I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6
gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast
supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6
hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock.

My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which
goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating
thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees.

I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room
hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower,
and has better cooling than the kitchen.

How frantic should I be about 82-84 degrees? Are there any suggestions
for keeping it cooler?

Another newbie question .. when it comes to for racking into a
6-gallon carboy, I am going to have to move it from where it is now.
Since that will stir up a little sediment, should I wait, say,
overnight to let that settle back?

>How frantic should I be about 82-84 degrees? Are there any suggestions
>for keeping it cooler?

on a white this is bad....
you got to do white cool 65-68 degrees, if not you will
lose al lthe flavor.

On a single batch, you should get it into a tub and get some ice around it
and water and try get it cooled down.

People in my wine club turn unsed freezers (chest) plugged into a temperature
control switch into a fermentor for whites. I have used old refrigerators, especially
old old with lots of room. I can some time get three to four carbuys in them.
They don't run often since the mass of the wine hold the temperature for awhile
plus I kee[p mine at 68 degrees.

Rule on whites....you got to ferment cool!!!

on the other hand 82-84 would be great for a red wine

I am doing a BrewKing Symphony kit (white). I fermented it at 82 degrees,
that was as cool as I could get it. I talked to the expert at BrewKing
before making it and he told me that the wine would actually have more
flavor and advised me to go ahead at 82 degrees. The wine is not finished
yet, but I have to believe the guy at BrewKing is probably right. I would
check with the manufacture on each individual kit.


> on a white this is bad....
> you got to do white cool 65-68 degrees, if not you will
> lose al lthe flavor.

"Kevin" > wrote in message
...
> I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6
> gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast
> supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6
> hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock.
>
> My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which
> goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating
> thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees.
>
> I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room
> hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower,
> and has better cooling than the kitchen.

Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the
temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even better.

Tom S

Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?

It was around 82 degrees for maybe the first 36 hours before I took
the previous poster's suggestion to ice down. Changing out ice packs
every 12 hours, I seem to be able to keep it around 68-70.

Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation
bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling.
That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid
bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10
days.

"Tom S" > wrote:

>
>"Kevin" > wrote in message
.. .
>> I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6
>> gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast
>> supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6
>> hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock.
>>
>> My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which
>> goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating
>> thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees.
>>
>> I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room
>> hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower,
>> and has better cooling than the kitchen.
>
>Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the
>temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even better.
>
>Tom S
>

I always ferment my beer and wine at what ever temperature my house is. In
the summer it is about 82 degrees. I have not made the kit you are making
yet, but if I were to make it in the summer it would get fermented at 82
degrees. All of my wine and beer turns out great. I would finish it at the
lower temp and it should be just fine.





"Kevin" > wrote in message
...
> Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?
>
> It was around 82 degrees for maybe the first 36 hours before I took
> the previous poster's suggestion to ice down. Changing out ice packs
> every 12 hours, I seem to be able to keep it around 68-70.
>
> Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation
> bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling.
> That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid
> bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10
> days.
>
> "Tom S" > wrote:
>
> >
> >"Kevin" > wrote in message
> .. .
> >> I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6
> >> gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast
> >> supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6
> >> hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock.
> >>
> >> My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which
> >> goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating
> >> thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees.
> >>
> >> I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room
> >> hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower,
> >> and has better cooling than the kitchen.
> >
> >Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the
> >temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even
better.
> >
> >Tom S
> >
>

Temperature effects three aspects of your fermentation:
Flavor/Aromatic Profile, maceration (in reds) and yeast viability.
Vigorous yeast, which are most often supplied in kits, tend to ferment
fast and generate a lot of BTU's so trying to control the temperature
somewhat is good for many reasons. For whites, cooler temperature
will allow the development of esters from the yeast that with enchance
the aroma of the wine. It will also prevent off flavors and aromas,
by not stressing the yeast and therefore keeping the correct metabolic
pathways open. In reds the effect of warming temp[erature with
enchance thermal maceration, giving good procurement of grape tannins
and neccesary for good round mouthfeel. However, for many yeast
temperature above 85 can be lethal especially once alcohol levels
begin climbing. So yeast however can trive up to 100F.

The moral of the story is that constant temperature is the best rule
of thumb. Yes, whites are best fermented cooler than reds, but the
key is keeping the temp within a tight range to promote good
fermentations.

