i got crystals

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bg7mm

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moving some white muscadine into different wine racks earlier this morning and see this big hunk of something moving around in the bottom of the first bottle I grab, what the heck, a good look and it's a big slab of crystals, all the bottles, good or bad? a little darker yellow then the wine itself, looks cool

I wanna open a bottle just to try eating the crystals. read something here awhile back about it. how does it form or rather for what reasons? a little info on the matter greatly appreciated
 
These are also called wine diamonds and in Europe this is considered a high quality wine. It indicates that the grapes were ripened over a long period of time and the wine went thru a slow fermentation. It is tartaric acid and as the wine ages the crystals fall out. Most winemakers will cold stabilize to get the crystals to fall out prior to bottling.
 
You probably bottled too early.

Especially when you use calcium carbonate for acid adjustment, these tartaric acid crystals fall out at room temp.
 
I had a french colombard wine that I added peaches to and at 2 years developed chrystals. Tasted awesome, I just strainned into a decanter before drinking. Your wine should all be fine.As for eating the chrystals :s
 
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I made a CC Red Mt Cab bask in Apr 2012 and began drinking it in Oct 2012 and I had wine crystals in it. However I just tried a bottle this month and there were no crystals in it. I checked the other 20 bottles I have left and didn't see any in them. Don't know if they were absorbed or what but there gone. ... That Red Mt Cab is fabulous.
 
This is why I drop the temp on my wine into the low 30s for 5-7 days prior to the final rack...drop the crystals then and not in the bottle. Of course I have a spare, used refrigerator just for this purpose.
 
Them wine diamonds are kinda cool. I have only had it happen once, from fresh grapes. Helped smooth out the wine some. Mite happen again this year. There is a very little fresh grape wine in the basement. Arne.
 
Spaniel

So you put the carboy into the frig for 5 - 7 days prior to the final rack & the crystals fall to the bottom & you can rack the wine off them. Do you do this with all your wine or just Reds? I may have to start doing this.
 

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