WineXpert Bentonite "boo boo"

[rexmor]

Started my fourth kit yesterday, and got too cocky. Thought I remembered all the steps, but forgot the step about sprinkling the bentonite in slowly while stirring. I dumped in the package, and only after stirring for several minutes and still having clumps did I go back and read the directions above. I tried to salvage the situation by adding hotter water, and continuing to stir with the mix/stir. I couldn't see any clumps, so continued on with the procedure. Only later when cleaning my mix/stir device did I find some little clumps caught in the crevices of the device.


Is this kita lost cause?Edited by: rexmor

 

[AAASTINKIE]

As long as the water got dirty I think you will be fine, I think we all
do that on one of our first kits!! In fact if you forgot to add the
bentonite you would be fine, it just aids in the clairification process.

 

[smurfe]

The kit might take longer to clear but like Stinkie said, there are some that don't even use it. If there were just a few little clumps, you are fine and the Bentonite mixed will do it's job. If you are wondering how the Bentonite works in the kits, here is a link that gives a good explanation.


I hope youin the futurethat you review the directions inevery kit as well as every step. There are differences between kits at times so the couple minutes it takes to review can be valuable. I never take a step with a kit without looking over the instructions again. It is a just in case safe net. I have caught myself as well almost forgetting something and caught myself after a quick review of the instructions.


Sorry for the preaching but I just had to. I want your kits to be successful as my own. Nothing is more discouraging than reading of ones failure in a kit or batch. The sad truth is that most failures occur from lack of attention from the wine maker and yes, I don't care what anyone says, you are a wine maker even with kits. They don't create themselves. It takes the individual to assure each step is followed and if intentional manipulations are made as well. Follow those directions and you WILL make a wine as good as any you can buy.


Smurfe

 

[Some Dude]

The kit might take longer to clear but like Stinkie said, there are some that don't even use it. If there were just a few little clumps, you are fine and the Bentonite mixed will do it's job. If you are wondering how the Bentonite works in the kits, here is a link that gives a good explanation.

Thanks for that link as it explained something I had been pondering. I have recently started my first wine kit (VR Cab Sav) and as per your excellent tutorial, read, reread, then read the instructions again. Steps 2 and 3 seemed to contradict each other a little bit, specifically:

2.2 Carefully siphon wine into a clean, sanitised 23 litre carboy. Leave most of the sediment behind. ......

10 (or so) days later...

3. Notes 1. Do NOT rack the wine before stabilising and clearing. Winexpert kits require the sediment to be stirred back into suspension. Racking the wine off the sediment prior to fining will permantently prevent clearing.

I assumed that the bentonite would be mostly removed during step 2 by leaving most of the sediment behind, but if as that article states, the bentonite is in circulation then that explains that.

Darren

P.S. Thanks for your tutorials Smurfe, they really are great when starting out.

Edited by: Some Dude

 

[peterCooper]

You are going to get more sediment dropping after you have racked it to the
carboy. The stuff you leave behind in the primary is only about haf the total
solids that will be dropping out.

So don't worry... follow the instructions and you can't go wrong.

 

[Some Dude]

You are going to get more sediment dropping after you have racked it to the

carboy. The stuff you leave behind in the primary is only about haf the total

solids that will be dropping out.



So don't worry... follow the instructions and you can't go wrong.

By sediment, did they mean lees as well? Or just the gritty sandy stuff on the bottom? I'm referring to the stage 2 instruction.

Darren

 

[rexmor]

Thanks to allfor the "clarification" on the "clarification".


Smurfe, I'm way too old to change my spots now. I'll make a resolution to always read directions, but probably won't! I DID quickly skim the directions to see if there were any differences [after my mistake I went back and looked more closely, and so far, the directions in all four of my kits have been identical] so felt comfortable that I knew what I was doing. Well, at least that's ONE mistake I won't make again!


Another question about the sanitizing......the "toy store's" instructions say to leave the sanitizer in contact for two minutes....how the heck do you do that with long items like the racking cane which won't lay down in the liquid? I haven't felt too much angst over this step, because I've previouslyhelped some of my friends who are making wine from their boutique vineyards and they just pour the stuff over it good, but now I'm a little more paranoid about following the kitdirections.

 

[AAASTINKIE]

On sanitization, I sanitize everything after I use it before putting it
away, then again before using and have never had a problem that I know
of.

 

[peterCooper]

You might want to call what precipitates out in the primary as gritty stuff,
and what comes out after racking to the carboy as lees. Then the
instructions make sense if you read it as

Do NOT rack the wine before stabilising and clearing. Winexpert kits require
the lees to be stirred back into suspension. Racking the wine off the
lees
prior to fining will permantently prevent clearing.

 

[geocorn]

Sediment = Lees. The terms are interchangeable.


If you clean well before you sanitize, the contact time is not as critical. My instructions are designed to take ALL risk out for the newbie. As a wine maker progresses, they will learn how to perform each step in a manner that they both enjoy and with which they feel comfortable.


Bentonite is one of the clarifiers, as pointed out. WE has found that it does a better job during primary than in latter stages. In addition, your wine will throw more sediment (lees) after the first racking, so you should have plenty. During the first racking, I err on the side of more juice transferred, even if that means bringing forward more sediment. It will still have plenty of time to clear.

 

[Some Dude]

Thanks Peter and George for your replies and sorry for hijacking your thread rexmor

I interpreted "leave most of the sediment" to mean leave the gritty stuff on the bottom of the primary and transfer as much of the liquid, including lees which I was viewing differently to sediment, into the secondary. The only concern I had was whether I was leaving the wine to much contact time with the lees that were transferred but the time frames involved won't make that a problem I think.

I do have plenty of visible lees in the secondary 2 days after transferring from the primary and I am looking forward to the next step.

Darren

 

[earl]

Dude


You are doing great. If you pick up some extra leesduring your first racking don't sweat it. If your equipment is clean and sanitized, and you follow the directions it will turn out great.


Have Fun


earl