I have just bottled my wine from a simple kit (6 bottles). I've often done it before but right after bottling, I realised that I never added either the stabiliser or the finings. I understand there is a possibility of further fermentation in the bottle. Is there a risk that the bottles will explode? Or if not, will the wine be ok to drink?
Forgot two sachets
- Thread starter DannyBhoy
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It depends on what you mean by "stabilizer." This can mean either: potassium metabisuilfite ("k-meta"), or potassium sorbate, or a cocktail of the two.
If your wine is dry, you do not need the potassium sorbate. However, it is recommended that you use the k-meta. If you omitted that, your wine will be fine for, say, 6 mos. or so. If you wish to age it longer than that, you probably need to open it, pour into a vessel, add the k-meta, and rebottle.
You do not need the finings. You may want the finings if the wine is not adequately clear to your liking.
It depends on what you mean by "stabilizer." This can mean either: potassium metabisuilfite ("k-meta"), or potassium sorbate, or a cocktail of the two.
If your wine is dry, you do not need the potassium sorbate. However, it is recommended that you use the k-meta. If you omitted that, your wine will be fine for, say, 6 mos. or so. If you wish to age it longer than that, you probably need to open it, pour into a vessel, add the k-meta, and rebottle.
You do not need the finings. You may want the finings if the wine is not adequately clear to your liking.
What sour_grapes said, plus, if you’ve bottled this a few weeks after starting the kit, without finings, even if it appears clear, there is a very strong chance that sediment will drop out in the bottle. It won’t hurt you, so no big deal, but be aware that if you give it away, you should let the giftee know that this is home-made, and sediment is “normal,” so you don’t get a call asking what that gunk is.
It also depends on what you mean by “explode.” It’s unlikely a bottle would break, from what I understand, but when stored on their sides, a pushed-out cork can make a nice mess.
You didn’t mention if it is a sweet wine. What was the final SG? Did you add a “flavour pack” or any type of sugar after fermentation?
It also depends on what you mean by “explode.” It’s unlikely a bottle would break, from what I understand, but when stored on their sides, a pushed-out cork can make a nice mess.
You didn’t mention if it is a sweet wine. What was the final SG? Did you add a “flavour pack” or any type of sugar after fermentation?
Thank you @sour_grapes and @KCCam .
The sachet provided with the kit didn't say what the stabiliser is. But it sounds as if I needn't worry too much - the wine is a red one (either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot) and is certainly not sweet; I didn't add anything after fermentation. And there is no chance that I will be either keeping it for more than 6 months, or giving it as a gift - it's not great quality and doesn't merit that level of respect.
I don't have anything to measure the SG. I tried some last night and it affected me considerably more than commercial red wines - I'm guessing it was about 18-20% ABV, if that's possible from a standard 6-bottle kit. It had a marked lack of clarity which I guess is the result of not adding the finings.
I'm glad I came across this site. I only came by to resolve the specific issue, but on looking around, I think that maybe I could have a go at producing something a bit more sophisticated than from a kit.
The sachet provided with the kit didn't say what the stabiliser is. But it sounds as if I needn't worry too much - the wine is a red one (either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot) and is certainly not sweet; I didn't add anything after fermentation. And there is no chance that I will be either keeping it for more than 6 months, or giving it as a gift - it's not great quality and doesn't merit that level of respect.
I don't have anything to measure the SG. I tried some last night and it affected me considerably more than commercial red wines - I'm guessing it was about 18-20% ABV, if that's possible from a standard 6-bottle kit. It had a marked lack of clarity which I guess is the result of not adding the finings.
I'm glad I came across this site. I only came by to resolve the specific issue, but on looking around, I think that maybe I could have a go at producing something a bit more sophisticated than from a kit.
Highly doubtful.
If you plan to do even one more batch, please invest in a hydrometer. They are cheap, and for the price, THE most important piece of equipment you need. And buy 2. If you only have one, it will be sure to break. Without having a series of SG measurements, you have no way of knowing whether the fermentation is finished. I would store the bottles upright, in a cool place, or in a tub if you want to put them on their sides, just in case you pop a cork. Better safe than sorry.
Finings speed up the clearing, but time, ultimately is what does the job. If you have a few more corks, I would suggest you empty the bottles back into a carboy, add the finings, let it clear, then bottle again. Put one or two of the bottles away, out of sight, and try one a year from now. You might be surprised to find it's better quality than you give it credit for now.
You won't be sorry. The people here are friendly, experienced, helpful, and patient. Welcome!
P.S. Have you ordered your hydrometers yet???
