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APPENDIX 5 TROUBLESHOOTING AND FAQ
Solutions to some typical problems and frequently asked questions are listed here. Please check our
website
for updates. Email
you need to ask.
I know nothing about wine making.
Wine making is not difficult. With the GOfermentor JR it is also not messy or smelly. The single-use liner eliminates
problems of cleaning and proper sanitation that are essential to good wine. Automation assures proper punching
and the press takes out the mess. You need to know nothing about to make wine to be successful with
GOfermentor JR. Just follow the instructions. Several books provide a basis for understanding wine making. They
are listed in the appendix to the GOfermentor JR manual. Home
Wine Making
by Jon Iverson is a good start, then
get
Concepts in Wine Technology
by Yair Margalit. It is not for the home winemaker, but important concepts are
explained well and will give you a foundation for serious winemaking.
Do I need a permit to make wine?
No. Federal law passed Feb 1, 1979 makes it legal for a single adult household to make up to 100 gallons of wine
and beer each year, and up to 200 gallons for a household with two or more adults. By 2013 all States also made
these limits legal. Sale is not permitted. Neither is distillation.
What sort of space do I need for the GOfermentor JR?
You need an area about 2 ft x 2ft. The unit is 20 inches in diameter and 28 inches tall. The space should be cool (60-
70 F). You need a 110 VAC household power outlet.
What do I need besides the GOfermentor JR?
You need 100lbs grapes, yeast, and yeast nutrients. You need an inexpensive ($160) wine pump to transfer wine
and associated tubing. You need wine collection/aging vessels or liners. You should have some basic lab gear
–
weighing scale, graduates, mixing spoons and thermometer. It is nice to have a pH meter and a refractometer to
measure sugar (Brix). You can buy bottles, cappers etc from winemaking supply store or online. The manual
versions are quite inexpensive. Remember you DO NOT need a press!
Can I use supermarket grapes?
No. Table grapes do not make good wine because they are large with low skin to volume ratio. In essence they are
sugar water bombs. Wine grapes are much smaller because the color and flavor is from the skins. You can get wine
grapes from produce suppliers. Another good source is local vineyards so go ask them for a few hundred pounds.
Remember grapes are seasonal and you will only get fresh grapes in the Northern Hemisphere from July to
November. It is possible to get grapes from Chile, S. Africa, and Argentina in the off-season but these can be
expensive. You can google the internet for suppliers of frozen grapes. These, while expensive, work quite well. For
good red wine you need to start with grapes. Concentrates and juice are not satisfactory. However, white wine
works well from juice and you can buy juice, either fresh or frozen.
