Cellar Craft Bulk Aging Red Mountain Cabernet

[ibglowin]

First CC kit, hell first kit of any kind!

Have finished secondary fermentation and transfered back to clean carboy. Added stabilizing and clearing agents as instructed to do. Added Oak cubes and stirred as instructed.

I want to bulk age for a min of 6 months in carboy. How often do I rack to a clean carboy? How often should I stir to disperse the Oak. How hard should I stir (long spoon or drill stirrer)

After only 5 days it looks great. Have about an inch of sediment on the bottom but the top looks very nice. Oak is floating on top still and has small bubbles around the cubes but nothing really coming off upon closer inspection.

I read where these kits drop alot of sediment for quite a while so I am interested to see if I rack in a few weeks how much more drops out or if I should only rack every 2 months or so......

Lots of newbie questions!

 

[admiral]

Ihave never made a CC kit. However, I suppose those are CO2 bubbles around the oak so you may want to degas some more. Other kits that I have made had you wait up to 10 days after adding clarifiers and then rack again. Then let it sit for 28+ days to clarify further. Make sure you add potassium metabisulfite (1/4 teaspoon to 1/4 cup of water) every 3 months if you are bulk aging. Make sure you keep fluid in the air lock and the stopper firmly in the carboy.

 

[wctisue]

I started the Red Mountain Cabernet on July 2. On August 2 I degassed and added the clarifiers. Last night I racked again to get the wine off the gross lees. I added the oak cubes this time. My idea is to let it age for two months and then start tasting it to determine when to rack the wine off the oak. Just a slight variation to the instructions.


If you review a few threads on this forum you'll find that once you rack off the gross lees there is not a real need to rack again before bottling. You do need to add 1/4 t. Kmeta about every three months.


I just got back from my LHBS where I bought two cases of red bordeaux bottles for when this wine is ready to bottle in about six months.


I tasted this wine and it is very impressive. Easy to see how it won several medals at the Winemaker Magazine wine competition.


Wayne

 

[uavwmn]

I would rack again if you have about an inch of lees on the bottom. I did not add any oak to mine except what was in the kit. I also am bottle aging and this is the 6 month mark. So, I will open a bottle when I get back from a business trip next week to see where it is in taste and body, etc.
I am excited about this one.

Remember to add 1/4tsp of k-meta every 3 months when you bulk age. Hope this helped.

 

[ibglowin]

How soon should I rack though? Since the oak is floating on top still, I really don't want to loose it (or its flavor).

Should I rack now (carefully) to get rid of the lees and try and transfer the oak somehow?

Or just let it sit for a few months until the oak has had its time to do its thing?

 

[vcasey]

You need to start tasting it to check the oak in about a month. Once its where you want, then rack the wine. It will not hurt it to stay on the clearing lees during that time, its not ideal but you really need to work hard to mess up a kit, so you really will be fine. Next time I would either oak before you clear of after you clear. Once you rack off the lees and oak add some more K-meta (1/4 tsp) and let it age. It you want you can add more oak - just remember to check it so you don't over do the oak. Next year you'll be enjoying a very nice wine, wondering why you only made 1 kit!
VC

 

[ibglowin]

I forgot to mention my 2nd kit is a CC Showcase Caberlot and its in the primary as we speak!

I have been transferring quite a bit of "wealth" to George the past month or so!

 

[vcasey]

Pssssst ..............
The Argentine Malbec is outstanding. Well is was at bottling/kegging and that after a year of bulk aging. May open a bottle in October.
VC