Introduce Yourselves here

[fatbloke]

Well you can always cheat a bit......

A decent sized cardboard box to contain the dj(s) is fine and for an easy heat source ? A 30 watt light bulb on a lead works wonders.

Your hydrometer should be marked with its calibration temperature. It'd likely be 15 or 20C though a bit more or less should only vary the numbers a small amount.....

[Cellar_Rat]

Seconded.

We use lightbulbs ( old tungsten ones) in ice boxes as incubators. Works a treat!

[Wobblin]

I've read a lot about keeping the brew in the dark during fermentation, I take it that this is a myth as you use a light for the heat source?

[Cellar_Rat]

More relevant to red than white. Colour can be burnt away - particularly by sunlight

You can get ceramic lightbulbs, that produce heat only.

.. but to be honest if you are doing that I would get a Brew Belt...

http://www.hobbywinesupplies.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=21_27&products_id=168

[Wobblin]

I've ordered a brew belt from Amazon but won't it be a bit big for one gallon DJ?

[fatbloke]

I've ordered a brew belt from Amazon but won't it be a bit big for one gallon DJ?

if it's too long, just wrap it round twice.......

[oliver90owner]

Wrapping it around twice may work but the suppliers recommend/advise using it in a figure of 8 around two demis and seem to actually advise against wrapping twice around a single.

I didn't like my brew belt until I used it with a controller. Inefficient and too-wide temperature swings. I am 'warming' to it now that I use it on my 23l ferments under the insulated box, with the air iat the top of the box being monitored for the set point temperature.

[Cellar_Rat]

Might it be better with a dummy Demi?
You could just fill the second one with water.

[Wobblin]

Now that is one good idea! Thanks!

[Smokey Robinson]

Hi guys I think I may have made rookie mistake and I've e mailed bob before really reading the new winemakers forum. I have now read the READ THIS FIRST post and I do apologise for my keenness. Anyway I am Mark and I'm totally new to the world of home winemaking so any tips and help you experienced guys have would be greatly appreciated. I am looking to buy all my stuff tomorrow having read up on here what I will need and hopefully get going straight away.

Thanks

Mrk

[lockwood1956]

Hi Mark

Welcome aboard, dont worry about emailing me, all that matters is that you have access now

regards
Bob

[Delmonteman]

Hi guys I think I may have made rookie mistake and I've e mailed bob before really reading the new winemakers forum. I have now read the READ THIS FIRST post and I do apologise for my keenness. Anyway I am Mark and I'm totally new to the world of home winemaking so any tips and help you experienced guys have would be greatly appreciated. I am looking to buy all my stuff tomorrow having read up on here what I will need and hopefully get going straight away.


Thanks

Mrk

Welcome to the forum Mark. if you follow the tutorials for wine numbers 1 and 2 you won't go far wrong but you can always ask questions as you go. Let us know how you get on.

[Smokey Robinson]

Hey guys just thought I'd let you know I've started my first batch of wine number one and its started great. It's been in the go for two days now and looks like its got a good fermentation going. I've also got a batch of a kit wine on the go too although this one is not going as well. It's not fermenting half as well as the number 1 wine at all. It has no foam at all but the air lock is bubbling away so I'm not sure if its just a low foamer. It's a Chardonnay

[Smokey Robinson]

Well just checked the SG on the number one wine and its gone from 1.080 to 1.040 after 72 hrs. I've noticed the foam on the top is really thick is this normal ?. It's also dark coloured like really cloudy lemonade but darker and not remotely clear It's blooping away nicely in the air lock and when I poured the liquid into the measuring cylinder to check the SG I was surprised at how fizzy it was. Any comments welcome as I'm new to this and it's the first one I've ever attempted. The Chardonnay I've started is also blooping away nicely and the SG started at 1.080 and has been on the go for four days and the SG is 1.020

[fatbloke]

Well, I reckon that both batches are just nicely balanced and fermenting well.

Don't worry about it and let them do their thing.

It's likely that you'll come across a batch that is very slow soon enough.....