HOME BREWING

[Faraday]

1 hour ago, Marble-eye said:

was pulling, pushing and prising, it was like trying to move Paddy Mcgintys goat.

ROTFPMSL... 

[stuhan]

12 hours ago, Marble-eye said:

@stuhan

Did you buy one of those 12L fermenting bins Stu off Lazada, I have just removed the lid and it was like taking part in the Krypton Factor, I had a lid remover what I used to use on the beer fermenting bins but it doesn't fit this bin. I was pulling, pushing and prising, it was like trying to move Paddy Mcgintys goat. Finaly it succumbed to a little application with a steel bracket and adjustable grips.

So added some Bentonite to both the port and the red wine, then got the peach and mango started.

@WilliamG Did you make a start on a port project, anyone else got anything on the go?

Yes i bought a 20L fermenting bin and the lids are a real bugger,need a rubber hammer to close them and a hell of a job to remove them again. However i never seal lids during primary stage so not a problem for me, and really i will use this 20L bin for beer,lager,ect not for wine, i have smaller fermenting buckets for wine with screw lids, i just drill a hole in the lids fit a rubber grommet and use an airlock on the 3rd day of primary and let fermentation complete fully then rack it. I have had to many failed fermentations happen from racking into secondary fermentors, so i don't rack now until it's completely finished, as i use carton juice now the sediment in the bottom is not a problem.

[stuhan]

All 3 fermenting well, the 6L one i am step feeding to see how high a % i can get out of the lalvin kv 1116 yeast, all should reach 17-18%.

Edited October 11, 2021 by stuhan

[WilliamG]

5 hours ago, stuhan said:

All 3 fermenting well, the 6L one i am step feeding to see how high a % i can get out of the lalvin kv 1116 yeast, all should reach 17-18%.

Just looked on Lazada for this Lalvin 1116 yeast. Bht 125 !  The 1118 which I have been using can be anything from Bht 55 to Bht 125. Could it be fake or not.

Seen some yeast as Lalvin 4x4. What is this for please.

[JamesE]

3 hours ago, WilliamG said:

Just looked on Lazada for this Lalvin 1116 yeast. Bht 125 !  The 1118 which I have been using can be anything from Bht 55 to Bht 125. Could it be fake or not.

Seen some yeast as Lalvin 4x4. What is this for please.

The answers to all your yeast questions...

https://www.piwine.com/media/pdf/yeast-selection-chart.pdf

[stuhan]

9 hours ago, WilliamG said:

Just looked on Lazada for this Lalvin 1116 yeast. Bht 125 !  The 1118 which I have been using can be anything from Bht 55 to Bht 125. Could it be fake or not.

Seen some yeast as Lalvin 4x4. What is this for please.

The shops on lazada i use i never pay more than 55-69B depending on the yeast type and no more than 200B for a good beer yeast. I must say i have never come across fake yeasts yet, but some try and charge to much.These shops i use on lazada for all my yeasts,spices,nutrients,ect.  1: Thai homebrew, 2: Yeast fo wine. 3: Brew by me.

Lalvin 4x4 is a blend of yeasts, very good for reds and whites about 15/16%abv

I used lalvin kv 1116 in the wines you see in my post, it's the 1st time i have tried it and Wow it don't take any prisoners amazing fermentation, a bit slow starting as i just sprinkled it on top. The other thing, i use D.A.P for nutrients, you will see 1oz [28g] on lazada for 115B, forget that you can buy 100g for appx 80B from brew by me and it works great.

[stuhan]

Another 2 wine yeast charts. Not perfect but useful

 

