This may be a dumb question but I'm wanting to make a small batch of
wine, my first go at it, but all I have are my 5 and 6.5 gallon
carboys for brewing beer, is there an issue with using a large vessel
or is it just a convenience thing because a smaller vessel is easier
to mange?

Also, while I'm at it, I got a few newbie questions:

why some people put napkin with rubber band on top of fermenter for a
few days until putting airlock on? Some do and some don't, what's the
science behind that, is there any?

Some people use bentonite some don't?

Some people use campden tablets, some dont'?

Some people use Acid blend ,some don't?

Some people use yeast nutrient some don't?

With beer the type and variety of yeast is very critical to the taste
of the finish product, is wine the same?

Sorry if these questions are repetitive or redundant of previous posts
on the group, I just like to get multiple opinions and explanations
for things, I did order my winemaking books on amazon just dont' have
them yet and I want to get going.

Thanks.

Yep, it may be a dumb question. If you are talking about the initial
fermentation (the first week or two), there is no problem using a
larger carboy. During that initial phase, some people use plastic
pails, some use carboys, some use varying sorts of covers. It's
mostly a matter of personal preference -- the wine is giving off so
much CO2 during that phase that exposure to air is not really a
concern. Plus the yeast generally need some oxygen to multiply
properly. Most people use some sort of covering, just to keep out
dust, stray cats, etc., but it's really a matter of preference and
convenience.

After that, though, you need to have the wine in a sealed container,
with as little head-space (ullage) as possible. If you try to keep
two gallons of wine in a 5 or 6 gallon carboy, it will spoil. Doesn't
matter how well you seal the container, it won't work. For two
gallons of wine, you need either a two-gallon container, or two 1-
gallon jugs. (You could use smaller containers, but life is too short
for that, IMHO). Any review of posts on winemaking will turn up
references to issues about "topping up" -- reducing the airspace above
the wine surface to a minimum. If it didn't matter, you wouldn't see
all those posts about topping up with water vs wine, using marbles to
raise the liquid level, etc.

As to the bentonite, campden tablets (or straight potassium
metabisulfite), acid blend, nutrient, etc., well, people are all
different. Some drive only Fords, some wouldn't be caught dead in a
Ford. It's up to you. Bentonite is helpful in removing positively
charged particles (such as proteins) that can cause a haze, especially
in white wines. I believe if bentonite is added before fermentation,
less is needed than if added later. Do you have to use it? No. Your
wine might be perfectly clear without bentonite. Or it might not.
Campden tablets (pot. meta.) discourage wild yeasts and other stray
micro-organisms, giving your wine yeast a little time to get firmly
established. Acid blend can be very helpful, especially with fruit
wines, depending on the particular fruit. A well-made wine needs the
alcohol, acid and residual sugar (if any) to be in balance with each
other. Wine grapes (under the right circumstances) tend to have about
the right levels of acidity and sugar. If you are starting with any
other fruit, you will most likely need to add sugar, or acid, or both,
to reach appropriate levels. Yeast nutrient is usually a good idea,
especially with certain yeasts that are fussier about nutrients.
Widely-used varieties like Premier Cuvee or EC-1118 aren't as fussy
about nutrients as some other yeasts; lack of nutrients can cause
yeast to produce H2S (rotten egg smell) which must be eliminated
before anyone will want to drink your wine. Regarding the impact of
yeast variety on wine, there are (smile) varying opinions. Some
studies have shown that different yeasts have significant effects on
wine over the first few years, but that the differences tend to fade
with time. In general, I think it is fair to say that the yeast
variety will have some impact on the final product, but less than
would be the case with beer. As you are a beginner, I'd recommend
using a dependable, standard wine yeast such as
Premier Cuvee, EC-1118 or Pasteur Red for your first couple of
batches.

While you are waiting for your books to arrive in the mail, spend some
time at these sites -- they are full of good stuff:

