Comments on: The Most Neglected Piece of Winemaking Equipment

By: Matt Williams

Matt Williams — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 19:40:00 +0000

Hello again Brittany. After answering your question I decided that this was a topic that needed thorough examination and so I wrote an entire article on whether or not you should ferment wines in open containers. Here’s a link to that article: http://winemakersacademy.org/fermenting-wine-open-containers/

By: Matt Williams

Matt Williams — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 03:06:00 +0000

In reply to Brittany Elliott.

Hi Brittany, great question! I highly recommend attaching the airlock for your first wine. It is possible to ferment with open containers but you have to be able to determine when fermentation has slowed down to the point when you’ll need the airlock. This comes with experience.

The idea of open fermentations is to allow a little oxygen to interact with the wine while the yeast population is still growing. A good amount of carbon dioxide is being produced at this point and it serves to protect the wine. At some point though CO2 production falls and your wine will be vulnerable. An air conditioning vent could also blow the CO2 blanket away if you’re not careful where you place the wine.

When fermenting red wine with the grape skins all the skins float to the top to for “the cap” which also serves as a buffer between the wine and the outside world.

For your first time out I think it’s best to use the airlock. That way you can focus on the rest of the winemaking process without having to worry about whether or not your wine is getting too much oxygen exposure or if spoilage micro-organisms are finding their way in.

Best of luck with your first batch of wine! Feel free to ask as many questions as you like. The Academy community and I are here to help. Cheers! -Matt

By: Brittany Elliott

Brittany Elliott — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 18:28:00 +0000

Hi Matt, I am looking forward to making my very first batch of wine soon, but I am confused about one step. Many tutorials that I have read attach the airlock immediately after mixing in their sugar and yeast, but other sites instruct you to only cover the bucket with a towel to allow airflow for a while first. Which is correct? Which is better? Won’t leaving the wine open to oxygen potentially contaminate it? My goal is to make tasty wine for long term storage (future Christmas gifts). Thanks in advance!

By: Bill Wise

Bill Wise — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 19:03:00 +0000

In reply to Barry Robert Slater. I too have wondered about changes in pressure on the S style locks. My theory was barometric pressure. When it has negative pressure it doesn't last too long. Just thought I would share....

By: Matt Williams

Matt Williams — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:21:00 +0000

In reply to Bill Wise.

Hi Bill, great question!

As long as you wine tastes good I don’t think you have to worry too much about the missing water. In fact, some kit winemakers leave out 1/2-1 gallon of water to help concentrate flavors and increase alcohol content a bit.

I would be wary of adding water after fermentation as your wine won’t be as well integrated compared to having added it at the beginning. Having topped up with water myself in the past I can say that my wine was not better for having done that.

Taste testing is the best way to go. If it really is too heavy and intense you can add water but do it slowly, stirring and tasting it between each addition, and stop when you’ve taken the edge off. Again, I wouldn’t if it tastes okay now.

Cheers!

Matt Williams

By: Bill Wise

Bill Wise — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 20:13:00 +0000

Matt, I accidentally only put 5 gal of water into my 18L W.E. Argentine
Malbec (w/skins) kit. I didn’t go to the rim in the bucket, I went to
the 5gal bold markings…. My SG was 1.106 at the start. When I racked
it into the carboy for 2nd ferm I wondered why I was so low… Well I
finally figured it out today! The SG was .996. Should I care at this
point? Will it just be a VERY heavy wine? Should I add water and if so
when? I still have about 5 days until time to degas. Thanks for your
time.

By: Matt Williams

Matt Williams — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 04:16:00 +0000

In reply to colette geoghegan.

Hi Colette, great question! It is a good idea to detach the airlock, clean and sanitize it, then put it back in place. Also, take the time to sanitize the outside of the fermenter so you don’t get micro-organisms collecting where the wine was. Hopefully fermentation has calmed down a little bit and you are not longer at risk for the foam / wine to push through the airlock.

Please feel free to ask as many questions as you like!

-Matt

By: colette geoghegan

colette geoghegan — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 21:43:00 +0000

Hi matt. 1st time making wine from a kit. The wine is fermenting away but this morning the airlock had overflowed wine in it. I wasnt sure what to do so i topped the airlock up with clean water. Should i have disconnected it, cleaned and filled it back up again. Complete newbie here seeking advice

By: Matt Williams

Matt Williams — Sat, 30 May 2015 15:51:00 +0000

Hi Glen, most winemaking recipes and instructions have you put the lid and airlock in place as insurance against spoilage. You don’t need it during primary fermentation when things are rolling along vigorously and there’s plenty of carbon dioxide being produced. However, there’s not a clear indication as to when the vigorous primary fermentation is over just by looking at the wine and most worry that they’ll put the lid and airlock on too late, exposing their wine to oxygen and potentially spoilage micro-organisms. So the safe thing to do is just use the lid and airlock even if you don’t need it for the first bit of fermentation. If you’re comfortable running without the lid then go for it.

Personally I still prefer sealing my wine. Mostly I enjoy monitoring the airlock to gauge how fermentation is going. I hope this helps Glen!

-Matt

By: Matt Williams

Matt Williams — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 03:48:00 +0000

In reply to Troy. Excellent, let us know how it turns out Troy.