Newbe question - I'm making wine for the first time using a wine kit and
after reading some of the posts here, I'm not sure I should be using an
air-lock during the primary fermentation as oxygen is required to assist the
yeast in converting the sugar into alcohol and SO2?

According to the kit instructions, I should rack the wine into the secondary
when to Specific Gravity reaches 1.010 or less, which should occur from 5 to
7 days after the yeast is added.

Here are my current readings:

Day # Specific Gravity Temp of Must
1 1.080 76 F (Yeast Added)
2 1.070 72 F
3 Didn't Check 74 F
4 1.050 72 F

At the current rate, I'm guessing the wine should be ready to rack around
day 8? Should I remove the airlock or keep it attached?

Keep it attached. Your yeasties seem to have plenty of oxygen. Also, dont
sweat the exact day you do the racking. The wine is very forgiving.

Congrats on starting your first batch!




KB

"Change is the law of life,
and those who look only to the past and present
are certain to miss the future."










"Brandon" > wrote in message
...
> Newbe question - I'm making wine for the first time using a wine kit and
> after reading some of the posts here, I'm not sure I should be using an
> air-lock during the primary fermentation as oxygen is required to assist
the
> yeast in converting the sugar into alcohol and SO2?
>
> According to the kit instructions, I should rack the wine into the
secondary
> when to Specific Gravity reaches 1.010 or less, which should occur from 5
to
> 7 days after the yeast is added.
>
> Here are my current readings:
>
> Day # Specific Gravity Temp of Must
> 1 1.080 76 F (Yeast Added)
> 2 1.070 72 F
> 3 Didn't Check 74 F
> 4 1.050 72 F
>
> At the current rate, I'm guessing the wine should be ready to rack around
> day 8? Should I remove the airlock or keep it attached?
>
>

Many do the primary in a big bucket, in which case there is no place to
attatch the airlock.

If you ferment in a 23 L carboy there may not be enough headroom in your
fermenter, because it may bubble and foam too much, etc. A food grade
anti-foaming agent can help, but it's also better to use some kind of larger
primary fermenter.

I use a larger glass 6.8 gallon fermenter as a primary, and that leaves
quite a bit of headroom, and I attatch the airlock. The yeasties seem to
have no trouble at all without any oxygen, and in fact, yeast produces
enormous amounts of CO2 gas, which they generate in part to help kill off
enemy bacteria, so it seems obvious to me that yeast don't require any
oxygen at all.

LG


"Brandon" > wrote:

>Newbe question - I'm making wine for the first time using a wine kit and
>after reading some of the posts here, I'm not sure I should be using an
>air-lock during the primary fermentation as oxygen is required to assist the
>yeast in converting the sugar into alcohol and SO2?
>
>According to the kit instructions, I should rack the wine into the secondary
>when to Specific Gravity reaches 1.010 or less, which should occur from 5 to
>7 days after the yeast is added.
>
>Here are my current readings:
>
>Day # Specific Gravity Temp of Must
>1 1.080 76 F (Yeast Added)
>2 1.070 72 F
>3 Didn't Check 74 F
>4 1.050 72 F
>
>At the current rate, I'm guessing the wine should be ready to rack around
>day 8? Should I remove the airlock or keep it attached?
>

I do not use an airlock during primary but it is obvious that you are
opening it every day and checking it and probably stirring it (stirring is a
good thing during primary) so that is giving the yeast all the oxygen they
need. Leave it on or take it off will not matter. Now if you were just
setting it up, putting an air lock on it an leaving it, it would be better
to not have it. But if you think about it, the air lock is to keep air away
from the must. You are opening it and stirring it and testing it. The air
lock is irrelevant during this phase.

Ray

"Brandon" > wrote in message
...
> Newbe question - I'm making wine for the first time using a wine kit and
> after reading some of the posts here, I'm not sure I should be using an
> air-lock during the primary fermentation as oxygen is required to assist
the
> yeast in converting the sugar into alcohol and SO2?
>
> According to the kit instructions, I should rack the wine into the
secondary
> when to Specific Gravity reaches 1.010 or less, which should occur from 5
to
> 7 days after the yeast is added.
>
> Here are my current readings:
>
> Day # Specific Gravity Temp of Must
> 1 1.080 76 F (Yeast Added)
> 2 1.070 72 F
> 3 Didn't Check 74 F
> 4 1.050 72 F
>
> At the current rate, I'm guessing the wine should be ready to rack around
> day 8? Should I remove the airlock or keep it attached?
>
>

Hi Brandon,

During the primary fermentation stage of wine production, yeast
converts sugar into alcohol. A by product of this is Carbon Dioxide
(CO2). As the CO2 is heavier in weight than oxygen, it covers the top
of the wine must, protecting it from oxidisation due to oxygen
contact. Once the primary fermentation has slowed or finished, the CO2
production ceases. It is at this point we must add sulphur dioxide
(SO2) in the form of PMS or SMS to the wine to protect it from oxygen
contact and limit the amount of air by fitting an air lock.

I have found with some wines (especially country wines made with fruit
other than grapes) that if I do my primary fermentation using an
airlock, not enough oxygen mixes with the must and I often get rotten
egg gas smells (Hydrogen Sulphide) which are quite unpleasant. This is
why I always do my primary fermentation in an open fermenter covered
with a cloth.

