WineXpert Confessions of a Newbie

[earl]

All right, judgement day. I cleaned, sanitized, sterilized, racked, sulfitized(maybe not a word but it works), sulfated the bottles and got ready for the momentus occasion of bottling my first kit.



Then with great precision I drug the racking tube across the lees in the carboy and gave myself a primary fermenter full of "muddy bottom."


George, I asked, What to do?? To make a long story short, the wine would not clear in the primary so I racked back to a carboy and will wait a few days for it to clear. I had lost some wine so I tried to top off with what I had in the house. A bottle of 2003 Smokin Loon Shiraz and a bottle of 04 Yellow Tail Shiraz. So now I have a Bergamis/shiraz mix.


George did not recommend topping off with Shiraz. That was my own brilliant newbie idea. I have to admit, the wine tasted fantastic right out of the carboy. But I am such a type A I couldn't bottle a cloudy wine.


It wasn't successful the first time but I had a blast.


earl

 

[masta]

Racking can be pain in the butt at times but it will come with experience. Nothing wrong with the combo for topping off...sometimes the result will surprise you!

 

[earl]

Well I went ahead and bottled it tonight. It tasted great and was pretty darn clear. I ended up with 24 bottles so I am happy. I really enjoyed the taste out of the carboy, I can't wait to have a month or so under its belt.


earl.

 

[garyd]

Earl, hey- I'm a newbie too. What was the rush in getting this to bottle? I started my first of 5 batches on October 21st, I haven't bottled or tasted any of it yet! I want my very first impression to be a good one- so I waited the extra days (as per Tim Vs 20-40-90 plan) and then racked to bulk age at least 90 days before bottling my Vintners Reserve. My Selection kits will age the whole 9-12 months before bottling. "I will drink no wine before it's time"

 

[Funky Fish]

Yeouch! 24 bottles from 6 gallons of wine?!?! You lost a lot of good wine!


I guess my first advice would be to not bottle the wine when the instructions say to. Rather than bottling, rack it to a clean carboy (off the sediment) and let it age for 2 - 4 weeks minimum. Thisgets the wine off the sediment formed from using the kit finings.


If you do bump the racking cane and get muddy wine (and we all do this sometime), leave all the wine to settle clear again. In this case, I would have racked everything - the clear wine as well as the muddy wine at the bottom of the primary - into a carboy and let it sit for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, I would have racked off the sediment to another carboy. This way you are off the lees and, in case you bump the racking cane again, you aren't sitting there ready to bottle with now-cloudy wine.

Once the clear wine is racked to the new carboy, I'd let it sit for 2 - 4 more weeks just to be sure that anything that may have been stirred up during the racking can settle, and then I'd bottle.


Hopefully, with a full carboy, you'd get 29+ bottles of clear wine.Edited by: Funky Fish

 

[smurfe]

Sounds like you experienced what many others have with their first kit. I too sucked up a little sediment into the bottles of my first kit. Even though the wine looked quite clear, I have some sediment on the bottoms of most all of the bottles.

I personally am happy with 24 good bottles of wine from a kit myself as well and actually base my production expectations on 24 bottles. Now this said, I do usually get more from a kit, I am just saying I am happy with 24 bottles. I actually got 30 clear bottles out of my last kit and was amazed. I normally get around 27 or 28 on a good day. I have actually noticed the "better" the kit, the less I get. meaning I get more bottles from a Vintners Reserve kit than A Selection kit. Way more lees in the bottom with the "big" kits.


I also bottle pretty well when the instructions say to, I am usually a week behind but I don't "bulk age" You just can't convince me how it really makes any difference if it sits in a 6 gallon bottle or a 750 ml bottle. If it is going to bulk age, I would rack it off the lees again so you have basically nothing but wine, top up and let it set. You are going to probably have more lees fall out so rack again prior to bottling. I can see this with a scratch wine that has all those solids in it, but not from a concentrate kit. I know, I know, I am probably off base but I do sit and think about this stuff all the time and I just can't figure out the advantage of bulk aging in a glass carboy. In a barrel yes, a glass container, no.


Sounds to me like you are on the good road to glory. It is nice that you have George to call and get the info. It is actually good that you think to call and get competent information. So look at it this way. You are not doing anything different any of us are. You are learning by mistakes, (trust me, I bet you don't suck up the sediment next time,) and you arehaving a ball in the process.


Smurfe

Edited by: smurfe

 

[PolishWineP]

Earl,


Next time I'd suggest you rack and wait a few more weeks. It will clear, it just takes time. It's hard, waiting for those early batches. But with age comes wisdom and better wines!

 

[earl]

With every racking should I add K-Meta?? What do you top off with when you rack off the lees?? I would imagine losing at least 2 bottles worth racking off the lees. I only have 2- 6 gallon carboys and that is the reason I bottled so soon. I left a bunch behind trying not to suck up the lees and even after adding 2 bottles of commercial wine I still had about3 to 4 inches from the top of the wine to the bottom of the neck of the carboy. I was concerned about oxidation.


I currently have a green apple reisling bubbling away and may purchase a filter before I bottle. Unfortunately "I will drink my wine before its time."

earl

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Earl - With the kits, only add k-meta when instructed to, and use the 1/4
tsp. just before bottling if you want.

At first racking, from primary pail to carboy, don't be afraid to take lots of
sediment with the wine. It is needed during the fining stage anyway. This
means you will not lose much wine at this racking at all.

At second racking, after you've added stabilizers and fining ingredients
10 days or more earlier, the wine is pretty clear with a well defined lees
bed. Get the siphon going and as the wine level drops down 3/4 of the
way, gently tip the carboy toward you (put a non-slip pad under the front
edge). This allows you to get the tip of your cane or tube into the
diminishing pool of liquid at the "corner" of the carboy while leaving
much of the sediment in place on the bottom. Some will flow down to
your pool as the wine surface drops, but that's ok. In this way you can
take almost all the wine and perhaps a little sediment in order to do so.
Count on doing a third racking two weeks later, then filter if you want.

You shouldn't have to leave a lot of clear wine behind just because you
are hesitant to siphon down close to the lees. Tipping the jug
concentrates the liquid in one spot. And, you are certainly allowed to
extend the time schedule and do more rackings than the kit instructions
have you follow.

Top off with similar wine as you did. You can also use a little water.

Keep up the good work

 

[masta]

Excellent description and advice Bill...

 

[smurfe]

Bill, it is good advice but I do have to say, Read the directions. For example, the kit I am doing now, the LE Selection Trio Blanco directions say "Leave most of the sediment behind" so you want to rack off the Lees in this kit.


You really need to read those directions or you might not progress as intended with some kits LOL. Now yes, Bill is correct that normally the first rack from primary to secondary you just stir it all up in there together and transfer it to the carboy. But like I said, not all kits, particularly Whites.


It will all come to you with practice and experience. Just read those directions. I read them with every kit at every step. Even though I am on step 2, I will go back and read step 1 again and then step 2. Just to be sure I am doing things they way they want me to.


Smurfe

 

[earl]

Bill and Smurfe: Fantastic advice. I remember that Martina said she will keep one side of the carboy up a little bit to allow the lees to settle more to one side. I think I will try that also. I really like the idea of tipping the carboy, I assumed the lees would get all mixed up if I did that.


Thanks


earl

 

[MedPretzel]

It definitely works. Just turn the carboy 180 degrees when you rack. Yes, you might get a little, but the most of it stays where it's supposed to.... The opposite side.

 

[OldWino1]

IF any lees do kick up. No says you cant put back in carboy and let settle out again. SO its an 8 week kit who cares its yours and it will be clear.