Help, I messed up

[cheri1981]

I screwed up and added packets at the wrong time. I purchased a vintners reserve wine kit (White Zin). I started on Friday February 22. I thought I had followed the directions completely. On Monday February 25 the primary fer. and airlock was not bubbling. I contact the company I purchased the kit from and asked what to do. They advised to take off lid and take reading and see if any bubbles. I did and nothing was happening. At their advise I added another yeast. 2 days later on Wednesday it was bubbling like crazy. Thought I was in the clear until rereading the directions and realized that I had added packet 2 when I put the kit together. (the metabisulphite). I believe I killed the yeast to start with. 4 days later it is still bubbling. Have I ruined the wine and what do I do about packet 2 I have used up already.

 

[cpfan]

Cheri, everything will be just fine. Get another package 2 from your retailer (or Winexpert). Metabisulfite doesn't kill yeast, it just temporarily stuns the yeast.

Steve

 

[Luc]

I second Steve's answer, you will be fine.
Don't worry.

Luc

 

[cheri1981]

Thank you

I am on day 5 and it is still bubbling like crazy. I have what was in packet 2. How do I know how much to add.

Thank you

 

[cpfan]

I am on day 5 and it is still bubbling like crazy. I have what was in packet 2. How do I know how much to add.
Thank you

Call (on Monday) or email the Winexpert help desk. They are said to be very helpful.

Steve

 

[cheri1981]

Bottled wine today smells burnt

I finally racked win in to carboy, let it sit 10 days and when the reading was where it was suppose to be I added packet 3 and four and package f. In place of the Potassium Metebisulphite (which I had screwed up and added in the beginning) I crushed and added 3 campden tablets of Potassium Metebisulphite. I let the wine sit the 14 days and at the end of the time the wine had cleared. I racked the wine off the sediment into the primary. I disolved 1/4 teaspoon of Potassium Metebisulphite to the mixture as it state if you were going to keep it more than 6 months. I then bottled. My problems is and maybe its normal, it taste bitter, burnt and smell kind burnt. Is this normal and if not is it ruined?

 

[cpfan]

I'm not one for adding K-meta prior to bottling, even though much of my wine is kept for over a year. So I don't really know for sure what you would tatse/smell.

However, I would not be surprised by a sulphury smell (burnt match??) after the final addition.

Do you really plan on ignoring ALL of this wine for 6 months?? White Zin is a very popular summer wine.

Steve

 

[cheri1981]

Smell There Before Final K-meta

I am totally new to all of this and this was my first wine.

I should of mentioned that I went back to the partial glass I had for checking the clarity of the wine before the k-meta was added and that glass to had the smell also.

I also may have misunderstood the directions on adding the k-meta. The directions said if you want to age your wine more than 6 months you must add extra metabisulphite to prevent oxidation. I was not planning on not drinking any of it before the 6 months were up, but I had planned on several of them aging for over 6 months. If I make it through this kit it will be a wonder.

 

[cpfan]

As I understand it, adding extra K-meta will modify the taste & smell of the wine in a negative fashion. That will mellow out over time, 6+ months.

I have considered bottling half a batch and then dosing the second half with K-meta. Then labelling the two sections differently. But I haven't done it yet.

Since I have been happy with my older wines without the extra K-meta, I will probably never add it.

This week we drank a bottle of Merlot from a 4-week kit that was bottled Feb 2004. FOUR years ago. I don't think it was as good as 3 years ago, but thought it tasted fine.

The week before we had a different 4-week Washington State Merlot bottled Jan 2005. Enjoyed it.

Earlier in the year, we drank two bottles of a 6-week Napa Valley Merlot bottled June 2003. VERY nice. Won't be sharing the last two bottles of this.

I doubt that any of those had extra K-meta added.

These are my opinions & experiences. There are many others who swear by adding the extra K-meta.

Steve