I found a straightforward online how-to for making wine from my own
grapes. Here's the link:
http://www.winemakermag.com/yourfirstwine/grapes.html . They have TONS
of cool stuff.

I picked a crop of grapes and followed the directions and fermented
about 5 gallons of must with the skins, seeds, pulp. I then strained
it. ---I used an old juice press that I think is made of cast iron. I
read that is bad to use on wine but that's all I had. Bad news?

Then I had about 4 gallons of wine in a 6 gallon wine-kit bucket. The
link above said to fill up the gap with boiled, cooled water, then let
it sit for a day then rack it off to another airlocked bucket then
keep that filled over the next few months with wine or grape juice.

Well, I filled up the gap with wine and grape juice to start with.
Then racked it a day later and now I guess my wine is in the 2nd-dary
ferm stage. Am I OK?

I was thinking that I should keep the wine at 70F so that the grape
juice I used to top off will ferment. ?? Otherwise, I'm currently
storing the wine in the basement at probably 55F.

I also plan to add bentonite solution at some point to help in
clarifying. Good idea?

The link info above says to let sit for 6 months, then rack and bottle
and let sit another 6 months before drinking. Too long for me! : )

Thanks for any insights, JP

"Jeff Potter" wrote:

I found a straightforward online how-to for making wine from my own
grapes. Here's the link:
http://www.winemakermag.com/yourfirstwine/grapes.html . They have TONS
of cool stuff.

I picked a crop of grapes and followed the directions and fermented
about 5 gallons of must with the skins, seeds, pulp. I then strained
it. ---I used an old juice press that I think is made of cast iron. I
read that is bad to use on wine but that's all I had. Bad news?

Most old wine presses are made of cast iron. It can cause certain problems,
and most modern equipment is made of painted metal (which can cause just as
many) or stainless steel. But, if contact time is short, it's not that great
of a problem. I wouldn't worry.

A greater worry and strong possibility is that the wood in that old juice
press might be contaminated. I hope it is not, and that the site whose
instructions you followed advised you to wash, sterilize and rinse all your
equipment before using it, and sterilize the juice with Campden tablets or
metabisulphite.

Then I had about 4 gallons of wine in a 6 gallon wine-kit bucket. The
link above said to fill up the gap with boiled, cooled water, then let
it sit for a day then rack it off to another airlocked bucket then
keep that filled over the next few months with wine or grape juice.

Well, I filled up the gap with wine and grape juice to start with.
Then racked it a day later and now I guess my wine is in the 2nd-dary
ferm stage. Am I OK?

Don't know. There are thousands of recipes out there. Most primary
fermentations require 30-40% headroom, the addition of 50ppm sulfite, the
addition of wine yeast sometime later, and a primary fermentation of 3 days
to several weeks before moving to a secondary. Unless you are working with
very acidic grape juice, it's not normal to dilute it by two thirds, and its
never normal to top up the container during primary fermentation. [When
fermentation begins, it will produce quite a bit of foam, and overflow.]

If the wine did not overflow the topped-up bucket, it is highly unlikely
that fermentation has even begun. Even if you didn't add yeast, it may begin
at any time. If it is now in a secondary (by which one normally means a
narrow-necked carboy), you can expect a real mess when fermentation begins.
If fermentation doesn't begin soon, you can also expect a spoiled wine.

I was thinking that I should keep the wine at 70F so that the grape
juice I used to top off will ferment. ?? Otherwise, I'm currently
storing the wine in the basement at probably 55F.

One doesn't normally top-off with juice, and expect it to ferment. Nor is it
likely to ferment successfully at 55F. One normally ferments at 65-80F
depending on the type of wine, and the technique used.

I also plan to add bentonite solution at some point to help in
clarifying. Good idea?

Yep. If you are making white wine. At some point. According to the proper
procedure, which involves preparing a measured quantity 24-hours in advance,
and keeping it in suspension for at least 30 minutes after adding it to the
wine, and keeping the wine at warmer temperatures for the 10-14 days it
takes the bentonite to work. But this shouldn't be done until 1) the wine
has fermented to completion, 2) the wine has been racked off the lees to a
secondary, and 3) the wine has been cold-stabilized and racked again.

The link info above says to let sit for 6 months, then rack and bottle
and let sit another 6 months before drinking. Too long for me! : )

Then drink it today, if you wish.

I don't want to discourage you, but (from what you have related) it seems
you've done everything wrong. I don't know if the fault lies in the
instructions, your interpretation of them, or your report, but....

