Getting Ready For Second Rack

[davek]

Well, thanks to the help from here and this forum, I seem to be doing very well with my first two wine builds! THANK YOU!

So now I am at the point I think I want to rack one or both of these. They are- a Old Lodi Vines Zin started 1/7, and a sauvignon blan started the following week. SO the Zin has been in second 2 weeks, the SB just one.

My PLAN is to age the heck out of the Zin, and I want to drink the SG this summer.

So, since the Zin has been down two weeks, and it is at a stable .992 Spec Grav, it is time to rack that, right? I want to let it sit for a while, so into a new, clean carboy, and let it sit there for 6-8 months (is that right)

So do I stabilize it at THIS RACK, or in 6-8 months? Do I do the CO2 bleed now or later? What is the order- whip it, then add the clarifier, rack it again and let it sit, or what? When and in what order?

Now, regarding the SG, I plan on letting it sit sur lies for a while. I have planned it all out... stirring twice a week for the next 6 weeks, then once week for 2 months, then rack it, degass, clarify, let sit another month and bottle? Is all that in the right order?

THANKS!

 

[Boatboy24]

It won't hurt the Zin to go another week or two, but I understand the excitement and urgency with your first batches. Been there, done that. If the SG remains steady for three days, you're safe to move on to degassing, and stabilizing. After this racking, you will degass and stabilize. If you have fully degassed it, the wine should clear very quickly. After a month or so, you can rack off that sediment, then let it sit for the remainder of the 6 months. Follow the instructions regarding the order, but I think most kits have you rack, then degass, then add sulfite, then clarifying agents.

Your plans for sur lie sound about right, though I don't know that I've heard of it being done on a Sauv Blanc. I'm no expert on that subject though, so hopefully, someone else will chime in.

 

[JohnT]

Aging sur lees does bring a more yeasty flavor to your wine, but IMHO is opening the door to all kinds of issues (H2S problems top the list).

again, IMHO, my approach is to remove the gross lees just as soon as possible.

 

[davek]

Hi!

OK, the Zin is going to sit a couple more weeks. No hurry there!

The Sauv Blanc is NOT oin the gross leis.... it has been racked onc e.

Anyone ever done Sauv Blanc with some Sur leis? Bad idea or not? Or worth a shot?

Thanks!

Dave

 

[cmason1957]

I found an interesting article about Sur lei aging by none other than Tim V. He talks about which Sauvignon Blanc might be good candidates for it.

http://winemakermag.com/924-sur-lie-wine-kits

 

[Boatboy24]

Top up that Zin!

 

[joeswine]

Second racking

I like all the replies so far. I myself would take the wine off the lees as per mfg. specs. Make sure of my "SG" readings and then transfer to a clean vessel. The old world zin add a healthy dose of wine tannins and start degassing and clearing both wines, especially that white it looks like it is heavy in solids and may take extra time.Remember time is you friend.

 

[richmke]

Now, regarding the SG, I plan on letting it sit sur lies for a while. I have planned it all out... stirring twice a week for the next 6 weeks, then once week for 2 months, then rack it, degass, clarify, let sit another month and bottle? Is all that in the right order?

When you are finished stirring, wait 2 weeks, rack, wait 4 weeks, rack again. By then, it may be done clarifying and degassing. All that stirring and time may take care of the CO2.

 

[shoebiedoo]

I agree with waiting at least another week before doing anything to make sure it's fermented to dry. let your hydrometer be your guide, not your calender. As far as the Sur Lie and battonege goes, you will not want to rack Sauvignon Blanc since its been racked once already. Just give it a dose (1/4 tsp) of K-Metta and top off. A word of caution though, top it off with your stirring apparatus already inside or you'll make make a mess the first you put it in the carboy to stir it. Other than that your schedule looks great.

 

[davek]

Hi All!

Thanks for all the help. I waited the week, and just `racked it about 20 minutes ago. It is nice and stable at .992.

It smells very fruity, and I can smell a yeasty smell. If I had to say what it smells like, I would say Beaujolais... it is a very pleasant smell and taste. My wife felt the bubbles on her tongue- I told her we were taking care of that with the stirring. The color is BRILLIANT! SO deep and pretty purple. It is, of course, a bit cloudy, but you can tell this will be a mouthfull!. Alll in all, it seems like it has the makings of something good- no off tastes or anything weird... I am happy!

So I gave it a good whipping, and I will do that again in ten minutes or so. Tomorrow, I will probably whip it a couple times.... ANd then I will ignore it two weeks.

In two weeks, I will rack again, and add the oak. Then I will put it down for a LONG time.....

What is this k-Metta stuff? Is that sulfites to combat oxides? How much to add? Whne I do the rack in two weeks, I will probably keep that for 8 months or so, I will let that sit a LONG time! I plan on bottling next december...

 

[davek]

I am sorta basing the Zin on this: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/extended.asp

 

[sour_grapes]

What is this k-Metta stuff? Is that sulfites to combat oxides? How much to add? Whne I do the rack in two weeks, I will probably keep that for 8 months or so, I will let that sit a LONG time! I plan on bottling next december...

Yes, k-meta means potassium metabisulfite. You are correct -- it is the way to add sulfites to your wine to protect against oxidation and microbial spoilage.

If you do not have a means to test your sulfite level, most here recommend (as Shoebiedoo said) adding 1/4 tsp every three months while bulk aging before bottling.

