carbonation or fermentation?

[bonvec]

I opened a bottle of last years syrah and the cork popped forcefully and the wine tasted carbonated more like sparkling wine. I am going to open some more bottles to see if the same if so should I add a little campen to each bottle or does this wine need de-gassed.

 

[pkcook]

Bonvec,


How soon did you bottle after you started the kit (assuming a kit)? Did you take an SG at the end? Did you degass before you bottled? Doesn't sound like refermentation, more likely CO2.

 

[bonvec]

This was not a kit. Had juice shipped from Cal. Didn't bottle for over a year , fermentation had stopped but I added a little sugar waited a day and then Potassum sorbate waited another day saw it was not fermenting so I then bottled. I didn't degassbut I read that it could be whipped to release excess carbonation. When I bottled it didn't seem to be carbonated thats why I thought refermentation.Any info would be appreciated. Edited by: bonvec

 

[pkcook]

How large was your batch? How much Sorbate and K-meta did you add before bottling. Normally, I wait a week or moreafter addingsugar, sorbate, and k-meta just to be on the safe side.


Note: Sorbate does not kill yeast, it only inhibits reproduction. If the dose was too small, then refermentation is a posibility even after bulk aging for a year. Yeast cells are some pretty amazing things.

 

[masta]

Another thought is that adding sugar first then adding sorbate even though it was a day apart could have gave the yeast time to start working on the yeast.

 

[Wade E]

Yeah I think it was fermentation. Why did you add sugar before sorbate.
Should be the opposite way around and give it a week before bottling
just to make sure nothing starts up.

 

[bonvec]

Wade, I wish I could tell you why I added the sugar first I just wasn't thinking. But what can I do now. If I add more PS to each bottle will it take away the carbonation ?

 

[Wade E]

I am not sure on that. You will definetely have to waut for Masta or
George on this one. I'm thinking you might be better off degassing it
all becuse if it fermented, it has made more gas. When you add sorbate
you also have to add k-meta at the same time. They go hand in hand
always. Best thing to do would be to dump them all in a carboy and
treat the whole batch to sorbate and meta and degass if you ask me but
wait and see what a real pro will say. I'm still learning too so I will
learn if I'm right or wrong on this one.

 

[paubin]

Putting in more PS won't stop refermentation if that is what you have instead of CO2. The only way I know of to get rid of this is to let the yeast consume the sugar in an carboy then re-stabilize first and give it at least a few days to ensure fermentation is truely stopped then re-back sweeten. I would do this soon so you dont have corks flying around the house!


Pete

 

[Waldo]

You could pour it all back into a carboy, take an sg reading. Wait a couple of days and take another one and determine if it is still fermenting but I seriously doubt it is as you stated this was made last year. If it is fermntation you can do as Pete said or if you have the facility to do it you could cold stabilize it which would stop the fermentation too. I really think you have a gass problem. Keep us appraised and good luck with it.

 

[Wade E]

Paubin, did you notice that this is last years batch and has been
bottled with this sugar for almost a year. I'm not sure but I seem to
think that it would have finished fermenting in the bottle by
now. I think it is all the gas that has accumulated from fermenting in
the bottle.

 

[bonvec]

Must have been fermentation as it now is fine although it is still working very very slow in the carboy. Carbonation is now gone and tastes fine. So I'll try again add some ps wait a week add sugar wait maybe 2 weeks then bottle how does that sound.

 

[Wade E]

You'll have to add k-meta also as they go hand in hand.