Do I still need the heat belt?

[shelley62]

I have stabilised my wine and degassed it, and have to wait 8 days as per instructions for it to clear, do I still need the heat belt or will blankets do? My wine temp before I wrapped it up in blankets was 69F approx. but with the heat belt it had a temp of 70-72F approx.

 

[robie]

I have stabilised my wine and degassed it, and have to wait 8 days as per instructions for it to clear, do I still need the heat belt or will blankets do? My wine temp before I wrapped it up in blankets was 69F approx. but with the heat belt it had a temp of 70-72F approx.

The warmer the temperature the faster the wine will clear. If you are not in a hurry, I would let it clear at room temperature without any extra heat. Wine likes cooler temperatures, anyway.

 

[shelley62]

Thanks again

Thanks for the info, I am not in a big hurry so I will keep it wrapped with blankets to hold the temp. since the basement can get chilly at night.

 

[Julie]

i agree with Robie, if you are not in a hurry, let it go without the heatbelt. And to let you know there is no set in stone rule on when you have to rack, the more you make the more comfortable you will get in doing it when you know it is time.

 

[shelley62]

Thanks for your reply

Thanks for your reply, it's nice to have great advice when I am new to this and just want it to work out.haha

 

[Rocky]

One minor point Shelley62, although the instructions say you have to wait 8 days for the wine to clear, do not be disappointed if it is not clear in 8 days. It may be or it may not be. The point is, keep it under airlock and allow it to clear on its own time.

BTW, you misspelled "stabilized"...Oh, sorry, I see you are from Ontario.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Wade E]

Personally I find that if using a fining agent the warmer temp helps the wine clear properly. I have seen it too many times where the wine just wouldnt clear unti the wine was warmed upagain and then it dropped like cement.

 

[shelley62]

One minor point Shelley62, although the instructions say you have to wait 8 days for the wine to clear, do not be disappointed if it is not clear in 8 days. It may be or it may not be. The point is, keep it under airlock and allow it to clear on its own time.

BTW, you misspelled "stabilized"...Oh, sorry, I see you are from Ontario.

Welcome to the forum!

I am actually from Nova Scotia, maybe moving to Ontario has affected my spelling capability.haha
Thanks for the welcome and great info, I will use the spell check next time

 

[harleydmn]

If a wine doesn't clear in the 8 days should I rack it off of the lees and let it clear. I have a w/e kit thats not clearing quickly. How long is it ok to stay on the lees from the secondary fermentation?