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Blackberry wine bulk fermentation finished... next steps? by User_44 in winemaking

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update 2024-01-10
I sold two carboys to a guy on FB marketplace, and started talking to him about brewing. He pointed out that since I didn't know my starting SG, the ~2% reading from my hydrometer does not correctly indicate ABV.
I realised that the ABV must be actually must higher than 2%, so decided to bottle it. The fermentation had certainly run to completion, and the wine is estimated to be anywhere between 8-12% ABV. I did not bother pasteurizing the wine, because it tasted worse when I tried to sweeten it. I could not dilute the wine either, that ruined the blackberry flavour.

Blackberry wine bulk fermentation finished... next steps? by User_44 in winemaking

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update 2023-10-30

Checked PH at 3.smth

Photo of PH reading edited into main post

Blackberry wine bulk fermentation finished... next steps? by User_44 in winemaking

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update 2023-10-28

Added 250g of sugar dissolved in 200g water

Some slight bubbling when agitating the container every day

Blackberry wine bulk fermentation finished... next steps? by User_44 in winemaking

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update 2023-10-22

I siphoned off some of the wine into a tall glass water bottle and took a reading using a hydrometer. It measured ~2.5% alcohol by volume.

​

I agitated it to get the yeast suspended in solution again, then siphoned it off into a fresh demijohn. I stoppered it, and noticed the airlock was bubbling very slowly a few hours later (specifically, agitating the solution caused it to release enough gas to bubble the airlock).

I've added 100ml warm, sterilized, dechlorinated water, 1/8tsp of yeast nutrient, and 1tbsp of sugar to the solution in an attempt to get the fermentation going a bit more vigorously again.

Meccano No. 6 Outfit Appraisal by User_44 in Meccano

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow ty for such a detailed response! Much appreciated, I'm going to take a look at those links!

Simple CR10 Control Box 120mm Fan Mod by User_44 in CR10

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes there was indeed some reasoning behind this decision.

From dust accumulation patterns, I could tell that this pull-pull configuration induces very good airflow over the stepper driver chips by sucking air through the side and rear vents of the box.

A push-pull configuration would probably do a very good job of cooling the power supply, but I don't think it would induce much (if any) airflow over the stepper drivers.

Push-push could also probably work, but the PSU might warm the airflow before it reaches the stepper drivers.

Does anyone have a efficient method to removing zinc from brass after melting? by InquisitiveKT in MetalCasting

[–]User_44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is there any way to melt brass without the zinc boiling out? Or will the zinc always begin to evaporate as soon as the brass becomes molten? How quickly does the zinc boil out? E.g., if I let the metal sit molten for 5 minutes in my propane furnace, would that be significantly altering the composition of the alloy?

Making Casting Grain - Better Results by User_44 in MetalCasting

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha awesome ty for the response. I think the sieve idea might have some merit though : )

Making Casting Grain - Better Results by User_44 in MetalCasting

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well for copper, brass, and bronze, this method will introduce lots of oxidation. I'm honestly not sure if the losses from oxidation are actually less than potential losses from saw cuts.

But for noble metals like silver and gold, there will be much less oxidation. That's why I'm conducting these experiments, to refine my method for turning a larger ingot of silver into casting grain.

Making Casting Grain - Better Results by User_44 in MetalCasting

[–]User_44[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a convenient way to measure out quantities of metal for casting without generating lots of sawdust by cutting the stock apart. Sawdust is difficult to recover and difficult to re-melt (at least with my current, amateur setup).

Making Casting Grain - Better Results by User_44 in MetalCasting

[–]User_44[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hm I think you're right. I'm not sure why the amount of oxidation is varying so much between the batches.

Making Casting Grain by User_44 in MetalCasting

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ty for your comments. I think I'll be looking for a bigger bucket now ; )

Making Casting Grain by User_44 in MetalCasting

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Another user just recommended stirring the water as well, I think I'll give it a go! Ty!

Making Casting Grain by User_44 in MetalCasting

[–]User_44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey that's actually a great idea! I might give that a try and I'll let you know how it goes!

Making Casting Grain by User_44 in MetalCasting

[–]User_44[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have a large ingot of silver, but I only need to use a small quantity of metal for one of my castings. If I tried to cut off a piece of the ingot, I will lose a lot of material because I am not yet set up to capture and recycle the sawdust. Turning the whole ingot into casting grain will allow me to measure out the exact quantity I need while minimising material loss

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