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net

http://www.geocities.com/lumeisenman


Happy fermenting--
Doug

On Jun 27, 1:21 pm, Doug > wrote:
> Yep, it may be a dumb question. If you are talking about the initial
> fermentation (the first week or two), there is no problem using a
> larger carboy. During that initial phase, some people use plastic
> pails, some use carboys, some use varying sorts of covers. It's
> mostly a matter of personal preference -- the wine is giving off so
> much CO2 during that phase that exposure to air is not really a
> concern. Plus the yeast generally need some oxygen to multiply
> properly. Most people use some sort of covering, just to keep out
> dust, stray cats, etc., but it's really a matter of preference and
> convenience.
>
> After that, though, you need to have the wine in a sealed container,
> with as little head-space (ullage) as possible. If you try to keep
> two gallons of wine in a 5 or 6 gallon carboy, it will spoil. Doesn't
> matter how well you seal the container, it won't work. For two
> gallons of wine, you need either a two-gallon container, or two 1-
> gallon jugs. (You could use smaller containers, but life is too short
> for that, IMHO). Any review of posts on winemaking will turn up
> references to issues about "topping up" -- reducing the airspace above
> the wine surface to a minimum. If it didn't matter, you wouldn't see
> all those posts about topping up with water vs wine, using marbles to
> raise the liquid level, etc.
>
> As to the bentonite, campden tablets (or straight potassium
> metabisulfite), acid blend, nutrient, etc., well, people are all
> different. Some drive only Fords, some wouldn't be caught dead in a
> Ford. It's up to you. Bentonite is helpful in removing positively
> charged particles (such as proteins) that can cause a haze, especially
> in white wines. I believe if bentonite is added before fermentation,
> less is needed than if added later. Do you have to use it? No. Your
> wine might be perfectly clear without bentonite. Or it might not.
> Campden tablets (pot. meta.) discourage wild yeasts and other stray
> micro-organisms, giving your wine yeast a little time to get firmly
> established. Acid blend can be very helpful, especially with fruit
> wines, depending on the particular fruit. A well-made wine needs the
> alcohol, acid and residual sugar (if any) to be in balance with each
> other. Wine grapes (under the right circumstances) tend to have about
> the right levels of acidity and sugar. If you are starting with any
> other fruit, you will most likely need to add sugar, or acid, or both,
> to reach appropriate levels. Yeast nutrient is usually a good idea,
> especially with certain yeasts that are fussier about nutrients.
> Widely-used varieties like Premier Cuvee or EC-1118 aren't as fussy
> about nutrients as some other yeasts; lack of nutrients can cause
> yeast to produce H2S (rotten egg smell) which must be eliminated
> before anyone will want to drink your wine. Regarding the impact of
> yeast variety on wine, there are (smile) varying opinions. Some
> studies have shown that different yeasts have significant effects on
> wine over the first few years, but that the differences tend to fade
> with time. In general, I think it is fair to say that the yeast
> variety will have some impact on the final product, but less than
> would be the case with beer. As you are a beginner, I'd recommend
> using a dependable, standard wine yeast such as
> Premier Cuvee, EC-1118 or Pasteur Red for your first couple of
> batches.
>
> While you are waiting for your books to arrive in the mail, spend some
> time at these sites -- they are full of good stuff:
>
> http://winemaking.jackkeller.net
>
> http://www.geocities.com/lumeisenman
>
> Happy fermenting--
> Doug

Thank you very much, this is great information!

As to smaller carboys, I purchased some organic apple juice for an
apple wine a while back. The juice came in these great 1 gallon glass
jugs. I was able to find a bung to fit the opening and viola, 1
gallon carboy!

On Jun 28, 9:23 am, " > wrote:
> As to smaller carboys, I purchased some organic apple juice for an
> apple wine a while back. The juice came in these great 1 gallon glass
> jugs. I was able to find a bung to fit the opening and viola, 1
> gallon carboy!

I found an EXCELLENT source of cheap 1 gallon carboys. My local food
mart supplier sells 1 gallon 'cooking wine' salted wine for 3.87$/
gallon, or 12.50$ a 4 pack. My local juice supplier sells 1 gallon
containers for 5 to 7... so it's a win win for me.

Now if I could just get it without the salted wine- I asked him who
his major purchasers were so that I could buy the empties, but nogo.

Jason

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Jun 28, 9:23 am, " > wrote:
>> As to smaller carboys, I purchased some organic apple juice for an
>> apple wine a while back. The juice came in these great 1 gallon glass
>> jugs. I was able to find a bung to fit the opening and viola, 1
>> gallon carboy!
>
> I found an EXCELLENT source of cheap 1 gallon carboys. My local food
> mart supplier sells 1 gallon 'cooking wine' salted wine for 3.87$/
> gallon, or 12.50$ a 4 pack. My local juice supplier sells 1 gallon
> containers for 5 to 7... so it's a win win for me.
>
> Now if I could just get it without the salted wine- I asked him who
> his major purchasers were so that I could buy the empties, but nogo.
>
> Jason

My local grocery also sells an organic apple juice in nice gallon jars, but
the apple juice is delicious, so that is also a win-win for me. :^)

Quixote

> Now if I could just get it without the salted wine- I asked him who
> his major purchasers were so that I could buy the empties, but nogo.
>
> Jason

I'm sure some bar or restaurant in the area sells jug wine that comes
in a jug still; just call around and ask if you can pick up the
empties. That's what we do around here, most are happy to help.

Joe

> wrote:
> As to smaller carboys, I purchased some organic apple juice for an
> apple wine a while back. The juice came in these great 1 gallon glass
> jugs. I was able to find a bung to fit the opening and viola, 1
> gallon carboy!

What's even better are 4-Liter bottles. Problem is they are hard to
find in the States. I wanted one so badly that I bought a 4L jug of
Gallo Rose, put it in two liter soda bottles, and gave it away.

Dick