Adding Second Run Wine To Original Wine

[burtchitter]

I want to start by saying thanks to all who answer others questions. Without these forums, I would be lost.

I'm making a Cab/Merlot blend in one Brute container and Chambourcin in the other. I was thinking of making second run wine and was wondering. If I dont have enough head space available to fill a 5 or 6 gallon carboy, is it okay to leave it in the carboy without filling and go ahead and make my second run, so I dont have to fill up with water or buy wine to top up. Obviously I will leave myself a few bottles for next year for this purpose, but I didnt know if that week or so gap in time (time between finishing first batch and starting second run and finishing) would hurt my first wine. Oxidation etc...

Thanks so much

 

[Rocky]

Burt, just so we are talking about the same thing, when you say "second run wine" I am assuming:

a. you are making wine from grapes, not a kit or juice
b. you have made a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which you have in a primary fermenter and a batch of Chambourcin in another fermenter at present
c. you are approaching the time when you will rack from the primary to the secondary and you are not sure your final volume will fill your carboys completely.
d. you plan to make a second run wine (which I call "second wine" but that is only semantics) by letting the wine run out of the fermenter freely, moving this to carboys and then adding sugar and water back into the remaining skins and refermenting the wine.
e. you are concerned that you will have excessive airspace in the carboys.

In the short term i.e. one to two weeks, it will not make a difference. There will still be enough CO2 coming out of your wine, forming a protective blanket on top, and keeping air out. Your issue will begin when fermentation ceases completely. At that point, it is very important to "top off" the wine to keep air out. You are asking us if it is okay to let the first run go with the head space and then top off with the second run wine, rather than using water or buying a red wine to top off.

Here is what I would recommend, if possible:

a. don't top off, "volume down" to smaller carboys, e.g. 3 gallon, 1 gallon 1/2 gallon and 1500 ml and 750 ml bottles.
b. top off the Cab/Merlot with the first run Chambourcin, rather than the second run Cab/Merlot. The amount you would need should be minimal and will not have a major effect on the final wine except for the most educated and discriminating palates.
c. segregate and isolate the second wine and serve or give it to people you don't like all that much.

 

[burtchitter]

You are dead on Rocky. How much juice do you think I can get out of 80lbs of Chamb. and 72lbs of Cab/Merlot

 

[Rocky]

Burt, I always figure 1 gallon netted out at the end for every 14 lbs so you should get between 5 and 6 gallons from each ferment.

 

[burtchitter]

I'm going to take your advice and go with the smaller fermenters. I've never like the idea of topping up with water or buying more wine to top. Thanks for the help.