Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Gonna let 'em sit until Thanksgiving weekend, just for good measure. Will rack and sulfite then.
2019 Harvest Journal
- Thread starter Boatboy24
- Start date
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porkchopmessiah
Senior Member
ML envy..
Looking like you could rack and sulfite now. Very nice!
First chromo after just over a month. Anyone have any idea why the barrel Tannat is the furthest behind, it's the first time I ever tried to do a MLF in a barrel. Going to sulfite the Nebboilo because I'm getting a little hint of VA. The others will just hang in there for another month.
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Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Looks like both the Tannats are behind the others. But the one from the barrel is definitely further behind.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Racked and added sulfite to all today. Resting comfortably now (me and the wine). Both batches were split, each with two different yeasts. I really enjoyed tasting them today and seeing how different they were. Stopped by to see @mainshipfred and return the carboys I borrowed. Somehow, I returned home with more than I brought back. 
Had a chance to try out his Alicante, which is very nice.
Had a chance to try out his Alicante, which is very nice.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
During my last visit with @mainshipfred , we talked about how cloudy our Petite Manseng from local grapes was. He told me that his grape source (and local commercial winemaker) mentioned he always has to use clearing agents with his PM. I did an EM on a kit earlier this year and never used the kieselsol and chitosan, so this morning, I added them to the PM. While I had it open, I gave it (and the Viognier) a taste. Both very nice and I'm looking forward to bottling in the next couple months.
A question I had though, regarding back sweetening these wines. I'd like to add a little sugar, but would need to obviously add sorbate. Both were treated with Lysozyme, but I'm unsure of the risks/rewards of using the sorbate. Am I OK doing that?
A question I had though, regarding back sweetening these wines. I'd like to add a little sugar, but would need to obviously add sorbate. Both were treated with Lysozyme, but I'm unsure of the risks/rewards of using the sorbate. Am I OK doing that?
stickman
Veteran Winemaker
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As you said, you need to use sorbate unless you can sterile filter, the Lysozyme really has no lasting effect in the wine, it completes the job of killing lactic bacteria over the period of several days, after that, the enzyme activity diminishes over time depending on tannin levels as well as fining treatments, in fact, bentonite will quickly deactivate any remaining Lysozyme. The wine should be ok if SO2 levels are appropriately maintained from now through the bottling process, just add sorbate if sweetening.
Jim, I also thought about back sweetening the PM but think I'll leave the Viognier alone except for putting it back in the barrel for a few more weeks. Whether it's a good practice or not but when I back sweeten I'll run it through a .5 micron nominal filter add the proper sulfites but only use 1/2 the recommended sorbate.
