On Apr 13, 9:19 pm, "J Scott" > wrote:
> I'm a newbie and about to start my first batch of wine. I would greatly
> appreciate some advice from you guys who have some experience. I'm starting
> out with a 3 gallon batch. I have a pretty good understanding of the
> primary fermentation. Once I finish my primary and move on to subsequent
> rackings, I know I have to monitor specific gravity and etc. using a test
> jar and my hydrometer. My first question is this. If my test jar and
> hydrometer are cleaned with sulfite solution, is there any reason why I
> can't return the wine sample to the carboy provided I keep aeration to a
> minimum? If I shouldn't do this then my next question is about topping up
> to compensate for the loss of wine. After several checks I'm going to have
> less volume over a period of time. If I add water to top up then I'm going
> to be changing my acidity, specific gravity and etc. What would you suggest
> in regards to topping up to eliminate the air space? Thanks so much for the
> suggestions!
>
> By the way... my first wine is going to be apple made with pure juice from
> the store. No additives or preservatives. Any veterans of this method have
> any tips or advice? Thanks!
>
> Jeff

why use a test jar instead of just putting the hydrometer in the
secondary? it should displace enough wine to make it easy to retrieve.