Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
8. Crush and add one Campden tablet dissolved in a bit of
juice per gallon of must. Vigorously stir the must.
9. Cover your primary fermenter, and plug the hole with a
bit of cotton ball to keep foreign objects out. Wait 24 hours.
10. Vigorously stir the must to oxygenate. Once movement
ceases, sprinkle yeast from the packet over the surface of the
must. Do not stir.
11. Place the cover on the fermenter, and plug the hole
loosely with a bit of cotton ball.
12. Allow to sit for a week. During this time, you should
smell the fermentation. Also, it may foam heavily and come
out through the hole in the lid. If it does, clean up on the
outside and insert a new cotton ball. After the week, replace
the cotton ball with an air lock filled with sanitizing solution.
13. Allow to sit for another week or two, until the air lock
only “bloops” once every few seconds. This marks the end of
the primary fermentation phase. Once the primary
fermentation phase has ended, rack as soon as possible. If it
sets for more than a couple of days, the dregs at the bottom
(known as lees) will impart bad flavors to your wine.
Your First Racking: Step-by-Step
1. A day before you plan to rack, move your primary
fermenter to a table or counter top. (By doing this a day in
advance, you give any sludge stirred up by movement a
chance to settle.) Put a wedge, book, block of wood, or
something else from 1” to 2” high underneath the fermenter
