Grand Cru 1st kit, ready to bottle?

[RonInHollywood]

So I'm at the stage of bottling. However... it was a bit sudsy so I degassed and used vacuum wine pump but I then decided to add toasted oak cubes. A week later...

Wine seems pretty good now, dry yet sweet, a bit lighter in texture then I want but tastes okay. I am worried... I want to keep in carboy longer for oak cubes to add more depth (?) or tannins... but am I risking it going to vinegar? Oxidizing?

Is an airlock good enough or should I use a sealed vacuum pump... I want to use oak cubes to fullest but don't want to get greedy... and vinegarize?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[peaches9324]

which Grand Kru kit is this? Did ya take an sg and what is the gravity now?

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome, Ron.

You will be completely safe from having your wine turn to vinegar if you have proper levels of sulfite. Standard advice here is to add 1/4 tsp of potassium metabisulfite (k-meta) every three months while you are aging the wine in a carboy. You can do this under an airlock for years and years. How long has it been since you added the clearing/stabilizing chemicals from your kit?

 

[peaches9324]

sorry I didn't answer your question was so focused on your sudsy description Thanks paul for getting that answer to him. And welcome to the forum. But for future kits no need to degas before bulk aging it degasses itself when aging for a long period of time. It can use that extra protection when aging

 

[bkisel]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm curious about your wine having been "sudsy" at the step/time for bottling according to kit instructions. I've done eight RJS kits, one of them a Grand Cru IC, and have not seen any suds at the time to bottle. [For my latter kits I went to rack and bulk age at kit bottling time.]

 

[Boatboy24]

I'm going to respectfully disagree with the 1/4 tsp every three months. I'd go with the kit dose at stabilization (which I believe is 1/4 tsp), then 1/8th tsp at each racking, or every three months if not racking.

Welcome to WMT!

 

[bkisel]

Since I've started bulk aging my kits, 2-3 months depending on kit level, I've been doing 1/8 tsp. in the rack to bucket just before bottling from the bucket. 1/4 tsp. also seems like to much to me but would it hurt?

 

[RonInHollywood]

Sudsy: Just a slight perceptible flat soda texture when tasting. It is gone now.

Grand Cru Syrah, finished stabilizing, clearing, 3 weeks ago, kieseltol & Chitosan. SG .998
It tastes good now, dry yet sweet but I wanted a bit more woodsy tannin so I added toasted oak cubes in carboy and want to age for another month in carboy.

SUM IT ALL YOUR GREAT ADVICE:
So add 1/8 of potassium metabisulfite (k-meta) for this last 1 month stretch with airlock. No vacuum pump seal?
I only have campden tablets right now, 1 tablet = 1/8 tsp???

Thanks for all great and comforting advice.