Easy wine recipe

[dopplebock]

EXACTLY - what did you do? exact details are necessary to determine the situation.

[aguilera2000]

Hi, I did everything exactly the same way as the recipe for the easy wine... i can see that the yeast is floting on the top of the liquid but there are no signs of bobbles or anything.

[ezcaps_phpbb3_import2]

Hi, I did everything exactly the same way as the recipe for the easy wine... i can see that the yeast is floting on the top of the liquid but there are no signs of bobbles or anything.

Try adding some more yeast and shaking vigorously.

Usually fermentation starts within hours.

[rooster]

I used two small welches grape juice cans, two cups of sugar, 1/8 tsp. yeast. I let it ferment 10 days and then placed in fridge for a couple days. Straining......what a b------ !!!! I used cheesecloth and then a coffee filter. This stuff is so hyper-concentrated grape SWEET and with so little if any alcohol content, I feel like a fool. If it seems too good to be true.....................This is not my first failure, I've had similar horrible results with several other batches. I'm a photography teacher and know well about mixing chemicals and close tolerances. No offense intended but is this as good as this stuff gets and are all you people used to drinking MD-2020 or am I doing something wrong ?

[ezcaps_phpbb3_import2]

I used two small welches grape juice cans, two cups of sugar, 1/8 tsp. yeast. I let it ferment 10 days and then placed in fridge for a couple days. Straining......what a b------ !!!! I used cheesecloth and then a coffee filter. This stuff is so hyper-concentrated grape SWEET and with so little if any alcohol content, I feel like a fool. If it seems too good to be true.....................This is not my first failure, I've had similar horrible results with several other batches. I'm a photography teacher and know well about mixing chemicals and close tolerances. No offense intended but is this as good as this stuff gets and are all you people used to drinking MD-2020 or am I doing something wrong ?

First, tell us a little more about the fermentation process. Did the bottle get hard? Did the caps vent? Did it get foamy? Did you see if fermentation had ended before you put it in the fridge by seeing if no more bubbles were rising to the surface?

Also, by two welches grape juice cans, do you mean grape juice concentrate?

[CheapWineMaker15]

Started my first batch of white wine last night using the recipe from the E-Z CAPS recipes that come with the kit. 12-1-2010
1. I filled my two liter 90% full of 100% white grape juice and 1 cup white table sugar, mixed well.
2. I then added 1/8th teaspoon of the wine yeast that came with the kit. Put cap on and gave it a small swirl.
3. I then placed it in a warm place, 76 degrees in the furnace room, perfect.

24 hours later, the white grape juice, sugar and yeast, (must), is fermenting beautifully. Good pressure in the 2 liter and the E-Z CAP release is functioning perfectly.

I am shooting for a 7 day fermentation period and it should be ready by December 8th. I did not check the must with a hydrometer before this batch but estimate the alcohol content to be around 12% plus at end of fermentation.

If the wine is sweet I will then place in the refrigerator and clarify for two days, if it is dry I will add some potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite and add some sugar to sweeten the wine to taste. The sorbate and metabisulfite .. Also known as "wine stabilizers", potassium sorbate produces sorbic acid when added to wine. It serves two purposes. When active fermentation has ceased and the wine is racked for the final time after clearing, potassium sorbate will render any surviving yeast incapable of multiplying. This way if I add more sugar it will not start to ferment again and go boom in the refrigerator.
I will keep all posted on the outcome of this first batch next week. Hoping for a semi-sweet white wine from this first batch.

Started batch #2 last night with the same recipe as the first, this time used my hydrometer before fermentation. Hydrometer gave me a specific gravity reading of 1.111 and a potential alcohol content of 14%, second batch will be ready 12-10-2010 before clarification.

Update.... 12-8-2010
Ok, the first batch has fermented 7 full days and the bubbles had nearly stopped. I slowly let the pressure out by unscrewing the cap..... slowly..... I poured a small amount in a glass and tasted it.... It was warm.... bubbly.... cloudy.... but tasted like sparkling white wine..... It tastes good.... I added the potassium sorbate and metabisulfite and placed in the fridge to clarify and hope to drink it cold in two days. My second batch has two more days to go yet and I unscrewed the cap enough to release the co2 gasses in hopes of a non-sparkling white wine this time, will keep you posted.

Update... 1-20-2011
I have settled in on 14 days for the white wine as my fermentation period of choice... Still sweet and it tastes good, the hard cider has turned out great as well. Just experiment and find out what works best for you.... enjoy.

[ezcaps_phpbb3_import2]

ok i got my kit yesterday (thank god), i started my first batch right away... now one day later i have a question. what am i looking for in the bottle????, it has been one day and i do not see any bobbles (nothing) or any sign of fermentation... what is expected of a brew like this one? lots of bubbles or is this something slow and not so loud? do you guys have pictures of what my bottle should look like after 24+ hrs of brewing?
thanks

From our FAQ:

Question #19: I followed the directions and nothing is happening. What do I do?

Answer: If you don't see signs of active fermentation (bubbling, yeast residue beginning to float on the top of the liquid, etc) after 24 hours, add more yeast and shake the beverage vigorously. Also check to see if your juice ingredients list preservatives as they are difficult to start fermentation. If still no fermentation after another 24 hours, contact us for further instructions and give details about the ingredients you have added.

Another sign that fermentation has started is the bottle will get hard from the gas building up.

[rastoma]

I used two small welches grape juice cans, two cups of sugar, 1/8 tsp. yeast. I let it ferment 10 days and then placed in fridge for a couple days. Straining......what a b------ !!!! I used cheesecloth and then a coffee filter. This stuff is so hyper-concentrated grape SWEET and with so little if any alcohol content, I feel like a fool. If it seems too good to be true.....................This is not my first failure, I've had similar horrible results with several other batches. I'm a photography teacher and know well about mixing chemicals and close tolerances. No offense intended but is this as good as this stuff gets and are all you people used to drinking MD-2020 or am I doing something wrong ?

First why are you trying to strain it? You can't clarify a wine by straining it. You need to rack it if you're concerned about sediment.

Second, you should sample the batch to see if it's to your liking or not before trying to clarify it. If it's too sweet, let it ferment a couple more days and check again.