How long should I let it go for?Updated a year ago
If you're using Brewsy Reserves or store-bought juice, we recommend fermenting your wine for about 5 days in a warm, dark place. If you're making mead, ferment your mead for about 7 days.
After that, pour a tiny bit out (no more than a shot glass), and give it a taste-test. We're just tasting for sweetness right now, not flavor. The flavor will improve a lot when you put it in the fridge, but the sweetness level won’t change.
After that, pour a tiny bit out (no more than a shot glass), and give it a taste-test. We're just tasting for sweetness right now, not flavor. The flavor will improve a lot when you put it in the fridge, but the sweetness level won’t change.
So, if it tastes a little too sweet, let your wine ferment for a few more days (about 2 to 4 more days). If it tastes WAY too sweet, you'll need to give your yeast some more energy so they can eat more sugar! Check out the next section for some tips on how to energize your yeast.
After a few more days of fermentation, repeat the taste-test. When it’s the right level of sweet for you, you can pop it in the fridge.
The longer you leave your wine out in the warm, dark place, the drier it will become. So, it's okay to leave it out for a week or more if you like your wine really dry. But keep in mind that sometimes dry wine can taste quite acidic at first, so you may want to backsweeten after the next two steps (racking and cold-crashing).