I suggest you read about basic winemaking at the following site before
proceeding: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/index.asp

If you have time, the following site would be valuable as well:
http://home.att.net/~lumeisenman/

Wine making can be quite simple, or as complicated as one wishes. But the
basics are very important.

"Negodki" wrote in message ...
"Jeff Potter" wrote:
[ ]
Then I had about 4 gallons of wine in a 6 gallon wine-kit bucket. The
link above said to fill up the gap with boiled, cooled water, then let
it sit for a day then rack it off to another airlocked bucket then
keep that filled over the next few months with wine or grape juice.

Well, I filled up the gap with wine and grape juice to start with.
Then racked it a day later and now I guess my wine is in the 2nd-dary
ferm stage. Am I OK?

Don't know. There are thousands of recipes out there. Most primary
fermentations require 30-40% headroom, the addition of 50ppm sulfite, the
addition of wine yeast sometime later, and a primary fermentation of 3 days
to several weeks before moving to a secondary. Unless you are working with
very acidic grape juice, it's not normal to dilute it by two thirds, and its
never normal to top up the container during primary fermentation. [When
fermentation begins, it will produce quite a bit of foam, and overflow.]

If the wine did not overflow the topped-up bucket, it is highly unlikely
that fermentation has even begun.

Hi again! My newsreader isn't working right and I can't see my
original post, but I wanted to correct the helpful poster's
impression. I hope I made it clear that my must went thru the primary
just fine! It fermented and was still and reading nicely on the
hydrometer when I pressed the pulp and got the 4 gallons of red wine
which I then topped up and let settle for a day then racked to what is
now, I gather, the 2ndary ferm phase. Sorry for any confusion! As I
mentioned the instructions at the link provided said to top up with
water before racking to the 2ndary but I used wine and grape juice. My
main question was is that OK? Will the added grape juice now ferment
in the 2ndary phase? Should I keep the wine somewhat warm in this
phase? As posted, it's about 55F now but I could keep it at 70F if
that would help it thru the 2ndary. THANKS!

[ ]
I don't want to discourage you, but (from what you have related) it seems
you've done everything wrong. I don't know if the fault lies in the
instructions, your interpretation of them, or your report, but....

There's yet another option! : )

I've had a lot of luck with wine kits and beermaking. This is my first
project with my own grape harvest. Thanks again! --JP

"Jeff Potter" wrote:

...the instructions at the link provided said to top up with water before
racking to the 2ndary but I used wine and grape juice. My
main question was is that OK?

Are you sure? _Now_ it says "Once the must has reached "dryness" (at least
0.5° Brix or 0.998 SG), lift the nylon straining bag out of the pail and
squeeze any remaining liquid into the pail. Cover the pail loosely and let
the wine settle for 24 hours. Rack off the sediment into a sanitized
one-gallon jug, topping up with a little boiled, cooled water to entirely
fill the container."

According to the terminology with which I'm familiar, the pail was your
primary. The one-gallon jug used at this racking is your secondary, as (I
suppose) are the containers used in all subsequent rackings, since we (at
least I) don't refer to them as tercery, quadracery, quincery, etc. You were
to top up this secondary with "a little" water (boiled to purify it, cooled
so it doesn't break the glass, or otherwise harm your warm --- distilled
water would have done just as well) AFTER racking to the secondary.

If you used wine instead, it would probably be alright, although it might
halt the final stages of fermentation. Even at 0º Brix, or 0.995 SG, there
may be residual sugar, and the wine may still be fermenting.

Conversely, if you used grape juice (or part grape juice, or any other
source of sugar) the added sugar may cause the ferment to stick (and remain
sweet), or it may cause the wine to try to start fermenting again,
especially if it hasn't fully stabilized.

In your first post you seemed to say that you topped up 4 gallons of new
wine with 2 gallons of wine and grape juice. If so, that is a lot of topping
up, and (depending how much of it was grape juice) a lot of sugar to be
adding. Store-bought grape juice is about 15-17% sugar. A wine with 2% sugar
is sweet (IMO). A wine with 15-17% sugar is syrup (again IMO).

Depending on the quantity of juice you actually added, you may want to just
leave it, and have an overly sweet wine (which you can drink as is, or blend
with a dry wine to get a medium wine). If fermentation restarts, you will
have to move it back into a primary, or a secondary with more headroom, or
it will foam over. But, if you added a great deal of sugar, you may wish to
restart fermentation regardless. If so, don't wait to see if it starts on
its own. Make a yeast starter (yeast, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp. sugar, nutrient)
at 95F. Cover it with muslin, and wait. When it gets going well, add 1/2 cup
of your wine. Cover it and keep it at about 90F. When that gets going well,
double up again, and drop the temperature to 85F. When you finally have 1/2
the volume of wine fermenting well, combine the two (fermenting and still)
and let it ferment out again at 75-80F. Then rack from THAT primary to a
secondary, and top up with similar wine or distilled (or boiled) water.

