Ageing Wine

[fuzzmeister]

I just finished bottling a 6 gallon carboy of valpolicella, from wine expert I bottled 25 bottles, and filled a 1 gallon jug, with a air vent on top of it. My plans are to leave the gallon jug to age for at least 6 months to a year, or maybe 2 years, if I can refrain from tasteing it, should I add some pottasium metabisulphite to it, how much, and when?

 

[TheTooth]

Why did you put an air vent on the gallon jug? The wine you put in bottles will age just fine.

As I understand it, you need to add some pottasium metabisulphite to a wine if you are going to age it over a year. I forget how much off the top of my head... I'd have to grab a book at home and look it up. Hopefully someone a bit more knowledgeable will chime in with that information for you.

Actually, now that I think about it, the Wine Expert kits I've made have told me how much to add in the bottling section of the instructions.

 

[Wade E]

I add a campden tablet to a gallon after around 4 months of aging. I would use the airlock as barometric pressures can pop out a solid bung so keep going with what you are doing or bottle it.

 

[fuzzmeister]

Wade I am sure this has been brouht up in the past, but since we are on the subject I have campden tablets, but they are sodium, not pottassium, or is there no difference, in the wine kits it is pottasium that is added.

 

[Wade E]

They both do the same thing, the sodium is a little stronger and also adds more sodium into out intake which most of us do not really want but the amount is very small and insignificant.

 

[fuzzmeister]

Wade thanks for the info I think I will pick up the K-meta next time I get to the city, just because I am getting enough sodium in my diet as well. I went into your website for the first time, and was delighted to see that you have some intresting recipies. I would like to make a cherry wine and was wondering if I could use your plum recipie, and instead of plums use cherries, and keep every thing the same. I have never made wine from fruit before just from kits, so if I could get some input on this it would be greatly appreciated thanks again.

 

[Wade E]

You will almost always need to adjust everything when using a different fruit, especially when they are so different in size. You will need 3 pounds more of cherries per gallon and around 3/4 lbs ess suger per gallon as cherries are sweeter. You will also need about 1 pint more of water per gallon with the cherries. You will also want about 1/2 tsp more acid with the cherries and may even want to use some tannin to add body.

 

[Woodbee]

Howdy all. When you folks are using cherries for your wine, what types are you using. I have access to small tart pie cherries instead of large sweet Bing or Queen Anne types. Ours will take quite a bit more sugar I suppose. What do you use?
Brad

 

[fuzzmeister]

Woodbee Iam not really sure what kind of cherries they are, when I was in costco the other day I seen they had bags of frozen cherries, with the stones removed, I did not have a recipie handy at the time so I did not buy any, so I am looking for a recipie on the net, if I can find one I will go back and get them.

 

[Wade E]

They all have their own place in wine making, it just depends on what kind of wine you are wanting to make. Ive heard just about every kind being used. Most tend to love the Choke cherries.

 

[St Allie]

Cherry wine recipe

http://www.wine-making-guides.com/cherry_wine.html

I have used this website for peach/damson and the dandelion wine recipes and all seem to be turning out lovely.

Allie

 

[fuzzmeister]

Allie Thanks for sharing that website with me, I appreciate the kind thought and some day, when I have some extra time on my hands, I will try it out thanks again.