Hi.
Another new-bie question. Hydrometers scare me. :*)

I have a wine kit. Selection Pinot Noir. Primary fermenation begin I had
1.095 on my hydrometer. That was 8/26.
9/3 I racked to carboy, and it was .0996. instructions said 1.010 or
less. Which it was.
9/13 today, I am ready for stage 3 and it is reading .990 or possibly
less. Instructions say .996 or less. This is almost off the scale of the
hydrometer. but less.

My question:
1. If I look at my alcohol scale for hydrometer, this sounds like I have
a wine that is without alcohol. Heavens, don't tell me I just spent $70
to make 30 gallons of grape juice. Though tasty,my liver will complain.
2. If I'm not getting enough fermentation, any suggestions? Should I
attempt another yeast infection? (probably not the right term)

or just stick to the instructions, heck, it's a wine KIT, anyone can do
this?

Thanks for all your inputs over the last few months. I am learning. honest.

DAve

Stick with the directions. I made that kit back in the early spring. It
showed great promise at bottling.
Steve
"DAve Allison" > wrote in message
...
> Hi.
> Another new-bie question. Hydrometers scare me. :*)
>
> I have a wine kit. Selection Pinot Noir. Primary fermenation begin I had
> 1.095 on my hydrometer. That was 8/26.
> 9/3 I racked to carboy, and it was .0996. instructions said 1.010 or less.
> Which it was.
> 9/13 today, I am ready for stage 3 and it is reading .990 or possibly
> less. Instructions say .996 or less. This is almost off the scale of the
> hydrometer. but less.
>
> My question:
> 1. If I look at my alcohol scale for hydrometer, this sounds like I have a
> wine that is without alcohol. Heavens, don't tell me I just spent $70 to
> make 30 gallons of grape juice. Though tasty,my liver will complain.
> 2. If I'm not getting enough fermentation, any suggestions? Should I
> attempt another yeast infection? (probably not the right term)
>
> or just stick to the instructions, heck, it's a wine KIT, anyone can do
> this?
>
> Thanks for all your inputs over the last few months. I am learning.
> honest.
>
> DAve

Don't worry yourself, you're reading it wrong. Your hydrometer potential
alcohol probably shows -1.3% alcohol or something, and that's why you think
you have no alcohol, correct?

Here's the steps to really read it. Take potential alcohol content of your
original SG reading(Before adding yeast), which with an SG of 1.095 gives
you a potential alcohol of 12.6%. Then SUBTRACT the potential alcohol of
your current reading, which is -1.3%. so 12.6% - negative 1.3% gives you an
alcohol level of 13.9%. So actually starting to drift over into high
alcohol area(for regular store bought wines most of what I buy ranges from
12-13.5%, so this reading for you now is definitely good levels).


"DAve Allison" > wrote in message
...
> Hi.
> Another new-bie question. Hydrometers scare me. :*)
>
> I have a wine kit. Selection Pinot Noir. Primary fermenation begin I had
> 1.095 on my hydrometer. That was 8/26.
> 9/3 I racked to carboy, and it was .0996. instructions said 1.010 or less.
> Which it was.
> 9/13 today, I am ready for stage 3 and it is reading .990 or possibly
> less. Instructions say .996 or less. This is almost off the scale of the
> hydrometer. but less.
>
> My question:
> 1. If I look at my alcohol scale for hydrometer, this sounds like I have a
> wine that is without alcohol. Heavens, don't tell me I just spent $70 to
> make 30 gallons of grape juice. Though tasty,my liver will complain.
> 2. If I'm not getting enough fermentation, any suggestions? Should I
> attempt another yeast infection? (probably not the right term)
>
> or just stick to the instructions, heck, it's a wine KIT, anyone can do
> this?
>
> Thanks for all your inputs over the last few months. I am learning.
> honest.
>
> DAve

Dave,
All is well, you take the beginning gravity and subtract the finished
gravity to determine the rough amount of alcohol, you are over 12%
without looking anything up. Sooner or later the hydrometer will stop
falling, fermentation will cease.

The way to check the hydrometer is to place it in distilled water at
the temp it's rated for, usually 60 or 68F. It should read 1.000. The
reason yours is lower in wine is because alcohol has a specific gravity
of 0.79 and you have over 12% volume of alcohol replacing water in the
solution.

I really don't make kits but wine is wine; to be honest I really don't
go in for all of this 'in between' racking. I let it ferment down to
dry and then rack. (Most of my wine is made from fresh juice, i do make
some from grapes too.)

Most people who make kits say that time makes them better just like any
other wine so don't be concerned about doing things at specific times,
several months of aging will change any wine.


Joe


DAve Allison wrote:
> Hi.
> Another new-bie question. Hydrometers scare me. :*)
>
> I have a wine kit. Selection Pinot Noir. Primary fermenation begin I had
> 1.095 on my hydrometer. That was 8/26.
> 9/3 I racked to carboy, and it was .0996. instructions said 1.010 or
> less. Which it was.
> 9/13 today, I am ready for stage 3 and it is reading .990 or possibly
> less. Instructions say .996 or less. This is almost off the scale of the
> hydrometer. but less.
>
> My question:
> 1. If I look at my alcohol scale for hydrometer, this sounds like I have
> a wine that is without alcohol. Heavens, don't tell me I just spent $70
> to make 30 gallons of grape juice. Though tasty,my liver will complain.
> 2. If I'm not getting enough fermentation, any suggestions? Should I
> attempt another yeast infection? (probably not the right term)
>
> or just stick to the instructions, heck, it's a wine KIT, anyone can do
> this?
>
> Thanks for all your inputs over the last few months. I am learning. honest.
>
> DAve

Thanks for each of your inputs. Now I understand how to do a Hydrometer
reading. thanks!
DAve
p.s. Joe, "let it ferment down to dry". What does that mean? I
understand racking and "in between" racking, but down to dry has me
stumped.

