r/winemaking • u/NoUnderstanding4674 • 1d ago

First time making red wine

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Got some homemade grape juice from a family member, didn't want it to go bad so decided to make redwine. The grape juice consisted of 4 cups of wolf grapes, and 2 cups of sugar. Has a pretty thick amount of foam on top, some of it is from the grapes too. Is this fine to leave for a few weeks until fermentation stops? Then rack it? Not looking for perfection but leaving from the house for a while and another person will be doing what is left over in the process. Any advice helps! Once again not looking for perfection! Thanks!

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u/NovelErrors 1d ago

Be warned, with your headspace being kind of minimal, you run the risk of a grapeskin clogging your airlock. The pressure would build until it blows the rubber cork off and might make a mess.

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u/NovelErrors 1d ago

I've clogged and blown the cork three times with blueberries. I started putting my blueberry jugs in the sink or bathtub for the first night or three, as a precaution.

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u/NoUnderstanding4674 1d ago

Thank you for the heads-up! Yeah the juice was already a little foamy and I gave it the recommended amount of room. How do you clean it? Just remove the top? Trying to keep things clean lol

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u/NovelErrors 1d ago

If by "clean it", you mean your jug and cork and all? I use Star-san and warm water, since it sterilizes, but is also pretty safe as far as the yeast survivability goes. Bleach residue might weaken yeast colonies, though it would certainly clean it.

Keep in mind I'm more a resident of the prison hooch subreddit, not a professional myself by any means.

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u/NoUnderstanding4674 1d ago

Oh I mean just to get the grape skins out of the airlock and all, didn't know if removing the cork during fermentation would cause it to fountain out

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u/NovelErrors 1d ago

I see what you're saying. Yeah, I usually rinse it in the sink and resanitize. Fully remove the plastic or glass airlock from the rubber cork if needed. The yeast and everything can survive open air exposure reasonably well for a little while, but too long and you risk airborne contamination, bugs, and so on.

I'm not sure how much of a first timer you are, so here's a bit of basic background science on the airlock. The airlock itself helps the ferment release gases in one direction (outward) so that pressure doesn't build up and blow (Google videos of kombucha explosions; that's what we're avoiding). The airlock prevents air, germs, bugs, and dust from coming in (except in unique high pressure environments, but that's a longer physics lesson).

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u/NovelErrors 1d ago

Usually this stuff doesn't erupt on its own, but you may want to gently stir with a sanitized glass rod or gently swirl the whole container daily, like panting for gold briefly. They call it "burping" the ferment, some folks, and it can help prevent overflows. It'll make your airlock real bubbly for a bit, or, if it badly needs it, it'll start bubbling hard.

I recommend doing it near the sink for the first week. Usually it settles down by then.

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u/NovelErrors 1d ago

Here's a good alternative approach, if you get worried. The blowout tube is a precautionary measure.

https://youtube.com/shorts/959OF5EGtcU?is=y8MyDbsAcZ1Jgvf6

(Hopefully links to GoldenHive Mead on YouTube.)

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u/NovelErrors 1d ago

And someone doing it poorly (though with awareness of the risks, to his credit)

https://youtube.com/shorts/7W6g5RPMxPs?is=yc_Ddxfw_laU7lAh

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u/NoUnderstanding4674 1d ago

Wow that's insane!

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u/NovelErrors 1d ago

Elaborate on "clean it" for me. Prior to filling the jug with mix? After? Inside or outside?