First stupid question.

[Blizzard Green]

Hi.

I joined the forum recently, after lurking and reading extensively

I bought this http://www.wilko.com/wine-homebrew-k...T=wine%20glass

and equipment from Wilko.

I followed the instructions and used brewing sugar and distilled water, to give it the best possible chance of turning out reasonable. As far as my limited knowledge allowed.

It has now been "bubbling " for 12 days and shows no sign of slowing down. I am getting a large bubble every 5-7 seconds.

Shall I let continue till it slows down ?

[rjb222]

I would do exactly as the instructions explain to do. Most wine ferments take about 14 days to complete depending on temperature.

[Blizzard Green]

The instruction said it should ferment in 7 days, but maybe it's not quite as warm as I think.

[rjb222]

Visual signs of fermentation are often misleading. Take a hydrometer reading when you get the same reading three days in a row you will have a finished ferment.

[Cellar_Rat]

2nd what RJB said.

The biggest lesson in fermenting is patience - its done when it done.

Yeast can't read so they didn't know they only had 7 days

[Blizzard Green]

OK, thanks guys, I guess I am just impatient.

[fatbloke]

OK, thanks guys, I guess I am just impatient.

If you really need to learn wine/beer making patience, make some mead......

You could be lucky if you mixed it right - ferment in 14 to 21 days.....

or you could go the "show" route. Water honey and yeast....... and have it finish in 6 to 9 months

[goldseal]

All I can do is back up what everyone else has said ... be patient. Or, as bob always used to say to me ... 'patience, young Jedi'

[Blizzard Green]

I checked the sg and it's well under 1 so added the stabiliser and finings and have to wait an hour before adding finings b.

Does it need sealed up airtight again. The instructions don't say.

I had a taste, and it was almost "nice", have a little buzz behind my ears now.

I will leave the next one longer, promise.

[goldseal]

Was the hydrometer reading the same across several days?

[Blizzard Green]

Was the hydrometer reading the same across several days?

I just took it today.

Saturday afternoon needed something to do

[Rich]

Patience required.. And reading your hydrometer several days in a row as stated above.

Sat afternoon things to do, should be make some more

Also, why use distilled water? if the water is safe and nice to drink it should be fine to use.

[Blizzard Green]

Also, why use distilled water?

Tap water contains god knows what, distilled water contains water.

[cpfan]

Tap water contains god knows what, distilled water contains water.

Distilled water (to me at least) tastes flat and tasteless. Doesn't seem like the right thing to re-hydrate your kit. Personally I use Reverse Osmosis water. It's what I normally drink (when I drink water).

Based on my observations, few people use distilled water.

Steve

[Cellar_Rat]

Distilled water

If you have drinkable water use it. You can look up your local water authority and get a report into the water online.

Drinking water is generally better than distilled & reverse osmosis (RO) because of the trace elements and minerals in it.

The one thing that we do not want however is chlorine. So either let it stand overnight before using - leave it in a glass jar in the sun for one hour - boil & cool, before use or filter it.

If your water is rock hard (mine is) simmer for 20 minutes and rack the next day. You will be amazed at the amount of temporary hardness that sets like sand on the bottom of your boiler

If you want to test it yourself (i do) buy some of the 8 in 1 test kits fish keepers use - eBay.

Finally fermentation is a natural sterilisation process.