This will be an interesting first batch, then. I may have gotten a
little carried away with the ice, and the must is now 58 degrees. That
means it has had a 24-26 degree variation during its first 72 hours.
I'm still keeping it iced a little but hope to bring it to about 65
degrees where I will keep it constant for the rest of the primary
fermentation.

What effect does temperature have on s.g. reading? I started at 1.072
and measure 1.06 something after 36 hours. But those readings were at
higher temperature. I just read almost 1.07, but that was at 58
degrees.

(Zack S) wrote:

>Temperature effects three aspects of your fermentation:
>Flavor/Aromatic Profile, maceration (in reds) and yeast viability.
>Vigorous yeast, which are most often supplied in kits, tend to ferment
>fast and generate a lot of BTU's so trying to control the temperature
>somewhat is good for many reasons. For whites, cooler temperature
>will allow the development of esters from the yeast that with enchance
>the aroma of the wine. It will also prevent off flavors and aromas,
>by not stressing the yeast and therefore keeping the correct metabolic
>pathways open. In reds the effect of warming temp[erature with
>enchance thermal maceration, giving good procurement of grape tannins
>and neccesary for good round mouthfeel. However, for many yeast
>temperature above 85 can be lethal especially once alcohol levels
>begin climbing. So yeast however can trive up to 100F.
>
>The moral of the story is that constant temperature is the best rule
>of thumb. Yes, whites are best fermented cooler than reds, but the
>key is keeping the temp within a tight range to promote good
>fermentations.

"Kevin" > wrote in message
...
> Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?

I didn't say that. You learn something with each batch - even if you end up
dumping it out. I've dumped my share too. :^(

> Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation
> bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling.
> That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid
> bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10
> days.

Right. Lose the spigot. That thing is useless anyway. Buy a new primary
and a tub big enough to hold it with some ice around it if need be.

Another option is to run the primary in a refrigerator with some temperature
control. That works well for small batches if you set it up with an
external temp controller. The built in controller in refrigerators runs too
cold for winemaking.

Tom S

"Kevin" > wrote in message
...
> Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?

I didn't say that. You learn something with each batch - even if you end up
dumping it out. I've dumped my share too. :^(

> Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation
> bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling.
> That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid
> bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10
> days.

Right. Lose the spigot. That thing is useless anyway. Buy a new primary
and a tub big enough to hold it with some ice around it if need be.

Another option is to run the primary in a refrigerator with some temperature
control. That works well for small batches if you set it up with an
external temp controller. The built in controller in refrigerators runs too
cold for winemaking.

Tom S

"Kevin" > wrote in message
...
> Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?

I didn't say that. You learn something with each batch - even if you end up
dumping it out. I've dumped my share too. :^(

> Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation
> bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling.
> That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid
> bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10
> days.

Right. Lose the spigot. That thing is useless anyway. Buy a new primary
and a tub big enough to hold it with some ice around it if need be.

Another option is to run the primary in a refrigerator with some temperature
control. That works well for small batches if you set it up with an
external temp controller. The built in controller in refrigerators runs too
cold for winemaking.

Tom S

Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?

It was around 82 degrees for maybe the first 36 hours before I took
the previous poster's suggestion to ice down. Changing out ice packs
every 12 hours, I seem to be able to keep it around 68-70.

Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation
bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling.
That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid
bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10
days.

"Tom S" > wrote:

>
>"Kevin" > wrote in message
.. .
>> I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6
>> gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast
>> supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6
>> hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock.
>>
>> My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which
>> goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating
>> thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees.
>>
>> I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room
>> hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower,
>> and has better cooling than the kitchen.
>
>Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the
>temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even better.
>
>Tom S
>

Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?

It was around 82 degrees for maybe the first 36 hours before I took
the previous poster's suggestion to ice down. Changing out ice packs
every 12 hours, I seem to be able to keep it around 68-70.

Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation
bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling.
That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid
bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10
days.

"Tom S" > wrote:

>
>"Kevin" > wrote in message
.. .
>> I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6
>> gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast
>> supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6
>> hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock.
>>
>> My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which
>> goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating
>> thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees.
>>
>> I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room
>> hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower,
>> and has better cooling than the kitchen.
>
>Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the
>temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even better.
>
>Tom S
>

I actually fermented a White Zinfandel using a BrewKing kit at a constant 72
degrees and it turned out great. I gave about 15 bottles away and everyone
really enjoyed the wine and asked for more..free wine, what should I have
expected from them? I can't wait to try the next one at a lower tempeture
and see if the wine is improves beyond that of the first batch.

Brandon