Cold Treatment

[bilbo-in-maine]

The reason I mentioned slow loss of CO2 at cool temperature is because I
have let 6 gallons of Mezza Luna Red sit for 4 additional weeks past its
earliest bottling date in a space in the low 40's. I thought I had "whipped
the snot out of it", to use Tim Vandergrift's phrase. Last night I pulled
several cups into a sanitized bottle and shook it and was not happy to see
how much gas is still in the wine - lots of foam and the distinctive pop.

I want to bottle it in a week and so contacted George, who advises me to
rack off the lees, add 1/4 tsp. k-meta and whip it some more just before
bottling. I'll certainly do that, and meanwhile I will check samples of my
other newer carboys with a shake test before cooling them. I obviously
understirred the Mezza Luna.

Other writers have expressed problems they've had getting a sense that
all their stirring with their Fizz-X's isn't getting much done. I take many
additional minutes with stirring over and above what the kit instructions
recommend. George says stir, and then stir some more. If we choose not
to put suction to the carboys but just let them sit over time, probably that
should be done in a warm environment, before cooling. Just my thought...

BillEdited by: bilbo-in-maine

 

[NorthernWinos]

MedPretzel [Martina] You go Girl!! Looks good!!! I had a hard time sleeping the first night my wine was outside...the first few days the temperature was above freezing, I brought it in one night when it got to 25*F...so I could sleep....then the temp peaked to 61*F and of course that didn't last....brought it in for keeps when the temp was to go to 17*F....was outside about 12 days , the first 24 hours was the most remarkable, have since racked the wine and will bottle it soon. I would bring the carboys in if it is to get 25*F or less, just to be safe...especially the gallon jug...less volume to hold the temp, unless you want to make some Apple-Jack type liquor and skim off the crystals. Do you know the alcohol content???....[like the anti-freeze factor???]I would also worry about the airlocks freezing. At first I put a solid bung in the carboy, then put some EverClear in the airlock after Fourm suggestions of Vodka. Give us some photos later...Good Luck!!!

 

[MedPretzel]

Thanks, I've checked on them this evening, everything okay. So far, so good!!! Geez, I'm now stressing over the "breaking (freezing)point" of a carboy...


It got a bit warmer now, and it's just above freezing. I have them covered, so I hope that it's okay. It's supposed to go down to about 25 this evening (but here, the weatherman is always wrong, it seems). I will keep them outside and hope for the best.


I make all wines between 13 & 14 % abv, and these are no different.


So, I will keep you posted. I am scared, to say the least!

The "bad" weather is actually "good" for something!!! Yay!





M.

 

[summersolstice]

This cold treatment intigues me. After reading the posts, I moved a
3-gallon carboy and 6 one-gallon jugs to the workbench in my garage and
clothed them in old t-shirts to keep out the light. I have an unheated
attached garage that rarely falls below freezing, even here in the cold
Nebraska winters. This time of year it generally remains at about 40F.
I'll try leaving them for a couple of weeks and see what happens.
Thanks for the tip!

 

[masta]

Thanks, I've checked on them this evening, everything okay. So far, so good!!! Geez, I'm now stressing over the "breaking (freezing)point" of a carboy...


It got a bit warmer now, and it's just above freezing. I have them covered, so I hope that it's okay. It's supposed to go down to about 25 this evening (but here, the weatherman is always wrong, it seems). I will keep them outside and hope for the best.


I make all wines between 13 & 14 % abv, and these are no different.


So, I will keep you posted. I am scared, to say the least!

The "bad" weather is actually "good" for something!!! Yay!





M.

The freezing point of wine with a ABV of 13-14% is roughly 22 degrees F. The glass should not break unless it is exposed to a rapid temperature change. The one and only carboy breakage I had was due to this when I was rinsing one with very hot water and the glass was cool from sitting in the unheated part of the basement.

Lesson learned!!!

 

[MedPretzel]

Here's a pic: Cold-stabilization, day 3. Yesterday, the temps went up to 40+ and down to 30. Today, the same.

It's working on all of them, but the most impressive is the niagara....

Thank you all!

 

[NorthernWinos]

It is amazing what our 'Natural Resource'/cold weather can do to cloudy wine....who thought this Cold Stabilization up anyway?????
How did you make the Niagara wine???? Frozen concentrate??? Could you post your recipe someplace??? I am interested in making some white wine.
Glad this is working for you.

 

[MedPretzel]

NW,





I got my niagara juice from a local winery. It was about 4.00 per gallon, 6 gallons to start out with, now I've got 5 and a little.





