Need additional help? there are 2 ways you can reach us:
1. Email us at help@artfulwinemaker.com, or
2. If you prefer direct assistance or more help, please call our toll free number 1-800-983-6671
It's Day 28 and I'm not able to bottle. What should I do?
You can let the wine sit for an additional 3-5 days, but bottle as soon as you can. The wine might oxidize or spoil if you leave it any longer, so try to plan your time accordingly.
How long will it take to complete Stage 4 (day 28)?
Stage 4 (bottling day) should take you about 60-90 minutes.
On day 28 my bottle sanitizer didn't dissolve completely. Is that okay?
If you see crystals or other residue inside the bottles after you sanitize them, go ahead and rinse them out with clean water. It won't affect the wine.
When I was bottling, there was foam at the top. Is this okay?
Yes it is. You just need to let the foam die down before inserting the T-stops.
Can I tip my Winemaker to get the remaining wine out?
Don't tip the Winemaker unit when bottling! If you make sure to fill it to the correct level on day one, you'll get 12 bottles without tipping. If you do tip or even tilt it, you could get sediment in your wine.
Can I put the sediment down the drain?
You can, but if you do, please run lots of water to flush it through your water system. If you practice composting, though, the sediment is very good for your garden-after proper composting time!
How do I know if I made my wine properly?
One taste will tell you. We guarantee that it will taste great.
It took much longer to fill the last three bottles than the ones before. Is this normal?
Yes, this is normal. As the level drops in the Winemaker vessel, it flows more slowly.
When I make my wine it is carbonated and the corks pop off forcefully and randomly, how do I stop this?
There are a couple of possibilities for the carbonation. It may be as simple as not enough stirring (degassing) during the addition of sulphite and clearing agents on day 14. The wine must be stirred "vigorously" for 1 minute after each add. This process helps drive off the CO2.
Another possibility is re-fermentation. This would be a result of the temperature being too low and therefore the fermentation is not complete in 14 days. This would require monitoring the temperature strip during the first 10 days to make certain the temperature stays above 68 degrees.