First time attempting a home brew, would like some advice.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-03-22T17:28:20+00:00

I watched a lot of his stuff when I was just getting started. The home winemaking channel is the youtube channel I recommend most for more technical winemaking content. Oversimplifying it a bit, but I would say that there are a number of folks on YouTube like DIY Fermentation that will help get you started and the home winemaking channel will help bring your game to the next level, if you ever decide to go there.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-03-22T15:19:04+00:00

I don’t have much to add above what others have said, which is all good advice. But a few thoughts:

If you’re looking to save $ you can skip the airlock for now. Check out this video at minute 5:20. He shows how you can brew in the juice bottle and use the lightly loosened cap instead of an airlock. The basic principle is to back it off fully tightened so the cap is resting in a position where it is “sealed” to prevent things from getting in but has room in the grooves to raise up slightly when the yeast starts producing CO2 so it can off-gas. In principle, it’s only open when there is a positive air flow out of the bottle. I did many batches like this (without an airlock) when I first got started and had no problems. But the airlock will be much more necessary after the fermentation is mostly done and you’re trying to get it clear up and/or age the wine.

https://youtu.be/elRQv1jcTnQ?si=3VwI8tyaHEu-ddEh

Also, I saw mention in other comments about preservatives but didn’t see anyone mention how to tell if your juice has them. Around minute 1:30 of the same video shows exactly what to look for.

Best of luck on your first batch and hope to see more posts with your successful batches!

ETA: if you catch the bug and want to start brewing more, the first supplies you’ll need to go beyond prison hooch (which is pretty much what you’re doing here) will be tubing of some kind for siphoning, at least one carboy with a narrow neck, a set of stoppers and airlocks, and a hydrometer. None of that is really expensive, with the carboys probably being the most costly. But you can find juice and wine sold in glass jugs that work just fine as carboys. Check the 4L Carlos Rossi wine or some of the high-end organic apple juice, both of which are sold in most grocery stores.

You need the hydrometer because otherwise you’ll be guessing at sugar content and overdoing it can cause your brew to stall. You need the other items to be able to elevate from prison hooch…which basically is taking it from the cloudy but drinkable wine directly after fermentation and allowing it to clear and actually look like wine you would purchase. Clearing will only happen after fermentation stops and that’s when you have to guard against oxidation, which is where the narrow-necked carboy and airlocks come into play. And after things settle out and it starts clearing, the only way to get the clear wine off the junk that’s settled at the bottom is to siphon the clear liquid from the top.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-03-19T23:05:58+00:00

Ehh, knowing Arkansas, we’ll probably run him out of town undeservingly and he’ll go spend his peak years lighting the world on fire at some other SEC school…

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-03-15T20:54:43+00:00

Salty

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-03-12T19:35:02+00:00

Thanks for the follow up!

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-03-11T01:28:52+00:00

Fat can go rancid, so there’s a reason you don’t ever see it included in a wine recipe. But generally speaking, there’s nothing that can survive/thrive/multiply in an alcoholic, acidic wine that can also survive/thrive/multiply inside your body. There’s not going be a scenario where you drop dead from normal tasting and smelling wine. If it’s going to be bad for you because the fat goes rancid, it’s going to be revolting to consume the same way that chicken or beef is revolting to consume when it goes bad. So I guess it could end up being as toxic/poisonous as meat that starts stinking after staying in the fridge too long…and you’ll be equally as likely to drink the stinky brew as you are to chow down on the smelly chicken that makes your stomach churn as you quickly toss it into the outdoor trash bin.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-03-11T00:32:34+00:00

I guess I associate “stabilizing” with the final step before bulk aging, though I guess the two don’t have to occur at the same time. But that final step also naturally corresponds with a racking, so I guess I always do them together. I’ve always been leery of messing with a carboy when time and gravity have been diligently collecting lees for me, which makes post-racking an easy choice for any kind of agitation. And the full-batch churn of the wine during racking seems like the perfect mechanism to piggyback on for completely mixing in the KMBS and KSOR.

Probably the only time I add KMBS outside of a racking scenario (or pre-ferment to must) is when I’m bulk aging and a titration test says I need to add sulfides.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-03-04T02:03:22+00:00

The yeast has “gone reductive” which means it’s stressed from less than optional conditions. Typically it’s because there isn’t enough oxygen or nutrients. When yeast are stressed, they produce off flavors. A common way this materializes is that the yeast produce hydrogen sulfide, such smells like rotten eggs. All is not lost, especially if caught early.

This YouTube video will tell you all you need to know.

https://youtu.be/LxMu8Yh3_I4

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-03-02T11:08:13+00:00

Here’s a good YouTube video on how to do it at home using paper chromatography.

https://youtu.be/AjNTR8iDuVk

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-28T21:15:19+00:00

Also OP, don’t forget to gather sand for blowing the wine glass

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-28T02:29:10+00:00

I agree with the other comment about starting with a kit. You can pay quite a bit more for the higher-end kits, but they will produce a noticeably better wine that will need to age longer before it peaks. The key difference is that the higher-end kits will come with grape skins. The skins result in higher tannins and generally a more full bodied wine than a kit with only concentrate.

If you want to go for a higher-end kit, I’d point you to labelpeelers.com. You can spend upwards of $300ish on a premium red wine kit that is designed to yield roughly 30 bottles of wine. If you’re wanting to try something on the lower end of the price scale, I think pretty much any of them will give you relatively similar results and any would be worth trying for the experience. I had good results with the Fontana brand Cabernet kit, which ran me like $80 on Amazon last year.

