Cellar Craft CC Showcase Amarone

Hello to all, I am new to this list, and new to the Wine Making hobby. I have done several CC red wine kits in recent months, but none is yet ready for drinking.
Here is my question: I currently have the Amarone kit in bulk ageing. I put it into clearing (ie added the Kieselsol/Chitosan packages) in late Jan 2011. With my other CC kits i have found that the wines clear quite well within 24 hours of adding the K/C. However the Amarone has not cleared yet, although 4 weeks have passed since I added the K/C. ie, I can not shine a flashlight through the carboy and see the light on the other side.
Can anyone comment on whether this seems normal for an Amarone? Is it feasible to add a second lot of K/C?

thanks in advance
Bob, Maple Valley, WA

Bob, welcome to the forum. Is your wine fully degassed? Also what is the temp of your wine.

Thanks Dan... temp is around 60-62degF, according to the strip thermometer on side of the carboy.
How do I determine if it is fully degassed? Stir it again?

Bob

Bob you really need to get the temp up to 75* to get it fully degasses. A brew belt is the best way to do that. Also aging it in the carboy will eventually degass it as long as the temps are up where they should be.

So are we saying here that the wine is not clearing because it is not properly degassed?

And if I can get it degassed, will it clear then?

thanks

Bob

RJB said:

So are we saying here that the wine is not clearing because it is not properly degassed?

And if I can get it degassed, will it clear then?

thanks

Bob

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Getting it to the right temperature and degassed will certainly assist it in clearing along with aging it. Of the hundreds of gallons of wine I have made I have one carboy that I am still trying to clear. I have tried everything but TIME and the 3 P's. I can see it very slowly clearing now though as time goes on.

Well Dan... this may have been a false alarm. I just checked the clarity of the Amarone again, this time using a 3million candle-power spotlight - the wine appears to be clear, but much darker than the other CC reds I have made.
A good thing too, as 75degF will be hard to attain at this location - currently in a Pacific NW winter (15degF outside this AM, and currently snowing).

So... will prolly try the "patience" technology on this one, and panic again later if there are problems.

=:O

Thanks again for the help

Bob

Glad to hear it Bob. Really seriously consider buying a brew belt. They are rather inexpensive (approx $20) and will bail you out when necessary. I own 3 of them and use them almost all winter on different carboys and primaries.

i have just reached day 16 and my gravity is down to 0.996. This is the first kit i've had that has taken this long to ferment out. Now that is is in the clearing stages i guess i just have to wait about a year for bulk aging and then i'll get to sample this.

In the instructions for the mixture of Kieselsol/Chitosan and can ometimes say cooler temps are desired or acceptable but in my experience over the years Ive had many batches that were in those temps after degassing at then right temp and it didnt clear. Once I raised the temp back up with a brew belt it cleared right up in a few days so Im wondering if they have not done extensive temp testing. Ive been on and running forums for quite some time now and have been asked this very question hundreds of times and everytime I tell them to warm it up I get a follow up posting from the user a few days after they have brought the temp up thanking me or the other person like Dan for telling them that as it cleared right up. On the other hand if yoiur not using a fining agent to clear your wine and just using time then cooler temps prevail.

Heyya, just joined and will admit to not being very computer literate but can I ask if anyone else uses the kit grape skins more then once?

Hi bigwally,

Welcome to the forum.

Once the grape pack skins come off a kit, there is not usually much left of them. All the good stuff is long gone. Just discard them. George at Finevinewines.com sells the nice, thick and gooey grape packs separately and they are not expensive.

However, some like to save and reuse the skins that come off a fresh grape pressing. In this case, there are a lot more skins.

Why don't you go to the new member forum (introductions), introduce yourself and tell us a little about you?

i've moved to just degassing and stabilizing and then into the cellar for clearing on its own. It seems to be working good on the kits i've done so far.

On Dan's advice I visited my local supplier (Larry's Brewing Supply in Kent Washington) and got a brew belt for $19.95. I wrapped a large bath towel around the carboy, wrapped the brew belt around the towel, then wrapped another towel around the brew belt (easier to do than to explain). Boy did that thing get hot... the Amarone is now around 70-72degF. I will leave the belt attached through this coming weekend then check the wine for clarity.
Fact is, I think the wine has already cleared, but it is so dark (deep purple-red) that it is difficult to be certain. Brother, I can't wait to taste this stuff =:O

Anyone else have any comments on the colour of the CC Amarone.
thanks

bob

mine is also very dark. of the 4 red kits that i have aging it is the darkest.

RJB said:

On Dan's advice I visited my local supplier (Larry's Brewing Supply in Kent Washington) and got a brew belt for $19.95. I wrapped a large bath towel around the carboy, wrapped the brew belt around the towel, then wrapped another towel around the brew belt (easier to do than to explain). Boy did that thing get hot... the Amarone is now around 70-72degF. I will leave the belt attached through this coming weekend then check the wine for clarity.
Fact is, I think the wine has already cleared, but it is so dark (deep purple-red) that it is difficult to be certain. Brother, I can't wait to taste this stuff =:O

Anyone else have any comments on the colour of the CC Amarone.
thanks

bob

Click to expand...

Bob,
You don't have to worry about the b belt cracking your carboy. Maybe it could happen if the carboy was freezing cold when the belt is added, but I don't know of a single incident where a brew belt has cracked a carboy.

To control the temperature, move the belt up and down the carboy. The lower down on the carboy, the warmer will be the wine inside. If it gets too warm, in a few locations around the carboy, you can put some spacers between the carboy and the belt to cut down on belt contact.

robie said:

If it gets too warm, in a few locations around the carboy, you can put some spacers between the carboy and the belt to cut down on belt contact.

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+1. For my basement If add three spaces my fermenting wine stays at a constant 76 degrees. My basement is not super cold and the brew belt provides too much heat. Everyone's environment is different and some adjustments may be necessary.