Adding additives

[RyboFlav]

Hey All,

So noobish question here...

I'm brewing a bucket of montepulciano, and it just finished fermenting so I racked it and topped it up.

I plan on letting it age another 6 months or so before bottle aging for a couple of months (christmas gifts). I don't plan on backsweetening it either.

So based on this, what should I do at various stages? I'd like to add as few additives as possible.

My plan so far is to rack every couple of months to let it clear naturally, and just bottle in october sometime. Can I get away with this, or do I HAVE to add stuff at any point?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Tom]

You "must" Stabilize the wine. Once fermentation is complete. add K-meta and OAK. This wine should be oaked.
Then, add 1/4tsp of k-meta every 90 days. I feel this wine should bulk age 12 months. Was this fresh juice or a kit?

 

[jet]

You really should maintain the SO2 levels until bottling.

 

[Julie]

I agree with Tom, sulfite and oak.

 

[RyboFlav]

It's fresh juice that was pre-adjusted and yeasted etc... (Festa Juice)

So basically I would be dumb to not use k-meta as it ages... what would be the main risk of not doing so?

Any tips on oaking? Types, amounts, when to add, for how long, etc...?

 

[roblloyd]

So basically I would be dumb to not use k-meta as it ages... what would be the main risk of not doing so?

Having something contaminate your wine and pouring it down the drain!

 

[Julie]

Having something contaminate your wine and pouring it down the drain!

Now that is putting it bluntly,

 

[Wade E]

Sulfites keep microbes that are ever present at bay. Since you most likely dont know the PH and or the TA of this wine which are the 2 main factors that also keep these microbes at bay then sulfiting is an absolute neccesity. Maybe this batch woukd be fine, maybe it wont, is that a bet you want to take. Sulfites will assure you tat your wine will last a good long time unless there is some other serious defect with this batch. Not using it is a big risk, one I would not take ever!

 

[RyboFlav]

I think it has been decided then... kmeta it is!

Thanks all