re-read my literature. Thank you.