WineXpert racking a crushendo

[rottie6667]

just another newbie in making wine and when i went to rack it i had to use 3 bottels to top off at clearing of a vr cab i made a few months ago. Didn't know about pressing the skins, it saids to let set again for 8 day and rack again for 28 days. When I do this will i add alittle sulfate ta age a little before I bottle want this to be the best wine made to dated and get the must out of it. Any help would greatly advice. Love your guy forum


Thank Joe&nb sp;

 

[Jackie]

No. Do not add any sulfite. The crushendo kits have more sulfite in them than the other kits plus the extra tannin will help protect the wine.


They expected you to lose a litre of wine in the transfer and the kit is made to allow for that much water. I tilted the carboy to get as much as I could (I don't care if I get some yeast since it hasn't cleared yet) and ittook less than half a bottle to topup (even thoughI could have added water I chose not to). But I did havealmost six full gallons from the first racking. I've degassed and added the clearing agents. I'm going to give it 3 weeks to clear instead of8 days then rack and give it another month or two to be sure it's finished dropping sediment.


This is my second crushendo (I made syrah and now montagnac). Which one are you making?


I plan to let mine age one year before tasting again (I did taste when racking) then maybe try one every six monthsto see the progression but mostly 2-3 years before serious drinking. I have several other kit wines I can drink in the meantime.

 

[rshosted]

Hey Jackie,

How is that Crushendo treating you?

Can you give us an idea of which one you like best? (that is if you are weak like the rest of us and have already tried a bottle or two

)

 

[maize]

I have "made" all three of the crushendo's - each with a different story on how the first racking went - although I always got to within 1 bottle of a full carboy.


The syrah I started just about 1 year ago and bottled in October. The Montagnoc was started inlate October and the Veneto inearly December. I have drunk 2 bottles of the syrah and it is excellent and getting better. I have not bottled either of the younger ones, but we did "barrel" taste them inFebruary. Both were quite complex, but at that point, the Veneto seemed more intense and we agreed at it was the leader of the three at that point in time. Now being the last of the 3 - maybe I was just getting better at making them - but the race has a long way to go. And of course, according to George, there will be a new entry in the near future