COLD STABILIZATION

[NorthernWinos]

We racked our wines on Sunday with the assistance of Mr. & Mrs. Pelican...she is into the science of wines...

....So we tested the acid on The King of the North grape wine...It tasted very acidity and tested that way...

Going through my stash of chemicals the only acid reducer I had was Calcium Carbonate...I guess Potassium Bicarbonate would be a good thing to have on hand....

What are you all using for this problem????

Being as our temperatures have moderated we placed the carboy outside to cold stabilize and possibly drop some crystals and loose some acid taste....

Here is our baby outside...with the 'Keeper of the Carboys'...

[I hope 'Keeper of the Carboys' behaves and doesn't chew anything up.]

 

[grapeman]

What was the TA of that one NW? Did you try malolactic fermentation on that one or any others? I used that on my of my reds from grapes this year. I am in the process of cold stabilization on the reds now. I just got the last couple carboys out there in the garage on Sunday. I already saw crusty deposits in the carboys of the ones placed out there a week or so ago. I will leave them there for a few weeks and rack off the crystals. I had left the fine lees in there from the last months settling for greater complexity. The crystals will compact the lees and keep them out of the wine when I do rack. I will probably sulfite and stabilize when I rack again and try out my new filtering system using the vacumn aspirator. I also ordered one of the Buon Vino Gravity filters to hook up to the vacumn. I have a few ideas for those and will post pictures later.

 

[mississippi mud]

NW I think keeper of the carboy is cold stabilized himself. I hope he wasn't out there last week!!!

 

[NorthernWinos]

I am not sure of the TA...I will ask the one who did the tests....all we had was an Acid Titration Kit...and I believe it took 5 drops to change the color.

The wine has been done fermenting for several weeks now and is clear.

It will be interesting to see if any crystals drop out....there was crystals in the juice at the start as well as crystals in the primary and secondary.

M Mud...SHE loves the cold...cold weather doesn't seem to phase these dogs....They just play outside whether it be cold, rain or heat...yet they are good in the house...tho they pant a lot when the house is warm.

 

[pelican]

Mrs. P the Wine Science Wannabee here --

It took 5 mls to change the color and have it stay changed, but not to a deep dark color change. The acid titration solution was not fresh, and I understand that stuff is rather tender and doesn't age well, so that may throw the results off -- but it was the taste testing that by unanimous consent decreed this wine overly acidic. And the ph strip showed it to be quite low ph.

I think we added 3/4 tsp or maybe just 1/2 tsp of the calcium carbonate and agreed the cold treatment might help too. Didn't want to go overboard on the calcium carbonate since the titration indicated it wasn't that acidy, but thinking the test was probably inaccurate to some degree it couldn't hurt too much -- if the acid level dropped too much can add back acid blend I supposed. Anyway that was the thought process.

NW's said a recent batch of Valiant had come out weird with the acid level -- testing with ph was off the charts on the alkaline side, Mr. NW said the wine was drinkable and fine but Mrs. NW said the wine had the effect on her of being super duper overly acid, so something was definitely whacked. This King of the North is getting some experimental treatment to prevent a rerun of the last Valiant.

Science is all about experiments, right ??

NW & I have both got PhMeters on our wish list now I think!

 

[NorthernWinos]

The weather has been bouncing around...between 27*-50*F....don't know if that matters much as the high temps don't last but for a few hours....Steady 31 during last night.....so will leave the carboy outside for a few more days...weather permitting.

I believe we added 1 1/2 tsp of Calcium Carbonate....don't know if that was enough to make any difference.....?

Does anyone know if food grade Glycerin would smooth out a wine????...or..... only the Glycerin meant for wine should be used????

Would like to take the edge of this wine a bit....My honey loves the last batch...but it makes me belch...

...maybe it's just my stomach acid out of whack...I do like the flavor of the wine.

 

[Jack on Rainy]

NW,
Why don't you oak it a bit and then give it some time?

 

[NorthernWinos]

It had oak for about 3 weeks.....

Really it isn't too bad.....It might be just my stomach acid...tonight I tried taking my Rx Zantac in the evening and so far am feeling fine...finer with more wine...

