Question (WineXpert Eclipse Pinot noir)

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Brobeans

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Brewing for the first time and have a few newbie questions

I just finished degassing and mixing the necessary ingredients mentioned in the instructions

1. I used the drill method and mixed for 2 min as instructed after adding each ingredient. Is that enough mixing? How do I know if it's enough?

2. Instructions say in 10 daysrack it into another car boy then let sit for 28 days. Can I let it sit in the current carboy for 38 days THEN rack it to another carboy on bottling day? Will it make a difference?

3. I would like to age the bottles of wine for at least 4 years. Should I add more than the recommended amount of metabisulfphite (it says for 6 months)?

Random question. If my SG is .992 after primary fermentation, can I skip secondary fermentation?

Thank you
 
Brobeans said:
Brewing for the first time and have a few newbie questions

I just finished degassing and mixing the necessary ingredients mentioned in the instructions

1. I used the drill method and mixed for 2 min as instructed after adding each ingredient. Is that enough mixing? How do I know if it's enough?
That should be plenty, particularly with a drill mixer. The two minute instruction is for people using a spoon.
2. Instructions say in 10 daysrack it into another car boy then let sit for 28 days. Can I let it sit in the current carboy for 38 days THEN rack it to another carboy on bottling day? Will it make a difference? I recommend following the instructions. In the additions you made you stabilized with K-meta and Sorbate. You also added a fining agent or two. You will drop a lot of sediment out of the wine in the next 10 days. It is best to get the wine off of this sediment. Before you bottle, you will also see some additional (minimal) sediment and it is good to rack off of this so that the sediment does not get into the bottles.
3. I would like to age the bottles of wine for at least 4 years. Should I add more than the recommended amount of metabisulfphite (it says for 6 months)? Right before bottling, i.e. when you rack off of the fine sediment, add 1/4 teaspoon of K-meta to the carboy from which you will fill the bottles. Once in the bottle and corked, you will not need more K-meta.

Random question. If my SG is .992 after primary fermentation, can I skip secondary fermentation? If your SG is at 0.992, you are very dry and probably finished with fermentation. I would not recommend this in the future unless you are snapping a lid tightly on your fermenter and adding and airlock.

Thank you
Click to expand...

Good luck to you and welcome to the forum.
 
Like what Rocky said.

I usually follow the instructions, using the hydrometer as my guide in the earlier phases of the process, and time/clarity later. But, if you're aging in the carboy, I'd recommend holding off on your oak (if your kit came with cubes) until you get to the end. When you do that last racking, drop your oak and then rack every three months (dose w/KMeta at each racking).

But, on degassing... Your wine is probably still full of co2.

Aging in the carboy 6 months @ 70*+ will help naturally degas your wine... Longer is better if you're letting the wine degas on its own. Otherwise, a whole lot more whipping or vacuum degassing is necessary.

Don't bottle until it's fully degassed and tasting like you want it.
 
Brobeans said:
Brewing for the first time and have a few newbie questions

I just finished degassing and mixing the necessary ingredients mentioned in the instructions

1. I used the drill method and mixed for 2 min as instructed after adding each ingredient. Is that enough mixing? How do I know if it's enough?

2. Instructions say in 10 daysrack it into another car boy then let sit for 28 days. Can I let it sit in the current carboy for 38 days THEN rack it to another carboy on bottling day? Will it make a difference?

3. I would like to age the bottles of wine for at least 4 years. Should I add more than the recommended amount of metabisulfphite (it says for 6 months)?

Random question. If my SG is .992 after primary fermentation, can I skip secondary fermentation?

Thank you
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum!

To know if your wine is degassed, you can do a "poof test." Get some of your wine into a tube. Cover with your hand and shake vigorously. If, when you pull the tube away from your hand, there is a "poof" you still have gas.

Your primary fermenter should be a larger plastic vessel than a carboy, or else you risk wine volcanos. Fermentation takes the extra space in your primary. Once your hydrometer reads 1.1 (or following the instructions of your kit) you can rack to a carboy.
 
Thanks for the help and warm welcome all!

heatherd said:
Welcome to the forum!

To know if your wine is degassed, you can do a "poof test." Get some of your wine into a tube. Cover with your hand and shake vigorously. If, when you pull the tube away from your hand, there is a "poof" you still have gas.

Your primary fermenter should be a larger plastic vessel than a carboy, or else you risk wine volcanos. Fermentation takes the extra space in your primary. Once your hydrometer reads 1.1 (or following the instructions of your kit) you can rack to a carboy.
Click to expand...

If there is a poof I'm assuming it's okay to mix more during the 10 day period?
 
What's everyone's opinion on this kit? Pinot Noir can be blah or great. I would love to make one, but the investment both money and time make me hesitant.
 
dcbrown73 said:
What's everyone's opinion on this kit? Pinot Noir can be blah or great. I would love to make one, but the investment both money and time make me hesitant.
Click to expand...

David, I've done this one, it's a good kit in my estimation. A lot depends upon your taste in Pinot Noir, some folks like a really delicate, fruity pinot noir, others a bit heavier with more tannic content, others still more earthy and subtle. I tend towards the heavier side (as I do in most of my wine preferences) and as I said, it's good. I think it's about 8 months old now, and it did take a short sit in the barrel (1/3 as long as I would have oaked a cab). I've only tried one bottle, but have given away a couple to friends who really liked it a lot and wanted to buy some.
 
opus345 said:
Any tweaks you would suggest? I have this "on deck".

Opus
Click to expand...

Opus, I didn't do anything contrary to the directions other than adding 1/2 tsp tannin in primary to help with color retention, skipped the sorbate and clearing agents, but used bentonite in primary, and it took a short trip in one of the barrels. It was nice and clear after 6 months in the carboy, it came out of the barrel and was bottled a few weeks later.
 

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