I have been trying to cold stabilize a RJ Spagnols EP Sauvignon Blanc for about 3 weeks. The fridge I designated to do this seems to be in the awkward range of 31 to 43 degrees whenever I check on it. My goal has been to do this at 29 degrees but the fridge will not go that low. I have seen others note going as high as 37. I have seen no wine crystals drop as of yet. Is my temp range preventing this or is it possible this high end kit drops no crystals? Is there a chance that the lower temps are causing crystal development and then they dissipate once the temp rises? Some have said leave it in longer but I really do not see what another week or two will do. Please advise. Thanks.
Cold Stabilization Dilemma
- Thread starter Gekko4321
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I have read that some do CS in the mid 30'sF. I like to cold stabilize in the mid 20'sF. I have heard some concern about the crystals dissolving, but I did read that once formed, they will not dissolve back into the wine; however, that may or may not be true, I can't say it is confirmed.
I would shoot for a lower temperature. Better still, contact RJS directly and ask them if the EP Sauv/Blanc has a tendency to drop crystals. Also, ask them about whether or not tartaric acid crystals do dissolve back into the wine. Let us all know what they say.
I would shoot for a lower temperature. Better still, contact RJS directly and ask them if the EP Sauv/Blanc has a tendency to drop crystals. Also, ask them about whether or not tartaric acid crystals do dissolve back into the wine. Let us all know what they say.
djrockinsteve
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Be patient. My wines never get that low and over Feb. and March when the temps. get in the mid 50's in my wine cellar acid crystals will fall out. They vary in size depending upon how much acid is in your wine.
Thanks for the advice. Couple counters. I never intended to bulk age this wine at the aforementioned range. Not sure if it is good for me to do that plus I would rather use the fridge for other things at some point. Robie, I did call Gale at RJ Spagnols and was disappointed in the quality of response. After 20 minutes I had the impression she was saying anything to make me go away. Each answer was contradictory. She would say that my crystals in fact 'dissolved' and the process was done. Then she said that by filtering I would remove them. Each time I pointed out it was not true, she would tell me something that I already knew to be inaccurate. She did not know about the specific wine or the CS process but kept acting like she did. Very frustrating. Mike, did you mean you never had fallout after the fallout in cold stabilizing or you never had crystal fallout even during CS?
winemaker_3352
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Those temps are good for CS - just leave it at that temp for a good month. Colder temps can go for less time.
I am new at this CS business but do you not think of it as a failure to do CS and not have crystals drop?? I have read crystals dropping is a sign of high quality juice too. So I sort of expected fallout since I have RJ Spags highest end kit.
It's more a sign of high acid. Any kit can have higher than needed acid. It just so happens that some high end kits tend to have lots of acid.
Gale at RJ Spagnols was going to call me back after she could not effectively answer my questions yesterday. I got her today. She says She spoke to R&D and that RJ Spags cold stabilizes at the source so we do not have to deal with doing it ourselves. She says it is pre-setup so we do not get crystals. Whats with metatartic acid then? Why is it in instructions? I find this hard to believe. Do you?
millwright01
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If you added the Metataric acid, does that not prevent the crystals from dropping out as readily?
Hm-m-m, that's not a good answer from RJS. Many of us still cold stabilize and still get lots of dropout. I wonder if RJS knows this? If their CS works so well up front, why do they include the metataric acid?
The M acid helps, but it only works for a year or so. Many of us keep this wine much longer than a year; I don't even open my first bottle of red EP until it is at least 18 months old. With the EP kits, if you don't CS, you will get crystals later on, even with the M. acid added.
In some places in Europe, these crystals are accepted as a sign of a quality wine. They just leave them in the bottle and don't worry about them at all.
The M acid helps, but it only works for a year or so. Many of us keep this wine much longer than a year; I don't even open my first bottle of red EP until it is at least 18 months old. With the EP kits, if you don't CS, you will get crystals later on, even with the M. acid added.
In some places in Europe, these crystals are accepted as a sign of a quality wine. They just leave them in the bottle and don't worry about them at all.
djrockinsteve
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They won't hurt you and often they are not easily visible in red wine. Too many folks do not understand what they are and would shy away thinking something was wrong with the wine or some foreign material had fallen into it.
Yep, they do look a little like glass crystals. That could easily freak out some of us Americans.
I have read up on CS and tartaric acid (wine diamonds/crystals) extensively. I would agree that it is not harmful and is viewed in Europe as a sign of quality. Some even say CS strips a wine of some of its flavors. The problem here is do you really want to have to explain that to someone you are giving this to as a gift? Especially since it is 'homemade'? I don't. I personally did not think the RJS rep was helpful at all. Is my EP kit high quality juice? Is my fridge not cold enough at 32-42 to drop crystals? Am I harming the wine aging it in these borderline freezing conditions? If it has not happened now, I dont know that it is. I am stuck now with probably bulk aging and dropping metatartic acid in at the end. Maybe I can buy a year before potential dropout.
Let it CS for a few more weeks. Yes, you are right, most Americans would freak out if they saw what looks like "glass" crystals in the bottom of their wine bottle. You could always warn them; tell them this is such a high quality wine that it will drop these crystals. That might even impress them.
That's interesting. I have never heard that, but then again, I am sure there is a lot more out there I have yet to learn about.