Joe Sallustio wrote:
> Dave,
> All is well, you take the beginning gravity and subtract the finished
> gravity to determine the rough amount of alcohol, you are over 12%
> without looking anything up. Sooner or later the hydrometer will stop
> falling, fermentation will cease.
>
> The way to check the hydrometer is to place it in distilled water at
> the temp it's rated for, usually 60 or 68F. It should read 1.000. The
> reason yours is lower in wine is because alcohol has a specific gravity
> of 0.79 and you have over 12% volume of alcohol replacing water in the
> solution.
>
> I really don't make kits but wine is wine; to be honest I really don't
> go in for all of this 'in between' racking. I let it ferment down to
> dry and then rack. (Most of my wine is made from fresh juice, i do make
> some from grapes too.)
>
> Most people who make kits say that time makes them better just like any
> other wine so don't be concerned about doing things at specific times,
> several months of aging will change any wine.
>
>
> Joe
>
>
> DAve Allison wrote:
>
>>Hi.
>>Another new-bie question. Hydrometers scare me. :*)
>>
>>I have a wine kit. Selection Pinot Noir. Primary fermenation begin I had
>>1.095 on my hydrometer. That was 8/26.
>>9/3 I racked to carboy, and it was .0996. instructions said 1.010 or
>>less. Which it was.
>>9/13 today, I am ready for stage 3 and it is reading .990 or possibly
>>less. Instructions say .996 or less. This is almost off the scale of the
>>hydrometer. but less.
>>
>>My question:
>>1. If I look at my alcohol scale for hydrometer, this sounds like I have
>>a wine that is without alcohol. Heavens, don't tell me I just spent $70
>>to make 30 gallons of grape juice. Though tasty,my liver will complain.
>>2. If I'm not getting enough fermentation, any suggestions? Should I
>>attempt another yeast infection? (probably not the right term)
>>
>>or just stick to the instructions, heck, it's a wine KIT, anyone can do
>>this?
>>
>>Thanks for all your inputs over the last few months. I am learning. honest.
>>
>>DAve
>
>

With the kits, the instructions state to rack when the wine is 1.010 or
below from the primary fermenter into a secondary fermenter. Often, many
people don't do this "in-between" rack, and just leave the must in the
primary fermenter until it's done fermenting, or dry, i.e. no more sugar.
Van
> p.s. Joe, "let it ferment down to dry". What does that mean? I understand
> racking and "in between" racking, but down to dry has me stumped.
>

throw the hydrometer in the trash and give it the sniff and taste test.

hydrometers are for people making stuff for sale, you aren't.

--
billb
"DAve Allison" > wrote in message
...
> Hi.
> Another new-bie question. Hydrometers scare me. :*)
>
> I have a wine kit. Selection Pinot Noir. Primary fermenation begin I had
> 1.095 on my hydrometer. That was 8/26.
> 9/3 I racked to carboy, and it was .0996. instructions said 1.010 or
> less. Which it was.
> 9/13 today, I am ready for stage 3 and it is reading .990 or possibly
> less. Instructions say .996 or less. This is almost off the scale of the
> hydrometer. but less.
>
> My question:
> 1. If I look at my alcohol scale for hydrometer, this sounds like I have
> a wine that is without alcohol. Heavens, don't tell me I just spent $70
> to make 30 gallons of grape juice. Though tasty,my liver will complain.
> 2. If I'm not getting enough fermentation, any suggestions? Should I
> attempt another yeast infection? (probably not the right term)
>
> or just stick to the instructions, heck, it's a wine KIT, anyone can do
> this?
>
> Thanks for all your inputs over the last few months. I am learning.
honest.
>
> DAve

Dave,
I meant wait until the wine is dry or quits bubbling for the most part.
Once all of the sugar that can be converted is consumed by the yeast
you will literally see the activity cease. The wine will also begin to
clear since there is no turbulence.

I disagree on the 'throw the hyrdometer away' comment, if you are
making wine from kits you may not need it but it's the best $10 you
will spend if making wine from anything else.

You will eventually develop a sense of taste that gets you close but
the device is pretty foolproof.

Joe

Thanks for all the inputs.
I guess I should add "taste and smell" to the hyrdometer testing, never
occur'd to me to do that. So I learned another trick. But I will keep
the hyrdometer.
Dry means done. no more sugars converting. Got it. thanks. The Pinot
Noir is in final stage... can't wait. :*)


DAve

Joe Sallustio wrote:
> Dave,
> I meant wait until the wine is dry or quits bubbling for the most part.
> Once all of the sugar that can be converted is consumed by the yeast
> you will literally see the activity cease. The wine will also begin to
> clear since there is no turbulence.
>
> I disagree on the 'throw the hyrdometer away' comment, if you are
> making wine from kits you may not need it but it's the best $10 you
> will spend if making wine from anything else.
>
> You will eventually develop a sense of taste that gets you close but
> the device is pretty foolproof.
>
> Joe
>

i like the hydrometer, its lets you know where your at,and thats
especially important for us newbee's. was talking to an experienced
wine-beer maker and told her how my granddads beer blew some corks after
bottled. he said that was because it wasnt done fermenting,and if
grandad had had a hydrometer he would have known when it was done.best
regards,lucas