New member, first post/question, first wine...

[Spoonsize]

I am trying to make a 3 gallon must. My fruit juice is 288 oz @ 10.46 Brix as measured with a hydrometer. 78 oz more of water and sugar will give me the 3 gallons. How much sugar would I have to disolve in the 78 oz to give me a total Brix of around 22?
Or, what is the formula involved?
Thanks.
Spoonsize

 

[brazedowl]

I use THIS for all my calculations. Just click the sugar tab and change the units to brix and go from there. Should be pretty straight forward.

 

[Spoonsize]

Thank you. That worked wonderfully.

Second question: It has been just over 4 days with the must in a fermentation bucket. After a day + I sealed it with a bucket top and installed an airlock. Today I am getting a bubble of gas about every 6 seconds. Is there a rule of thumb concerning the rate of bubbling and the time to dump it into a carboy with airlock?

 

[Heavywalker]

I usually transfer with my SG is at 1.00 or below. Also don't "dump" it into a carboy use a siphon, you don't need to rack it at this point or worry about sediment but dumping the wine can lead to oxidization.

Don't use your airlock as a gauge for when to do things, use a hydrometer.

 

[Spoonsize]

That sounded reasonable to me, so I checked the SG and it is around 1.040. It started around 1.090. After 4 days, does this sound about right to you?
Oh, and it a 3 gallon batch.
Thank you for the support.

 

[Heavywalker]

Sounds fine to me, also i usually ferment my wine with just the lid placed over the bucket but not on tight and just a rag covering the airlock hole. I stir the wine at least once per day sometimes twice if I have a cap that needs punched down, this introduces oxygen to the wine/yeast, which at this point is a good thing. I stop stirring once the SG gets down to around 1.02 or so.

 

[Spoonsize]

Into the carboy...

 

[Spoonsize]

OMG! It's alive......Just like listening to a heartbeat! (wee not quite, but almost)

 

[Spoonsize]

.....and that is not a bandaid, there is a temperatur probe under the "patch". Just because I can, that's all.

 

[saramc]

I follow the same concept as heavyw....but rack to carboy/top up/airlock around the 2/3 SG depletion point, some call it 2/3 sugar break. By this time the yeast is well established & things are finishing up, usually at a slower pace.

Welcome to the forum spoonsize!
*Sara