A good way to maintain these temperatures is with a "heating pad" available
for about $15 at local pharmacy or Walmart. Don't let the temperature go
below 75, or it will probably stick. You have a lot of sugar and alcohol,
which constitutes a hostile environment to the yeast.

There's yet another option! : )

Yep, I certainly might have misunderstood what you wrote. Or I might be
taking the mick. I hope that I've understood correctly this time, and that
my advice is of some help.

"Negodki" wrote in message ...
[ ]
In your first post you seemed to say that you topped up 4 gallons of new
wine with 2 gallons of wine and grape juice. If so, that is a lot of topping
up,

Hi again! Yeah, that's what I did!

and (depending how much of it was grape juice) a lot of sugar to be
adding. Store-bought grape juice is about 15-17% sugar. A wine with 2% sugar
is sweet (IMO). A wine with 15-17% sugar is syrup (again IMO).

Probably a gallon of wine and a gallon of juice.

Depending on the quantity of juice you actually added, you may want to just
leave it, and have an overly sweet wine (which you can drink as is, or blend
with a dry wine to get a medium wine).

I don't like sweet wine. I'll probably try to restart ferm. Your
explanation makes sense!

[ ]
A good way to maintain these temperatures is with a "heating pad" available
for about $15 at local pharmacy or Walmart.

Hmm, I have a fancy Thermafor heating pad (or some such name). But the
darn old thing seems to just get hotter'n'hotter. We'll see. Maybe
I'll have to nurse it while I work at the computer! : )

Thanks for the advice. --JP

(Jeff Potter) wrote in message . com...
Hi again...I'm wondering if with a gallon of grape juice used to top
off a 6-gal batch of wine, if I warm up the 2ndary if ferm might kick
in again to turn that grape juice portion into wine. Or if I'll
definitely have to nurse along a new ferm with new yeast. Well, it's
on a hotpad now. I'll try to get to the wineshop today for more yeast,
but it would be convenient if it kicked in again on its own. --JP

"Negodki" wrote in message ...
[ ]
In your first post you seemed to say that you topped up 4 gallons of new
wine with 2 gallons of wine and grape juice. If so, that is a lot of topping
up,

Hi again! Yeah, that's what I did!

and (depending how much of it was grape juice) a lot of sugar to be
adding. Store-bought grape juice is about 15-17% sugar. A wine with 2% sugar
is sweet (IMO). A wine with 15-17% sugar is syrup (again IMO).

Probably a gallon of wine and a gallon of juice.

Depending on the quantity of juice you actually added, you may want to just
leave it, and have an overly sweet wine (which you can drink as is, or blend
with a dry wine to get a medium wine).

I don't like sweet wine. I'll probably try to restart ferm. Your
explanation makes sense!

"Jeff Potter" wrote:

Hi again...I'm wondering if with a gallon of grape juice used to top
off a 6-gal batch of wine, if I warm up the 2ndary if ferm might kick
in again to turn that grape juice portion into wine. Or if I'll
definitely have to nurse along a new ferm with new yeast. Well, it's
on a hotpad now. I'll try to get to the wineshop today for more yeast,
but it would be convenient if it kicked in again on its own. --JP

If you warm it up to about 75-80F, it might kick in all by itself, and it's
certainly worth a try. [I thought you had already tried this.]

If that doesn't work (give it 24 hours), you can try just adding a yeast
starter and about 1/2 - 1 tsp. per gallon DAP or yeast nutrient, and wait
another 24 hours.

If that doesn't work, try to restart it according to the procedure I gave
you, or that at Jack Keller's website (which is similar), or that in other
sources (which are similar).

If that doesn't work, blending it with a dry wine, or drinking it as is, are
better than feeding it to the dog.

This happened to me a number of years ago, before I had a hydrometer, and I
thought I could keep adding sugar to a ferment as long as it kept foaming. I
ended up with a high-alcohol syrup of 1.030 sg. I was unable to restart it.

So, I made up a batch of rhubarb wine, which can be fermented to dryness at
very high alcohol levels, and which tends to take on the flavour of whatever
it's blended with (rather than changing the flavour). I got the SG down to
1.015, and used the wine for Sangria. [It was a very good Sangria, so all
worked out in the end.]