Adding onto @KCCam's comment, some wine yeasts max at 18% ABV as they produce an environment they cannot live in, and many max much lower. How much sugar did you add to the kit? While we cannot tell you the initial gravity, the amount of sugar will enable us to make a rough guess, with a large fudge factor. If you didn't add any sugar, the ABV is probably between 11% and 14%.
I recommend a wait-n-see on the bottles. Before you unbottle, let's see how much sediment drops. If you're getting more than a dusting, then unbottle. I'm as lazy as they get and avoid work if I can. I suspect that you'll need to unbottle, but it won't make any difference if you do it today or 2 weeks from now.
If you bottled with corks and did not use a cage to hold the corks in, there is zero chance of the bottle exploding. Experiencing your very own Mount Vesuvius if you get a renewed fermentation? Absolutely!
If you bottled in screwcaps the chance of a bottle exploding is low (it takes a lot of pressure to bust the glass), but the chance is greater than zero. And it is likely you'll get Mount Vesuvius when opening a bottle. In this case, unbottle.
@KCCam uses a hydrometer. Be like @KCCam. Buy a hydrometer. All jokes aside, this is possibly the most valuable advice you will ever receive. I cannot think of a frequent poster on this site that will tell you different.
Regarding how the wine tastes -- it's brand new, probably 1 or 2 months old. No wine is really good at that point. 6 months is a minimum aging time for a red, and even then it honestly needs more time. Patience, Grasshopper!
I recommend a wait-n-see on the bottles. Before you unbottle, let's see how much sediment drops. If you're getting more than a dusting, then unbottle. I'm as lazy as they get and avoid work if I can. I suspect that you'll need to unbottle, but it won't make any difference if you do it today or 2 weeks from now.
If you bottled with corks and did not use a cage to hold the corks in, there is zero chance of the bottle exploding. Experiencing your very own Mount Vesuvius if you get a renewed fermentation? Absolutely!
If you bottled in screwcaps the chance of a bottle exploding is low (it takes a lot of pressure to bust the glass), but the chance is greater than zero. And it is likely you'll get Mount Vesuvius when opening a bottle. In this case, unbottle.
@KCCam uses a hydrometer. Be like @KCCam. Buy a hydrometer. All jokes aside, this is possibly the most valuable advice you will ever receive. I cannot think of a frequent poster on this site that will tell you different.
Regarding how the wine tastes -- it's brand new, probably 1 or 2 months old. No wine is really good at that point. 6 months is a minimum aging time for a red, and even then it honestly needs more time. Patience, Grasshopper!
Thanks for the tip - I will do that.
Thanks.
The kit itself. i.e. the tin of what was presumably concentrated grape juice, was 900g, and I added per the instructions 450g sugar. It made 6x750ml bottles.
Ok, I'll watch it.
I used screwcaps.
I'm a bit embarrassed to confess, but my first glass was literally the evening I bottled it. And it knocked me for six, which is why I thought it might be a particularly high alcohol content.
i do love that kick, lol,,, as long as i add enough fruit or berries to hide the taste of any alcohol, when young i drank bourbon, sour mash , and much more,, all i drank neat, now that I'm old and way uglier, i like the kick for sleep , but zero alcohol taste,
Dawg
BTW
the 3 posters above can learn you anything,,,,,
Dawg
BTW
the 3 posters above can learn you anything,,,,,
Nothing to be embarrassed about. You should be tasting your wines along the way. This is how you learn about how wine ages.
This may sound contradictory, but you should taste and age your wine. Taste along the way as part of your education and gauging how long the wine needs to age. Drink (on a regular basis) when the wine has reached an age you are happy with. You have 6 bottles so tasting every couple of months means you'll have 1 bottle at the end of the year -- but honestly, no one's first batch survives all that long.
I taste at every racking, and often when topping barrels. This is called "quality control".
If you don't have a wine thief, get one. I have 2, a modern FermTech that is wide enough that I can check SG inside it -- warning, it's too big to fit in the 4 liter jugs I have, so it's used for carboys and barrels. My other is a glass thief I've had for decades. It pulls less than 1/2 oz at a time and is great for checking small batches. Or for taste testing small samples.
Without an SG reading, we'll never know how strong the wine is. Most kits ship with Lalvin EC-1118, which is a high potency yeast. Kits use it 'cuz it ferments in most circumstances, and as I like to say, it will ferment a rock if given the chance. If the OG was high, you might have 15% or 16% ABV. If you're used to drinking wines in the 11% to 13% range, this is enough of a boost that you'll feel it.
