Hi I am a new member and new to wine making. I started a blackberry wine. I want to know when I should use the airlock? I have used the camden tablers, waited the 24 hrs added the other ingredients then waited 12 hrs longer then added the yeast. I have read two conflicting points of view and I am confused. Do I need to seal the primary fermenter and put an airlock in or wait a week until it is feremented and then transfer it to a secondary fermenter and then do the airlock thing? At the moment the blackberries are in an open container wtith a clean plastic back covering the top so that particles in the air can't get through but so the yeast can breath. Is this correct?
Also, I am making 4 gallons and added 4 campden tablets at the onset is that right dosage? The recipe I am following says one campden tablet for a gallon.
I also want my blackberry wine to be sweet. When do I add the sorbate and then the sugar for sweetness- at last racking or after the initial primary fermentation before moving it to the secondary feremnter?
Oh another question, do I have to use a form of acid or can I skip it? I was thinking about a sweet wine and don't want something that is tart. I haven't added any citric acid yet. Had heard that lemon juice is okay but to do it at the end of the primary fermentation. Any advice would be great.
