Have I left the wine in the demijohns too long after fermentation finished?

[richardtrillo]

We have two large white vines, in a garden in southwest London which regularly produce 70–100kg of grapes. I made wine successfully in 2009 (the first time I tried), using a rented crusher and press and following wine shop instructions. In 2010, I left the grapes too long before picking, and there were too many rotten ones and the wine just tasted musty and off. In 2011, there was virtually no crop. This year, 2012, I had a bumper crop and ended up with eight 5-litre demijohns, bubbling away in the middle of October. The fermentation lasted a week or more. However, I've been very busy, and had no time to get on with racking off into bottles, and I didn't add any sulphite or anything else. Today is bottling day, but I think I've left it too late. The wine is crystal clear, with a very thin base of sedimant, and has a fruity, soft aroma. However, there's a very sharp edge to the flavour, almost fizzy, which wasn't present at bottling time in 2009, when I racked off as soon as fermentation was finished. The specific gravity of this batch is 1000–1005.

So have I ruined it? Will it improve? And it's a mistake to have left it so long, is there anything I can do? I can put it down to experience - again - but it seems a pity to throw out 40 litres if there's anything that can be done with it.

Thanks for any help.

Richard Trillo

 

[K-9]

Not sure i have answers - but... that is a whole lot of grapes from 2 vines! a ridiculous amount! I take it it was never racked off the lees? Ever? and it is ready to bottle? and you never used k-meta? also how long has it been since you pressed and fermented? fizzy could be gas/carbonation yet! please try to answer these unless i missed something in your post. bad night sleeping and been up since 4 AM. so i am still fuzzy despite the cups of coffee.

Oh welcome. I think I saw you around another forum in the past!

 

[winemakingscientist]

I'm not sure I'm following. Did you crush, then ferment, then press and transfer to demijohns while the fermentation was still going a little bit? And then you left it for several months, in which time you got clear wine with a little bit of sediment at the bottom that tastes sharp and a bit fizzy? If that's what you're saying, there's nothing wrong with it. It's not unusual that at 2-3 months old it tastes harsh. It should mellow with aging. The fizziness is probably a bit of carbonation. At this point, you should 1) add sulfite, since you didn't before 2) rack off of the bit of sediment. It's best to make sure that it's not going to throw off more sediment before bottling. At some point, you need to degas. I usually do this right before bottling. But definitely don't throw it out!

 

[K-9]

that is why i asked what I asked.

 

[richardtrillo]

Thanks K9 and wms for your welcomes and advice. I did indeed get 100kg (give or take) from our two large vines. Which made 40 litres in 8 demijohns. I made the wine in a pretty standard way, crushing, pressing, leaving in closed demijohns, then racking off, adding sugar and fermenting. But that was mid-Oct, and only today did I add sulphite and rack off again. The SG is around 1000 - 1005 and I actually bottled 35 bottles, and racked two and half demijohns into fresh ones. I'm very encouraged by your advice that the wine could well be okay. So fingers crossed. I probably should have put all of it into demijohns one more time, but it was so clear…

The bottles are standing outside tonight, after I hosed them down to remove sticky residue from racking. I plan to store them in cool dark conditions and check them once a month. Meanwhile, once the wine in the demijohns has cleared, I'll bottle that too.

Any further advice, much appreciated.

Richard

 

[winemakingscientist]

Sorry to hijack, K9, if you were asking the same thing.

The wine will probably be fine. Taste it in six months. I'm always amazed at how wine that tastes weird at bottling can transform itself.

I'm jealous of those vines

 

[K-9]

I had to reread this again... it has only been 2 months and you are bottling? I would say that you should have added K-meta earlier and i would rack it at least 2 times maybe yet over a period of a few months as needed. You probably should cold stabilize too. also - again - sounds like there is still quite a bit of gas in the wine yet from what you write. You may not have to leave it sitting for a whole year but 2 months seems like a rather short period of time to me. Just my opinion.

also - no problem - not hijacking me at all. there just seems to be a lot of questions left open in his case...

 

[richardtrillo]

Late at night, so very briefly, many thanks again. Just I think I bottled hastily too! I think I'll end up having to rack off the bottle wine into demijohns again. I've applied sulphite now, though. Is it going to continue to produce gas?

Richard