Company	Yeast Name				Description
Lalvin	71B-1122				A semi-dry white wine yeast that will enhance fruit flavors and add fruity esters. Can be used with whites, rosés, nouveaus, and concentrates.
Lalvin	BM 4X4 R				A blend of strains formulated for reliability under difficult conditions. Gives a dependable fermentation with increased mouthfeel, and enhances tobacco, cedar, leather and jam characteristics.
Lalvin	D-47				Leaves a wine very full bodied with enhanced mouthfeel. Accentuates varietal character and contributes ripe tropical fruit and citrus notes.
Lalvin	EC-1118				A low foaming, vigorous and fast fermenter good for both reds and whites. It is also ideal for ciders and sparkling wines.
Lalvin	ICV-K1-V1116				A vigorous and competitive fermenter that, because of its neutral effect on varietal character, is very well suited to fruit wines as well as wines to be made from grapes.
Lalvin	QA23				Portuguese isolate used for production of fresh, fruity, white wines. Will not give structure to a wine, but it excels at focusing the fruit either alone or as part of a blend.
Lalvin	RC-212				Ideal for full bodied red wines. Emphasizes fruit and spice notes, accentuates character in red grapes.
Red Star	Cote Des Blanc				One of the most traditional aromatic strains for white wines. An excellent choice for fruity wines.
Red Star	Montrachet			15%	A very good fermenter with regular kinetics. Good alcohol tolerance that is useful in producing dry, full-bodied red and white wines. Excellent choice for oak barrel fermentation.
Red Star	Pasteur Blanc Pasteur Champagne)			18%	All-purpose and vigorous, a moderately foaming and sulfite-tolerant strain useful in producing white and red wines. Extremely good fermenter. Very high alcohol tolerance. Recommended for treating stuck fermentations.
Red Star	Pasteur Red			15%	One of the best choices for quality red wines. Encourages development of varietal fruit flavors, balanced by complex aromas.
Red Star	Premier Cuvee			16%	One of the fastest, cleanest, and most neutral of all Red Star wine yeasts. Recommended for reds, whites and especially sparkling wines. Excellent choice for oak barrel fermentations.

Edited October 12, 2021 by stuhan

[Marble-eye]

The bentonite is clearing the port very nicely, on its 3rd day since adding it. This is taken with a torch shining from the rear, it actually looks clearer than it shows there.

The video I have included here shows the red wine still bubbling after nearly a month of starting the fermentation. It has not cleared nor is it showing any signs of doing so, I can only assume the activity in the bottle is preventing this. I have ordered some potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite so hopefully a touch of the PM should stop any further activity and will try clearing again. 

ps, I degassed both the port and red wine and there was a mega amount of CO2 released.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marble-eye]

Just a follow up to the post about the red wine not clearing, shortly after posting the images yesterday I decided to re-rack the red wine. I had some campden tablets so I crushed two and added them to the re-racked wine (I reracked all the contents including the lees to enable the bentonite to work again) and gave it another vigorous degassing but being careful not to allow any oxygen into the wine. Another load of CO2 came to the surface, did this for about 5 minutes.

This morning when I checked the red wine bottle I was amazed how fast the wine is beginning to clear already and no bubbles, as this image shows.

 

[stuhan]

For absolute beginners , how to fill your airlocks properly.

Also i find the s shape better when the fermentation is slowing down, they give a far better indication of your ongoing slow ferment. [ex: i  have a wine at day 7 with a 3 piece airlock bubbling 5 B.P.M. i changed to the s shaped airlock now it's showing 9 B.P.M a big difference + it makes the burping noise so easier again. I would say that the  3 piece airlock is good for primary as its easy to clean, handles larger amounts of CO2 , and you can insert a blow off tube if required, then swap to s shape for secondary.

Edited October 13, 2021 by stuhan
INFO

[stuhan]

22 hours ago, Marble-eye said:

Just a follow up to the post about the red wine not clearing, shortly after posting the images yesterday I decided to re-rack the red wine. I had some campden tablets so I crushed two and added them to the re-racked wine (I reracked all the contents including the lees to enable the bentonite to work again) and gave it another vigorous degassing but being careful not to allow any oxygen into the wine. Another load of CO2 came to the surface, did this for about 5 minutes.

This morning when I checked the red wine bottle I was amazed how fast the wine is beginning to clear already and no bubbles, as this image shows.

Hope all mine clears as well as yours, i only used pectin enzyme.

 

[WilliamG]

I am on Thaibrewshop to order some wine yeast. I usually use Lalvin 1118, but don't get many bubbles in the finished product. But tell me, how would I know whether say Lalvin or Red Star, or for that matter Lalvin 1116, 1118 or 4x4, will turn out better except by doing two identical batches in both time, temperature etc, and then after six months wait, open one bottle of each and doing a taste test. All seems a bit hit & miss to me. 