I am hoping that a little more time outside will do the trick....that is if the weather holds out.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Got down to 17*F last night so brought the wine indoors....Then I woke up during the night remembering it was placed on a a heated floor out on the porch...so got up and moved it into the kitchen.....

Think it will be staying indoors for a couple days...down to 5 to 10*F tonight...

Where did our spring days go???

 

[Joanie]

NW, you say your wine is clear but I'm seeing whole apples and plums floating around in some black wine!

Did "The Keeper of the Carboys" eat your airlock?

 

[Joanie]

Be sure to rack off the crystals while your wine is still cold.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I put a soilid bung on the carboy...less tempation for 'Keeper of the Carboys'.

It is 7*F this morning, so the wine is in the kitchen...will put it outside again when the temperatures moderate....will try to remember about racking when it is cold.....
Why would that be important????
Don't the crystals stay crystallized???

 

[grapeman]

NW don't you have an enclosed shed or garage that would keep the temps steadier? I kept some wine in the garage all winter. I wouldn't think the temps would get any colder for the rest of this year than our coldest temps were here- only got to about -10 to -12 F. You can use an airlock even at those temps, just use everclear or vodka in them.


It is said to rack and filter while still cold. I guess some minute amounts could go back into solution. I brought one 3 gallon carboy in and kept it there for a month to see what happened to the crystals. To be honest, I didn't see any less crystals on the bottom even after that long.

 

[Joanie]

As for racking cold...this was in a newsletter from FallBright.com, a vineyard/winemaking supply place near me that sells all kinds of fresh juice and grapes.

If
you used any acid reducing agents other than calcium carbonate, you
must cold stabilize to finalize the acid reduction task of the agents
used. One of our winemakers gently told us that the tartrate crystals
that settle out from cold stabilizing can go back into solution and so,
we should cold rack. </font>

 

[NorthernWinos]

I will rack cold....just to be sure.

Our garage and other building have no heat nor insulation....The temps do get pretty cold during the below zero temps...I am sure hoping we don't get anymore temperatures like that....

Suppose to be in the 30's next week, but lows in the teens....I imagine the temps would be more constant out there in the garage....will think about getting it hauled out there.

How long is it necessary to cold stabilize???

I cold stabilized a batch a few years ago, but did it to clear a cloudy wine and only had it outside for a short time....so this is just the second time I've had wine outdoors....I can not see if any crystals have formed as the wine is so dark.

 

[grapeman]

A few weeks will likely get any remaining crystals out. The wine can go well below 32 without freezing. Mine went down into the teens without any ice. If you get crystals forming they will probably show up on the bottom outside edge. They form a thin coating on the bottom of the carboy.

 

[NorthernWinos]

The wine made a thin coating on the primary walls...as well as the first secondary...now some settle on the bottoms of the carboys.

I think with these wines made from Northern grown grapes they should probably have more water added than I have been doing....I think some of the tartness is just from too strong of a wild/Concord flavor.

 

[NorthernWinos]

The temperatures lately have cooled off....It gets to slightly above freezing during the day...then...lately...... late in the evening I get 'cold feet'.....I go outside and bring the carboy indoors....

By mornings the temps are between 13*-15*...as soon as the sun comes up it warms up, then at between 18*-20* I put the wine back outside in the shade, then by noon the temps hit a balmy 35*....

Is it doing any good [or bad] to bring the wine in and out like that??? The wine is very dark so I can't see any crystals...It still tastes about the same....quite acidy.

The wine is inside for about 8 hours, then back outside.
I'm going to put a strip thermometer on the side of the carboy and see how much the temp is fluctuating...One of those strips goes down to 39*...so I'll see a bit what's going on temp wise.



Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[NorthernWinos]

Racked this wine today after trying to cold stabilize it for a couple weeks...Some nights it just had to come inside....

Last
night after coming home late and it was near 10*F outside I figured
this was the last night...so took it in for a few hours...then back
outside and then racked it...

Here is the resulting Wine Diamonds....

Quite a haul....

Will bottle in a week or so....

Now, am wondering if it will drop any more crystals in the bottles....??? What are your thoughts????

 

[grapeman]

I don't think just two weeks will get them all out with you bringing them in and out, but anything that precipitated out is that much less in the wine. I know I got about 1/4 cup full per 6 gallon carboy of acid crystals. Does it taste any less acidic?