 

[joeswine]

adding to the mix

Basic Wine Chemistry ​

Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape developed by the French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal, for whom it was named. Contrary to popular belief, this process does not make the wine sweeter but only artificially inflates the alcohol content. Additionally, the sugar in chaptalized wine cannot be tasted.
Potassium Metabisulfite is a common wine or must additive, where it forms sulfur dioxide gas (SO2). This both prevents most wild microorganisms from growing, and it acts as potent antioxidant, protecting both the color, and delicate flavors of wine.
Typical dosage is ¼ tsp potassium metabisulfite, per 6 gallon bucket of must (yielding roughly 75ppm of SO2) prior to fermentation, and ½ tsp per 6 gallon bucket (150 ppm of SO2) at bottling.
Winemaking equipment is sanitized by spraying with a 1% SO2 (2 tsp potassium metabisulfite per L) solution.
Potassium Sorbate is used to inhibit molds, and yeasts in wine. Also known affectionately as "wine stabilizer", potassium sorbate produces sorbic acid when added to wine. It serves two purposes. When active fermentation has ceased and the wine is racked for the final time after clearing, potassium sorbate will continue fermenting any residual sugar into CO2 and alcohol, but when they die no new yeast will be present to cause future fermentation. When a wine is sweetened before bottling, potassium sorbate is used to prevent refermentation when used in conjunction with potassium metabisulfite. It is primarily used with sweet wines, sparkling wines and some hard cider but may be added to table wines which exhibits difficulty in maintaining clarity after fining.
PRINT THIS OFF AND PIN IT SOMEWHERE FOR QUICK REFERENCE

 

[davek]

Cool Thank you!

Thanks for straightening that out.... I sorta could not figure out how K-Metta was the same as Potassium Metasulfate, then I saw that Potassium was K on the periodic table.... OK, NOW that makes sense.

OK, so there is this other code word I have been trying to figgure out.... F-Bag or F-Something.... I think it is fruit you add late in the process. I know if does not apply to this wine, but what is that? And there is a C- Something, to, isn't there?

So I sturred up my wine for a couple days- Saturday and Sunday. Stirred REALLY well with a power drill. Lotsa foam, then the last one, the foam was negligible, so I figured I was OK. I have put a stopper on the top and put it under light vacuum, and I can keep that going for a while. Between that and the long carboy aging, I think I will be OK on the degassing... right?

Looked at it this morning, a LOT of dregs at the bottom, but the wine looks super dark and crystal clear. Smells great, too, when I smell the vacuum.

Oh, and to whomever suggested it, I have topped off the wine level to up in the neck. the narrow portion. I was just letting it be lower because I knew that I needed the room for whipping the wine.

So, I guess I am almost there, except for the time. In two weeks, I rack again for the long aging, right? That will take it off the dregs I am seeing now. I put the oak in THEN. And 1/4 tbs of K meta. Then in May, August and Oct I hit it again with k-meta. Do I stir the powder in, dissolve it in water and stir it, or just dump in in and let it propagate?

Thanks again!

 

[WildBillCiarbino]

Cool Thank you!

Thanks for straightening that out.... I sorta could not figure out how K-Metta was the same as Potassium Metasulfate, then I saw that Potassium was K on the periodic table.... OK, NOW that makes sense.

OK, so there is this other code word I have been trying to figgure out.... F-Bag or F-Something.... I think it is fruit you add late in the process. I know if does not apply to this wine, but what is that? And there is a C- Something, to, isn't there?

So I sturred up my wine for a couple days- Saturday and Sunday. Stirred REALLY well with a power drill. Lotsa foam, then the last one, the foam was negligible, so I figured I was OK. I have put a stopper on the top and put it under light vacuum, and I can keep that going for a while. Between that and the long carboy aging, I think I will be OK on the degassing... right?

Looked at it this morning, a LOT of dregs at the bottom, but the wine looks super dark and crystal clear. Smells great, too, when I smell the vacuum.

Oh, and to whomever suggested it, I have topped off the wine level to up in the neck. the narrow portion. I was just letting it be lower because I knew that I needed the room for whipping the wine.

So, I guess I am almost there, except for the time. In two weeks, I rack again for the long aging, right? That will take it off the dregs I am seeing now. I put the oak in THEN. And 1/4 tbs of K meta. Then in May, August and Oct I hit it again with k-meta. Do I stir the powder in, dissolve it in water and stir it, or just dump in in and let it propagate?

Thanks again!

F-Pack (or flavor pack) is added to the wine towards the end as a way to back-sweeten the wine. normally it's concentrated juice that gives the wine more sweetness and any other flavor you wish to add.

 

[Deezil]

So, I guess I am almost there, except for the time. In two weeks, I rack again for the long aging, right? That will take it off the dregs I am seeing now. I put the oak in THEN. And 1/4 tbs of K meta. Then in May, August and Oct I hit it again with k-meta. Do I stir the powder in, dissolve it in water and stir it, or just dump in in and let it propagate?

Thanks again!

The most important set of lees/sediment to remove, is the stuff that falls first. Have you racked off of this already? If so, what you're seeing now should be a finer grit, sur lees, made up of mostly spent yeast cells, where the first, gross lees, is mostly fruit particulate; you can wait a few weeks to rack off sur lees but you want to get it off gross lees as soon as feasible.

I always add the k-meta to the carboy I'm racking into, then rack on top of it. I'll swirl the receiving carboy as it gets the first few inches of wine in it to dissolve the k-meta, then let it fill up. Be careful doing it this way, don't stick your nose to the opening because you WILL get a straight shot of k-meta and not the wine smell you're looking for. K-meta and your lungs, don't go together.

1/4 teaspoon, not tablespoon.
May, August, November; every three months.

It doesn't propagate, just dissipates.

But yes, you're just about to the hardest part - finding and exercising patience.