Sediment on side of carboy

[Gelu Liber]

I am in the final (clearing) stage of a Mezza Luna Red wine and there is a sort of sediment that is clinging to the sides of the carboy

all the way up to the top. It did not have this before I stirred it for the last time and added the stabilizers and clearing agent. It has been a little over a week.


Does anyone know what this is and what I should do about it, if anything?

 

[grapeman]

It is just some sediment that was attracted to the sides of the carboy. Gently rock the carboy or slightly bump it with the heel of your hand. It should drop right to the bottom then.

 

[Gelu Liber]

I tried both methods and it is still there. Should I stir it again?

 

[scubaman2151]

I have this problem and so did somebody else on these boards. We never really figured out what it was.


Scuba

 

[Cracked Cork]

Its the fining agent sticking to the little indentions in your carboy, you need to move the wine inside by a quick but gentle twist to clockwise, and then another counterclockwise to use the wine to move it off those little indentations. You dont want to get wild and get the stuff on the bottle stirred up, just a couple of quick twists will do it.

Crackedcork

 

[Wade E]

If it doesnt come off like that then just leave it alone and be careful racking it.

 

[Gelu Liber]

This is maybe the 3rd or 4th batch of Mezza Luna Red that I have made and I love the wine and I have had many compliments on it.


I always seem to getsediment in my bottles when I make Mezzza Luna Red than when I make any white wine, I can get my white wines from kits clear as a bell without filtering. It falls out after a couple weeks after bottling. I don't get that with whites and I haven't made any other red wines (except my Concord wine from my own grapes and it is clear too).

 

[grapeman]

Reds have more solids in them when fermenting so have a tendencey to take longer to clear completely. You can't see through them well so if you go by number of days until bottling, it may not be long enough to clear completely. Why not try leaving them in the carboy an extra few weeks or so before bottling and see what happens.

 

[Gelu Liber]

Appleman! I will try that. Do you think that it would help to rack it again?

 

[grapeman]

Yes, I would let it sit for the few extra weeks and rack it just before filling the bottles. After letting it sit those few extra weeks or months- if you plan on aging it for over a year(naturally it will not all be aging that long), I add an extra 1/4 tsp of k-meta. Don't thow out the half a bottle that will be left at that racking, put it in a bottle, let it settle out and drink the good stuff.

 

[Gelu Liber]

I usually rack it to a bucket right before bottling so it is easier to fill the bottles. I wasn't sure if maybe I should rack it to a another secondary now and let it settle out for a few weeksin there. I guess if I did that I would need to add about a bottle to it to top it up.


I am probably being too picky.

 

[uavwmn]

Gelu, my mezza luna red will have been in the bottles for 3 months next week. I did not bulk age. Did you try a bottle that early or should I wait a couple more months?

 

[Gelu Liber]

Mezza Luna is a really easy, very enjoyable red wine. I think it is impressive that you could drink it after 1 month at it would be good.


3 months is fine. You should try a bottle and see what you think. If you think it needs more age then let 'er go. I haven't aged any Mezza Luna for longer than a year (unlessI have some misplaced/mislabeled bottles)and I didn't notice much improvement after 3 months. Maybe it it gets better with more age but you would want to make sure you add some k-meta when you bottle just in case. This will make it taste awful if you drink it too early.