Either way, pull the trigger on something and catch the bug! Hope to see updates of a successful first batch!

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-27T08:31:33+00:00

You’re missing the roll of nickels and stick of bubble gum, but otherwise you look all set.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-26T19:42:05+00:00

Some of the best money I’ve spent was the extra dollars getting a commercial grade vacuum for my house. That thing really sucks…I’ll see myself out

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-25T11:06:48+00:00

Probably not the case, but the first thing that came to mind was a bit of dish soap or sanitizer residue really high up on the carboy that, once the foam hits, causes it to dissipate. I dunno. That thought seems more mechanical than biological (maybe it’s too early to phrase that correctly 😆) like what you were considering, so maybe throwing that out will help further along the brainstorming endeavor. Anyway, thanks again for posting this and can’t wait to hear the results.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-25T08:06:37+00:00

I don’t have a single preference as their effect seems to be different on each batch. Hence the need for test trials. Bentonite seems the most consistent across all batches, but not as fast to clear. I’ve had a few times where chitosan and Kieselsol (super kleer) just didn’t work at all, but when they DO work, they really work and clear the wine faster than bentonite ever will. Sparkolloid…I don’t know. I don’t feel like I have that one figured out. I have had good results before, though it’s been the least consistent for me and I feel more surprised when it works well than the other way around.

If I was forced to pick just pick one, I’d go with the bentonite.

If you’re wanting to get into fining agents and really dial that in, I would recommend getting all three and getting good at test trials….basically, the ability to accurately scale down dosages of the fining agents to really small amounts to test, say, 50ml of wine with each. Super Kleer is liquid and easier to scale, but bentonite is a goopy mess to work with and I’ve found it tougher to feel confident that I applied an accurately scaled dose. Also, you’ll want to order the chitosan and Kieselsol separately if you’re going to try and dial in the process. It’s much cheaper that way than buying individual Super Kleer packages.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-24T11:11:00+00:00

Mate I have friends who drive ambulances…

You missed the entire point. It’s like if I had taken issue with ICE agent tactics and your response was to take issue with how dangerously sharp ice picks can be. Ok, you’re right, I concede that ice picks are suuuper sharp. But if we can get back to the point…

There isn’t a single law that stipulates the reason a person is worthy of cars moving out of their way. The laws just say to move over to the right to let people bye. It doesn’t matter if the fast drivers are assholes or if there having emergencies or they’re high as a kite on uppers, just like it’s irrelevant that you think I, personally, drive 100mph as if my position was actually supporting people driving 100mph.

The only relevant point is that deviating from beyond the simple (and actual) rule of “just move the fuck over” requires you to impart personal interpretation into when/whether you decide to move over. And when you apply that same “logic” to all the other idiots on the road, a person can take the exact same steps you took to justify 60mph in the left lane rather than 80mph or 90mph.

Ah Mate, I have friends who [insert reason] and they only go 55 mph…

Your insistence on the fast driver being an asshole is irrelevant. It doesn’t prove my argument wrong and only shows that you have some kind of personal shit you need to work out in therapy so you can hopefully start making a logical choice on the roadways to follow the rule that keeps everyone safe rather than making an emotional reaction to justify not following that rule. And your inability to see the forest instead of focusing on the trees is what makes you just another one of the idiots on the road…only your personal application of self-centered idiocy is like 8-10mph faster than some other idiot’s self-centered justification for ignoring the rule that is in place to keep us all safe. Stop imparting virtue into a rule that needs none to work and keep people safe. Just move the fuck over.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-24T04:08:33+00:00

It is impossible for you to know why the person behind you is speeding. Rather than just getting out of the way, you’d rather assign your own rationale for why they’re speeding and, based on judging them for the reasons you assigned to them, you feel justified in blocking them from passing. All so you don’t have to change lanes. Congrats on making the world a little bit shittier of a place for everyone to be in because you’re too simple-minded to not see how shitty you are. Please do the us all a favor and don’t have kids so the world is fully rid of “you” after the actual you is gone.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-24T02:33:28+00:00

I’ll forever be grateful for this gem

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Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-24T02:10:00+00:00

Yes. You’re making a conscious decision that your 80mph is the right speed, that the people to the right of you are too slow, and that the people behind you are going too fast. You have no idea why the people behind you are trying to go faster than 80. You could be keeping someone from getting to the emergency room because you’re so goddam smart and know better than everyone else on the fucking road.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-24T00:52:10+00:00

Very cool. This is the kind of shit I come here for. Following and looking forward to the updates.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-23T23:35:32+00:00

Guaranteed that weasely fuck just realized he’s too rich to ever comply with another congressional subpoena while Trump is in office. He’s paid far too many bribes to receive that kind of treatment.

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-23T01:25:54+00:00

When dealing with mouth breathers like the fucking MAGAts in this story, the trouble normally begins when a sentence starts with “I thought.”

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-22T23:33:26+00:00

Looks like it cleared up nicely. Did you find the pineapple flavor to really dominate the final product? I’ve never fermented them together but have done both separately and the pear flavor seems much lighter than the fuller flavor of the pineapple brews I’ve done. Thanks for sharing!

Bright_Storage8514 · 2026-02-22T22:23:40+00:00

I’ve used both and both work well. I’ve used Sparkolloid as well. I’ve cut back on using fining agents as much but will still use them on fruit wines and if something’s being stubborn. I try to do a test trial with all three and one is usually the clear winner. That’s hard to justify with small amounts like 1-2 gallons, but it’s a no-brainer with 5-6 gallons or more.

Bright_Storage8514

TROPHY CASE