First and Secondary Fermentation in same bucket?

[Sago]

Hi, I'm new to wine making and to this forum. I'm just wondering, would it be okay to use the bucket that the fresh grape juice comes in until its all ready without transferring?


I'm researching and see secondary from bucket to carboy. So my question is why? What I know so far by searching the forums is that you leave 3inches of head space in the bucket for kausen foam or if you decide to go carboy use a blow off tube but then what do you do? What I want is simply add yeast to the bucket and add an airlock and wait 2 months, bottle without filtering and drink.

Also am I missing something?>

My shopping list
Lalvin ec-1118
20L juice
6gallon Carboy -$11 used and washed
Siphone
Bottle washer
corker
Corks (100)
Bottles
Airlock
Sanitize cleaner
---
$160 total

 

[Yooper]

You need a carboy (or a demijohn), so that headspace is minimal once fermentation slows/ends. A bucket is great for active fermentation, but it's important to avoid oxidation (as well as infection risks from oxygen loving mold and bacteria) by transferring and having almost no headspace.

You also want to rack off of the gross lees after about 5-7 days in primary, and then a month or so later as long as you have lees 1/4" thick or more, or any lees at all after 60 days. And then, after racking, top up again to avoid any headspace in the carboy.

 

[Sago]

I'm glad I came here before I went out and bought the stuff first, thanks you! =)

This is going to start getting addicting, once I get into others I won't stop hehe.

 

[Yooper]

I'm glad I came here before I went out and bought the stuff first, thanks you! =)

This is going to start getting addicting, once I get into others I won't stop hehe.

I know! You should see my living room right now. It's a good thing we don't sit in there, or watch TV, because there is NO room at all. I have so many fermenters going right now and I wanted the nice warm temperature in there, as it's the warmest room in my house (67 degrees).

This was a great year for fruit for us, so not only do we have some kit wines going and some grape wines, we have plum wine; crabapple wine; chokecherry wine; apple cider; rhubarb wine; dandelion wine; blackberry wine; and blueberry wine (off of the top of my head), all in secondary with some more crabapple wine in primary.

 

[Sago]

Wow, what a selection. I wasn't thinking about the temperature, I hope my basement is warm enough.

< 45°F (7°C) Stuck Fermentation
50&#8211;60°F (10&#8211;15°C) Slow Fermentation
65&#8211;75°F (18&#8211;24°C) Normal Fermentation
80&#8211;115°F (27&#8211;46°C) Very Rapid Fermentation
120°F (49°C) Death


Edit: Do you mix wine ever?

 

[Yooper]

Wow, what a selection. I wasn't thinking about the temperature, I hope my basement is warm enough.

< 45°F (7°C) Stuck Fermentation
50&#8211;60°F (10&#8211;15°C) Slow Fermentation
65&#8211;75°F (18&#8211;24°C) Normal Fermentation
80&#8211;115°F (27&#8211;46°C) Very Rapid Fermentation
120°F (49°C) Death

Generally, most wine yeast do well at 62+ degrees. My basement is too cool in the winter.

Edit- here is a link to my favorite winemaking site: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/basics.asp
If you click on "step 1", "step 2", etc, the basics are explained in detail and it's very helpful!

 

[Sago]

I'm not going to be adding any chemicals, am I in any risk?

 

[Yooper]

I'm not going to be adding any chemicals, am I in any risk?

?? I have no idea what "chemicals" you'd put in.

Here's the exact text I linked to:

The essential steps in winemaking can be summarized as follows:

Extract the flavor and aroma from the base ingredients by chopping, crushing, pressing, boiling or soaking them.
Add sugar, acid, nutrients, and yeast to the fermentation media or liquor to achieve the proper ratio and ferment, covered, for 3 to 10 days in a primary fermentation vessel (crock, jar or polyethylene pail) at 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Strain off the liquid from the pulp, put it (the liquid) into a secondary fermentation vessel (a carboy or jug), fit a fermentation trap (airlock) on the mouth of the bottle, and allow fermentation to proceed at 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit until all bubbling ceases (after several weeks).
Siphon the wine off the sediments (lees) into another clean secondary fermentation vessel. Reattach the fermentation trap. Repeat after another one or two months and again before bottling.
When wine is clear and all fermentation has stopped, siphon into wine bottles and cork the bottles securely. Leave corked bottles upright for 3-5 days and then store them on their side at 55 degrees Fahrenheit for six months (white wine) to a year (red wine) before sampling. If not up to expectations, allow to age another year or more.

 

[Sago]

Are Nutrients, acid blend, necessary or others is what I meant

 

[Yooper]

Are Nutrients, acid blend, necessary or others is what I meant

Well, nutrient would be if you care about your wine fermenting. It's for the yeast, as some ingredients (like honey) are low in nutrients. You could add other things for nutrient, but a purchased nutrient works the best for yeast health.

Acid blend is strictly for flavor. If you don't care about that, then no you don't need it. If you want to add just citric acid, a squeeze of lemon would do that.

 

[Sago]

Well, I'll be adding acid blend later on when I get more experienced. As for now I'll add yeast nutrient. Do you recommend a brand?

 

[winenoob66]

What ever your local home brew shop carries is fine, and it's not expensive.

 

[Sago]

I just bought Shiraz juice pail, its been refridgerated. I leave it until it hits 70-75F before I add yeast right?

Do I add Potassium metabisulfite at the same time or before\after racking?