Let me look into my recipes, I am sure there is a niagara concentrate wine I can scrounge up someplace.

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Martina - What did you end up doing for fluid in the airlocks?

 

[MedPretzel]

Vodka.

 

[MedPretzel]

Cold stabilization: Day 5:
Temps at about 28*F on the porch.

Edited by: MedPretzel

 

[jobe05]

WOW........


Those are clearing very nicely, and fast. Maybe I'll set some of mine out on the back deck tonight.......


If my dogs will leave them alone

Edited by: jobe05

 

[Waldo]

Looking good Martina. So what are the temps like at night?

 

[MedPretzel]

About the low to mid 20's this week.

Good for the wine, but not for the heating bill.

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Martina, how do you schlep those carboys around without handles???

Can you report on how you feel cold stabilization has worked? I think
several of us are doing it - you were one of the first to set yours outside. I
had only had mine in an unheated entryway in the low 40's back several
weeks ago, but I'll bet temperatures below freezing do more work.

Bill

 

[MedPretzel]

Bill,





I carry them from underneath. I pick them up by the neck and grab the bottom. Sort of like this (old photo, not that warm outside or in the house for those clothes!):

Once I get a good grip at the bottom, the other hand holding the neck goes at the bottom as well, and I carry them that way. Good workout. Like I said in another post, some days they feel a lot heavier than others.

5 gallons is what I can handle well, it's 6 where I start getting unsure of myself.


I have a carboy strap, but honestly, it takes more work trying to shimmy those things around a (usually) full carboy. I also have a carboy handle, but I'm leery about moving a carboy just with one of those things. 55-65 pounds of weight just on the neck? Nope - not in the cards for me. I personally feel that that would be SCREAMING "Break the neck!" If someone else has a better way, I'm up for it. This is just how I do it.

Now to the cold stabilization: Yes, it is working. I have read that you need to leave the carboys outside for a week to ten days. It's day 6 now, and I will check on them in a little bit. I'm very impatient, so I think it's taking a long time. I thought that there was a big change between day 1 and day 3, but not a big change from day 3 to day 5. The temps on the weekend were hovering at 45 degrees F during the day, so it might have been the warmer temperatures.


It definitely has helped some, but I'm not totally convinced as the original "pepto-bismol" wine of this post. I'm half-way through this, so it'll be interesting to see at day 10 (or even 12, if I'm patient enough).


I wonder, since I'm doing this for the first time, if the shock of coming into the warmer house will cause even more particles to fall.


Just my thoughts, hope it helps!





M.

 

[NorthernWinos]

RE: COLD STABILIZATION
Hello,
I feel it sure worked on my 5 gallons of 'Petpo-Pink' cloudy Wild Plum wine that I set outside. I don't think it would have cleared that fast without the cold treatment. Friends had made wine out of these tart wild plums and they said it never cleared, other forums said it took 2 years. My first photo was after 24 hours, it was dramatic. I had gone out to take a 'before' photo and was 24 hours too late for that shot. Our temps fluctuated a lot, from 26*F-61*F. I think the fluctuations are the good part. After 10 or 12 days I brought it inside for good, the temps were to drop to 17, plus I felt the cold had done all it could. It has since been racked, stabilized and sweetened up a bit, it turned out to be very tasty and presentable. I strongly believe in COLD STABILIZATION, but my wine was exceptionally cloudy. Matrina's looked pretty good on day one, but for sure the Niagara showed some remarkable changes through her photo-journal. I think if your having typical Northern fall temperatures, then make use of our Natural Resources and give it a try. Till next time....Cheers!!!

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[NorthernWinos]

RE: CARBOY HANDLES
I agree with Med Pretzel [Martina] about not using the carboy handles to lug full carboys around......We always did...then, I read a WARNING in a supply catalog..... not to use the handles on full carboys....they are meant for hauling empty carboys and to use when washing. We were surprised to see such a warning as there is no mention of that on the package....so there must have been some repercussions....so, guess the choice is up to the individual. Think there should be a separate post on carboy handles, what do you think????

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Thanks for the update, Martina. As usual, you seem to have a photo at
hand to help illustrate just about anything that gets discussed here!

Thanks too to Northeren Winos for the pictures. The process definitely
appears to have worked for you.

Also, the topic of using the handles to move full carboys seems like an
important one to get more info on, like what do the manufacturers
recommend.

 

[MedPretzel]

Thanks Bill! I have a husband who takes about 200 photographs everyday. (I'm only slightly exaggerating!)