[JamesE]

46 minutes ago, WilliamG said:

I am on Thaibrewshop to order some wine yeast. I usually use Lalvin 1118, but don't get many bubbles in the finished product. But tell me, how would I know whether say Lalvin or Red Star, or for that matter Lalvin 1116, 1118 or 4x4, will turn out better except by doing two identical batches in both time, temperature etc, and then after six months wait, open one bottle of each and doing a taste test. All seems a bit hit & miss to me. 

That's the exact procedure.

[Marble-eye]

55 minutes ago, WilliamG said:

I am on Thaibrewshop to order some wine yeast. I usually use Lalvin 1118, but don't get many bubbles in the finished product. But tell me, how would I know whether say Lalvin or Red Star, or for that matter Lalvin 1116, 1118 or 4x4, will turn out better except by doing two identical batches in both time, temperature etc, and then after six months wait, open one bottle of each and doing a taste test. All seems a bit hit & miss to me. 

The thing to do William I suppose is list the characteristics you require and find a yeast to fulfil those requirements. I suppose living in a hot country you would need a yeast to withstand high temps.

Here is a link to each popular wine yeast characteristics.

https://advancedmixology.com/blogs/art-of-mixology/best-wine-yeasts-for-wine-making

[Marble-eye]

2 hours ago, stuhan said:

Hope all mine clears as well as yours, i only used pectin enzyme.

I have learned so much about wine making since partaking in this topic for such a short time.

But I think that my conclusion has to be that for bentonite to work (not sure about pectic enzyme) is to degas as much CO2 as is physically possible. Just checked my red wine again and it's now about 50% clear.

Is pectic enzyme primarily used in the making of wine with fresh fruit Stu and really not needed in store bought juices?

"Pectic enzyme is called for in almost all wine recipes that use fresh fruit. ... First and foremost, pectic enzyme helps to break down the fruit's fiber or pulp. This allows more flavor and color to be extracted from whatever fruit is being used during the fermentation."

https://blog.homebrewing.org/why-do-wine-recipes-call-for-pectic-enzyme/

 

 

[stuhan]

16 minutes ago, Marble-eye said:

I have learned so much about wine making since partaking in this topic for such a short time.

But I think that my conclusion has to be that for bentonite to work (not sure about pectic enzyme) is to degas as much CO2 as is physically possible. Just checked my red wine again and it's now about 50% clear.

Is pectic enzyme primarily used in the making of wine with fresh fruit Stu and really not needed in store bought juices?

"Pectic enzyme is called for in almost all wine recipes that use fresh fruit. ... First and foremost, pectic enzyme helps to break down the fruit's fiber or pulp. This allows more flavor and color to be extracted from whatever fruit is being used during the fermentation."

https://blog.homebrewing.org/why-do-wine-recipes-call-for-pectic-enzyme/

Some say you can add to carton juice wine to help clear, but it's main purpose is for fresh fruit, i had some spare as i am doing mostly carton juice wines, lazy i know but i cannot be bothered with the mess and prep these days, with fresh fruit you need to have other equipment such as juicers,straining bags,boiling ,cutting, knifes,punching the fruit and mold can be more of a problem, my good wife told me just do from juice it's simpler and she is correct. Juice,water,sugar,nutrient,lemon yeast,mix and away you go,also juice and bottled water don't need sterilizing so just simpler for me anyway.

[stuhan]

49 minutes ago, Marble-eye said:

The thing to do William I suppose is list the characteristics you require and find a yeast to fulfil those requirements. I suppose living in a hot country you would need a yeast to withstand high temps.

Here is a link to each popular wine yeast characteristics.

https://advancedmixology.com/blogs/art-of-mixology/best-wine-yeasts-for-wine-making

It's all try and see what works best for you experimenting with them you will find your fav one's. I used to swear by red star pastuer blanc and cuvee until i tried lalvin 1118 that one did not work well so i tried 1116 and that took off so well it's one of my fav's now, i will try other red star and lalvin later and try a blend even, keeping notes. The problem in Thailand is you are limited to r.star and lalvin,shame coz there are many other great yeast makers if you can find them,but will almost require shipping costs, and as marble eye said go with the one's that can work up to 35c in Thailand heat is a big problem, i will invest in a old used fridge and use a temp control next year.

