Brew UK Forum | Wine Kits
My wine kits seem to be spoiling
HI
I am quite new to this - I have successfully done a few wine kits, but that is about it.
I have just set three kits going at the same time - a Youngs Elderflower, a Youngs Elderberry, and a Beaverdale Merlot.
I set them all going on Sunday afternoon, and by Sunday evening all three were bubbling well. However, the Beaverdale then bubbled up into the airlock. I haven't encountered this before, so I left it. However, the Beaverdale then stopped bubbling. I rinsed and sterilised the lock, added a bit more yeast, and left it - by Monday morning it was bubbling again and still seems to be going well.
However, the Youngs Elderberry then did the same - bubbling into the airlock. It then also stopped bubbling. I did exactly the same again, but it will now only bubble very slowly (1 bubble through the lock every couple of minutes).
I haven't overfilled the containers - I just don't know why this is happening.
Can anyone help please
Ian
Responses
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Hi Ian, what containers have you got them in?
Sounds like they are okay if they are still fermenting and bubbling (albeit slower than before). The fermentation usually slows down after the initial vigorious ferment.
Regards
Greg.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Ian,
I have been successful with 3 beaverdale kits but they were white. Do you have a constant temperature on all three kits? I have used a steady 23-25 degrees. Also you mentioned about adding a bit more yeast. Was this surplus to the yeast provided in the kit?
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi
The beaverdale stopped bubbling at all. It was like it had stopped. The levels in the airlock balanced, which seemed not right, and there was no movement over the next hour. I tried agitating it, which did nothing, so I added half a teaspoon of more yeast (yes, extra to the packets supplied). The Beaverdale is going great now.
It is the Youngs \elderflower that now seems slow. It is going - just slow.
They are in plastic demijohn containers bought from Brew UK.
Is it normal for wine to bubble up into the airlock? Can this cause contamination at all? It seems that it is both containers where this has happened that problems seemed to have happened.
Thanks for all your help.
Ian
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I am guessing 6 bottle kits as in plastic demijohns.
Can you confirm what the constant temperature is. I think too hot the yeast will die, too cold the yeast will not ferment. A constant change will not help either.
If the wine is bubbling into the airlock it should not cause contamination so long as it has been steralized.
My attempts at 6 and 30 bottle beaverdale kits (white) finished fermentation after 7-10 days max, but it may be longer for red. If at all poss, could you post a picture of the demijohn/airlock as it may be something obvious (but I doubt it)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Just realised that my wife turned heating off three days ago - that might be making room temperature too cold. I am going to check temperature, Though Youngs Elderflower still bubbling every 10 - 15 seconds, so I am sure that not it. I'm sure its round 20 degrees centigrade.
Just checked again - Youngs Elderberry now is bubbling roughly once a minute - Beaverdale Merlot less than that, though is moving. I'll leave it another few days and see. Surely they shouldn't have finished after 4 days??
Posted 1 year ago by Member
OK - now the Beaverdale has stopped dead again - thats after 5 days. It cannot be done surely. Elderberry is bubbling roughly once a minute. Elderflower still going strong every 10 to 15 seconds.
I have taken photo's, though I can't seem to post them here on the forum. Temperatures are fine - 21degrees C.
Could it have been when the wine bubbled up into the airlock - could that have passed impurities back into the wine. I used water not sterilising solution in the airlock. I am going to take hydrometer readings and see what that says. Like I say, it cannot be finished surely.
Can anyone please help!!
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
It could still be fermenting without much visible signs. Have you taken a hydrometer reading? It could be finished after 5 days, only a hydrometer reading will really confirm that.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I didn't take a reading first - what am I looking for as a reading to show it has finished?
Posted 1 year ago by Member
OK - I have just done hydrometer readings for the Elderberry and the Beaverdale, and they are as follows:
Elderberry - not sure how to use the hydrometer - I think it is 1.010. There is a yellow band that says bottle, and below this a 10 - it is on the 10. I think this is 1.010.
Beaverdale - this is out of the yellow band above it - I think this is 997 (Not really sure what I am doing here so hopefully the descriptions help.
All help gratefully received. Thanks guys. I am so glad when I first bought my equipment i bought it from here.
Thanks
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
The beaverdale sounds like its finished then. Anything below 1 is usually done. Just check its the same tomorrow then move on to the next stage. The Elderberry sounds like it still fermenting so leave that be.
Don't panic about the overflow, I'm pretty sure it will have done no harm.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks Greg - in the Beaverdale instructions it was talking about 20 days for stage 1. Howevere, given that reading I agree, If it turns out poor tasting do I need to slow it down somehow. As I say, I am quite inexperienced.
The youngs elderflower seems to be going great, and last time I did that it was great tasting - is white somewhat easier than red??
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Red/white should be the same to be honest. Some kits are easier than others but they are all fairly simple.
By the way to post photo's you need to upload them to a image server (like photobucket) then post the URL of the image using this code.
{img src=http://www.yourdomain/yourphoto}
Change the {} for <>
Make sure you don't put speech marks (") around the url and it should work fine.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi - Both the Beaverdale and the Youngs Elderberry have had the same readings now for three days. The Beaverdale has had 997, and the Elderberry has had 1010 (Not sure if they are meant to be 0.997 and 1.010). There is no activity in either one. The Beaverdale reading seems OK, though tastes very acidic. The elderberry seems smoother, though I am worried the reading is above 1000 (or 1 - not sure how to read it.)
The elderflower is still quite active so I am leaving that alone.
I have moved the beaverdale on to the next stage - not sure what to do with the elderberry.
Any advice please??
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Ian,
I have done 4 Beaverdale kits now, 2 white, 2 Red all in Demijohns glass and plastic. All 4 fermented quite quickly (5-10 days) I had them in the airing cupboard with the door open a crack (gave a liquid temperature of around 20 C. I had the same vigorous fermentation that spread into the airlock and in one case an explosion! Red marks still line the walls of the cupboard thankfully the white towels escaped a red wine fate! They did settle down afterwards and kept fermenting at a reasonable rate. As for the Hydrometer sounds like you have it sussed. The white wine kits I found a lot easier than the reds in that the product was ready to drink almost immediately. As for the reds (barolo and Chatuex Vieux de roi) Post finning I syphoned and kept them in Demijohns for a month then bottled. Looking back on it prob should've kept in demijohns for several months then bottled. Tried the barolo the other week (approx 2&half months old) and it was still quite lacking in depth. The biggest issue I have with them is the taste of the additives (not quite sure what i'm tasting whether it's the finnings or the degassing powder) Does anyone know if this taste should dissipate with maturity or do i perhaps need to add less than the prescribed sachets?
Hope you have success Ian, when it works you do get a good feeling drinking your own product! I'm growing strawberries in the garden and i'm going to attempt a strawberry beer later in the year. Think elderflower champagne is a must for the summer and i'm told it should be a good summer at that!
Just had another thought, the water here is relatively hard, could that be the source of my flavour problems and should I use bottled water instead?
Thud.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi
All wines in the end turned out great. The Beaverdale Merlot is fantastic. The elderberry wine a little sweet for my taste, but still nice. Elderflowe nice as normal. Seemed I paniced about nothing. Just takes a little time!!
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
The 3 P's. Patience, preserverence and erm plonk - as in bottle of!
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Lol
Posted 1 year ago by Member
If the elderberry is too sweet serve it over ice with chutney's and cheese. Will be great for summer lunches!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Nice Hint blackhatchetboy - I will try it. Sounds good!!
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