I read with interest in several different postings about "buttery chardonnay" and decided to try it, per Cove Cottage's postive experience (noted on this site) and Tim V's instructions at http://www.finevinewines.com/Buttery-Chardonnay.htm
Knowing how some of you think
, maybe I should have split the kit into two 3-gallon carboys to compare with each other later. But, for a number of reasons I didn't do that (the first being that the CFO would have balked at even MORE carboys, the second that I didn't have any 3-gallon carboys... Okay, I initially had "no 3-gallon carboys" as the first reason, but being half-smart I thought about it... and realized the CFO's attitudetoward carboys, so soon after taxes, movedthat to the number one reason....).
The WE Selection InternationalAustralian Chardonnay kit was started April 2, racked to secondary on April 9 and left 10 days per instructions.On April 19 I deviated according to theinstructions written by TimV. (can be foundat the link above). First stirring of lees into suspension was on 4/19 and second today.
Realizing how "we all like pictures" I thought I'd post some I found interesting. The first is before stirring today. Note the cloudiness from top to bottom, with the solid lees on the bottom.
Note the obvious stratification in the next picture, taken against a light source. Clear at the top, then a second LAYER of "cloudy," then a third layer even more opaque on top of the 4th layer of solid lees.
While it may not appear as sharp, these layers were very distinct at the boundary. I first tilted the carboy back and forth, wondering if the cloudiness was in suspension or on the sides and that actionstirred the top of the layer -- I should have thought about the pictures first.Even so, the layer boundaries were very distinct.
The last picture is after stirring into suspension. This is similar to what it looked like after first racked into the secondary (carboy).
After the first stirring (into suspension) I got a little bubble action for awhile. As I post this it's been 45 minutes since the stirring and only two bubbles, butI already see a little settling and stratification beginning again.
For those not familiar with this process, it is called "battonage" and supposedly will "fatten up the finish" of the chardonnay. I'm not sure what that means, but we'll see!
Knowing how some of you think
The WE Selection InternationalAustralian Chardonnay kit was started April 2, racked to secondary on April 9 and left 10 days per instructions.On April 19 I deviated according to theinstructions written by TimV. (can be foundat the link above). First stirring of lees into suspension was on 4/19 and second today.
Realizing how "we all like pictures" I thought I'd post some I found interesting. The first is before stirring today. Note the cloudiness from top to bottom, with the solid lees on the bottom.
Note the obvious stratification in the next picture, taken against a light source. Clear at the top, then a second LAYER of "cloudy," then a third layer even more opaque on top of the 4th layer of solid lees.
While it may not appear as sharp, these layers were very distinct at the boundary. I first tilted the carboy back and forth, wondering if the cloudiness was in suspension or on the sides and that actionstirred the top of the layer -- I should have thought about the pictures first.Even so, the layer boundaries were very distinct.
The last picture is after stirring into suspension. This is similar to what it looked like after first racked into the secondary (carboy).
After the first stirring (into suspension) I got a little bubble action for awhile. As I post this it's been 45 minutes since the stirring and only two bubbles, butI already see a little settling and stratification beginning again.
For those not familiar with this process, it is called "battonage" and supposedly will "fatten up the finish" of the chardonnay. I'm not sure what that means, but we'll see!