[Marble-eye]

50 minutes ago, stuhan said:

Some say you can add to carton juice wine to help clear, but it's main purpose is for fresh fruit, i had some spare as i am doing mostly carton juice wines, lazy i know but i cannot be bothered with the mess and prep these days, with fresh fruit you need to have other equipment such as juicers,straining bags,boiling ,cutting, knifes,punching the fruit and mold can be more of a problem, my good wife told me just do from juice it's simpler and she is correct. Juice,water,sugar,nutrient,lemon yeast,mix and away you go,also juice and bottled water don't need sterilizing so just simpler for me anyway.

Yes exactly, when I started making my own beer I would buy 25kgs of barley or wheat, mill it myself and boil it, would use different yeasts and hops for different brews, well in the end I got fed up with all the palava it all entailed. So would buy one type of yeast that did the job (Nottingham), one type of hop and dry malt extract with a mixture of specialality malts thrown in, made some great beers, from kettle to drinking 2 or 3 weeks.

But wine making is quite new to me, but enjoying the challenge that comes with it, but I'm a great believer in if something works for you...stick with it.

[Faraday]

Made a second lot of Blackberry about 4 weeks ago, within 7 days, the damn stuff not only tasted great, but was 15% ABV.

Yes Stuhan, it really does put hairs on your chest!!!

Meine gott, after 3 large glasses, I have to lie down.

That was using Lalvin 118.

 

[WilliamG]

3 hours ago, Marble-eye said:

The thing to do William I suppose is list the characteristics you require and find a yeast to fulfil those requirements. I suppose living in a hot country you would need a yeast to withstand high temps.

Here is a link to each popular wine yeast characteristics.

https://advancedmixology.com/blogs/art-of-mixology/best-wine-yeasts-for-wine-making

Thanks, Stuhan did post a list on Tuesday, just before that photo of your wonderful looking Port. I am starting some today using 1 litre Jamago Shiraz concentrate and 4 litres of water, adding sugar until it is at the correct SG. 

[stuhan]

2 hours ago, Marble-eye said:

Yes exactly, when I started making my own beer I would buy 25kgs of barley or wheat, mill it myself and boil it, would use different yeasts and hops for different brews, well in the end I got fed up with all the palava it all entailed. So would buy one type of yeast that did the job (Nottingham), one type of hop and dry malt extract with a mixture of specialality malts thrown in, made some great beers, from kettle to drinking 2 or 3 weeks.

But wine making is quite new to me, but enjoying the challenge that comes with it, but I'm a great believer in if something works for you...stick with it.

Agree yes, It can be challenging but gives us something to do and for most of the time it brings pleasure and rewards.

[WilliamG]

3 hours ago, Faraday said:

Made a second lot of Blackberry about 4 weeks ago, within 7 days, the damn stuff not only tasted great, but was 15% ABV.

Yes Stuhan, it really does put hairs on your chest!!!

Meine gott, after 3 large glasses, I have to lie down.

That was using Lalvin 118.

Frozen blackberries are on sale at my local Makro. What do I need for 5 litres please?

[Faraday]

11 minutes ago, WilliamG said:

Frozen blackberries are on sale at my local Makro. What do I need for 5 litres please?

I used:

2kg of frozen blackberries from Makro  

2.3 kg white sugar

6 litres water 

Lalvin 118 yeast 

That gave me a starting Brix of 25.

I bought an 8 litre container from Makro, which was 130 baht I think.

After 7 days, I removed the Blackberries. After 14 days, even though it was a bit cloudy, most of it got drunk.

I just need some willpower, to keep my wines longer...

 

 

[stuhan]

1 hour ago, WilliamG said:

Frozen blackberries are on sale at my local Makro. What do I need for 5 litres please?

Same as faraday said,but for 5L 1.5KG of sugar

[stuhan]

7 hours ago, Marble-eye said:

The thing to do William I suppose is list the characteristics you require and find a yeast to fulfil those requirements. I suppose living in a hot country you would need a yeast to withstand high temps.

Here is a link to each popular wine yeast characteristics.

https://advancedmixology.com/blogs/art-of-mixology/best-wine-yeasts-for-wine-making

Handy link, saved that one but watch the no 15 ec 1118 they say alc tol up to 10% thats wrong ec1118 is up to 18 alc tol.