Secondary Fermentation Question

[pirate959]

On thanksgiving the bubbling stopped and it seemed like a lot of sediment, so I decided to rack my wine for the first time since starting secondary fermentation in October. Made Zinfandel, kept on the skins during the primary fermentation. I started with a 6 gallon and 5 gallon carboy. I racked to two 5 gallon carboys. wine tasted fine at this time. I did use a little bit of distilled water to top off the second carboy.

My question is the second carboy is not producing some pretty small bubbles, not much but the activity is clear. On the first carboy, the wine seems dead with no activity (which i would expect). What should I do if anything, I am concerned that one has started to ferment again while the other is not. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[jtstar]

If I am understanding this right you started this wine in Oct. and then you racked it to the secondary in Nov. if this is right do you any more sediment sitting on the bottom of the carboys if you do go ahead and rack it off the sediment again and let it sit for another thrity days again.

 

[Arne]

My guess is it is probably degassing. Check your specific gravities. If they are below .999 and stay the same for a few days, the wine has finished fermenting and you can stabilize, add sulfites and add a clearing agent if you wish. As Jack said, if you have a bunch of sediment accumulating you can either wait a while longer or rack it off. I would rack it off before stabalizing, sulfating and adding the clearing agent. Arne.

 

[pete1325]

Is it "fermention" type bubbles or just a foaming effect from racking? I can't imagine it's fermenting again after all this time.

 

[pirate959]

the bubbles that I am seeing are small little bubbles coming up and you can only see them moving along the side of the carboy to the small air gap at the top just before the bubbler. They are fast enough that you could not count them if you wanted to. If you look on the center of the top surface of wine, you see nothing. only on the glass side. (hope this makes sense, never thought I would struggle so much in describing bubbles).


I do have a little bit of sediment in the bottom after this first racking. I am thinking any day I will rack this again.

When I get further along in the racking process, what gives me peace of mind the air is off the wine? Normally at this stage I do not even see one bubble and definently do not have the patience to watch.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[Rocky]

Pirate, I have the same thing going with a batch of Brunello. Some on the forum have suggested that the wine has begun malolactic fermentation on its own. Mine is still (very slowlly) bubbling and the SG is at about 1.000. The good news is the wine tastes great, just a little on the sweet side for my preference. My wine was made from juice that was already well into fermention when I bought it in mid November.

 

[shoebiedoo]

Mine is still (very slowlly) bubbling and the SG is at about 1.000. The good news is the wine tastes great, just a little on the sweet side for my preference.

Rocky, you need me to come and drink some more of it I figure if we do this enough we gay "DRY" it out