Does Anyone Make Wine?

[rockyracoon]

Not sure if this should go in Food and Drink or Home and Garden.

I've just started to make wine and am struggling a bit to understand the hydrometer. I took a reading yesterday evening before adding yeast and it said 1.3. I've read that this is too high and fermentation will be hard or non existent, but the airlock is gurgling away like a happy baby. The top of the liquid is also very foamy and you can hear fizzing in the demijohn.

Is the wine going in the right direction?

Thanks for any response. It's orange wine, if that makes any difference.

[Old_Geezer]

If it's bubbling from the airlock, and not because it's on the stove, then it's going ok. Depending on the yeast it may be rather sweet when the yeast dies off, but a sweet wine may be what you're aiming for. Just see what results

[rockyracoon]

Thanks OG. We reduced the amount of sugar by 25% as we felt it would be too much, and we’re after a drier wine.

[Old_Geezer]

It's been a long time since I last made wine, although suspect I'll try a kit soon to ease back into it. Unsure what hydrometer reading range is advised, off the top of my head, but the more sugar the higher it'll float. But if it's fermenting then it's fermenting.

[TonyV]

Bubbling just means your fruit is fermenting. When it's stopped bubbling store the the demijohn in a cool place until sediment has settled then decant using a tube into bottles (or glasses !) just being carefull not to to touch sediment with tube. Just make sure you sterilise everything I use Camden tablets.