Regards

AB1

"Brandon" > wrote in message >...
> Newbe question - I'm making wine for the first time using a wine kit and
> after reading some of the posts here, I'm not sure I should be using an
> air-lock during the primary fermentation as oxygen is required to assist the
> yeast in converting the sugar into alcohol and SO2?
>
> According to the kit instructions, I should rack the wine into the secondary
> when to Specific Gravity reaches 1.010 or less, which should occur from 5 to
> 7 days after the yeast is added.
>
> Here are my current readings:
>
> Day # Specific Gravity Temp of Must
> 1 1.080 76 F (Yeast Added)
> 2 1.070 72 F
> 3 Didn't Check 74 F
> 4 1.050 72 F
>
> At the current rate, I'm guessing the wine should be ready to rack around
> day 8? Should I remove the airlock or keep it attached?

Thank you all for the information. This is a really great group and the
more I read the more I realize how little I know.

Brandon

Hi ab,

thought of lack of food? Fruit other than grapes is often lacking food for
your yeast. Yeast is a hungry thingy!! Feed it!!!. And yes, that is often
the reason for the off-flavour, esp. H2S. Had "some" experience with it
myself during my 10 years of country winemaking.

Ed
From Holland, southern province of Limburg, where Holland is a mere 4,8
kilometers wide. To the right: Germany; to the left: Belgium. Dandelion wine
started yesterday; apple and cherry in the basement; 204 grapes (Regent;
Léon Millot; Birstaler Muskat) just peeping out of the ground. Have to wait
3 years, have to wait; I know.

"ab" > schreef in bericht
om...
> Hi Brandon,
>
> During the primary fermentation stage of wine production, yeast
> converts sugar into alcohol. A by product of this is Carbon Dioxide
> (CO2). As the CO2 is heavier in weight than oxygen, it covers the top
> of the wine must, protecting it from oxidisation due to oxygen
> contact. Once the primary fermentation has slowed or finished, the CO2
> production ceases. It is at this point we must add sulphur dioxide
> (SO2) in the form of PMS or SMS to the wine to protect it from oxygen
> contact and limit the amount of air by fitting an air lock.
>
> I have found with some wines (especially country wines made with fruit
> other than grapes) that if I do my primary fermentation using an
> airlock, not enough oxygen mixes with the must and I often get rotten
> egg gas smells (Hydrogen Sulphide) which are quite unpleasant. This is
> why I always do my primary fermentation in an open fermenter covered
> with a cloth.
>
> Regards
>
> AB1
>
> "Brandon" > wrote in message
>...
> > Newbe question - I'm making wine for the first time using a wine kit and
> > after reading some of the posts here, I'm not sure I should be using an
> > air-lock during the primary fermentation as oxygen is required to assist
the
> > yeast in converting the sugar into alcohol and SO2?
> >
> > According to the kit instructions, I should rack the wine into the
secondary
> > when to Specific Gravity reaches 1.010 or less, which should occur from
5 to
> > 7 days after the yeast is added.
> >
> > Here are my current readings:
> >
> > Day # Specific Gravity Temp of Must
> > 1 1.080 76 F (Yeast Added)
> > 2 1.070 72 F
> > 3 Didn't Check 74 F
> > 4 1.050 72 F
> >
> > At the current rate, I'm guessing the wine should be ready to rack
around
> > day 8? Should I remove the airlock or keep it attached?

Ed,

I visit your homeland occasionally (~twice/yr) -- really enjoy Maastricht!

Bart


"ed montforts" > wrote in message
...
> Hi ab,
>
> thought of lack of food? Fruit other than grapes is often lacking food for
> your yeast. Yeast is a hungry thingy!! Feed it!!!. And yes, that is often
> the reason for the off-flavour, esp. H2S. Had "some" experience with it
> myself during my 10 years of country winemaking.
>
> Ed
> From Holland, southern province of Limburg, where Holland is a mere 4,8
> kilometers wide. To the right: Germany; to the left: Belgium. Dandelion
wine
> started yesterday; apple and cherry in the basement; 204 grapes (Regent;
> Léon Millot; Birstaler Muskat) just peeping out of the ground. Have to
wait
> 3 years, have to wait; I know.
>
> "ab" > schreef in bericht
> om...
> > Hi Brandon,
> >
> > During the primary fermentation stage of wine production, yeast
> > converts sugar into alcohol. A by product of this is Carbon Dioxide
> > (CO2). As the CO2 is heavier in weight than oxygen, it covers the top
> > of the wine must, protecting it from oxidisation due to oxygen
> > contact. Once the primary fermentation has slowed or finished, the CO2
> > production ceases. It is at this point we must add sulphur dioxide
> > (SO2) in the form of PMS or SMS to the wine to protect it from oxygen
> > contact and limit the amount of air by fitting an air lock.
> >
> > I have found with some wines (especially country wines made with fruit
> > other than grapes) that if I do my primary fermentation using an
> > airlock, not enough oxygen mixes with the must and I often get rotten
> > egg gas smells (Hydrogen Sulphide) which are quite unpleasant. This is
> > why I always do my primary fermentation in an open fermenter covered
> > with a cloth.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > AB1
> >
> > "Brandon" > wrote in message
> >...
> > > Newbe question - I'm making wine for the first time using a wine kit
and
> > > after reading some of the posts here, I'm not sure I should be using
an
> > > air-lock during the primary fermentation as oxygen is required to
assist
> the
> > > yeast in converting the sugar into alcohol and SO2?
> > >
> > > According to the kit instructions, I should rack the wine into the
> secondary
> > > when to Specific Gravity reaches 1.010 or less, which should occur
from
> 5 to
> > > 7 days after the yeast is added.
> > >
> > > Here are my current readings:
> > >
> > > Day # Specific Gravity Temp of Must
> > > 1 1.080 76 F (Yeast Added)
> > > 2 1.070 72 F
> > > 3 Didn't Check 74 F
> > > 4 1.050 72 F
> > >
> > > At the current rate, I'm guessing the wine should be ready to rack
> around
> > > day 8? Should I remove the airlock or keep it attached?
>
>