RJ Spagnols How to age a kit wine

[Redskins]

Hi i just recently made my first kit wine a Pinot Grigio Grand Cru. It was suggested to me by this forum that i follow the instructions since it is my first kit. I put the wine in a 6 gallon carboy and topped it with water to a couple inches below the airlock after i cleared and stablized. I see that some people say to top with a like wine but the instructions did say water. I was thinking about aging it in a carboy for a wile after racking it and would probably buy a smaller 5 gallon carboy for that so i do not have to top off again and dilute the wine more. My question is, are the indredients included in the kit that i already added during the clearing/stablizing step ok for aging or do i need to buy something else to put in the wine if i plan on keeping it in a carboy for a few months?

 

[RegionRat]

In a nutshell:

Day 45: Rack
Day 80: Rack
Day 140: Degas Rack add 1/4 tsp of potassium metabisulfite
Day 170: Taste, filter and rack
Day 180: bottle
(watch out for wine gremlins)

RR

 

[DaveL]

I have an artful winemaker kit going now. This kit says to drink it within 6 months. It comes with simple push in short corks that I do not plan on using.
Is this the only reason that they recomend this?
If I treat it with Kmeta would it then be safe to age longer?
I am not at home now and cannot remember if it gets this already.

 

[Sammyk]

My guess is it is a low alochol wine and won't last long. Mist type kits are 6.9 and should be drank within a year.

 

[Redskins]

In a nutshell:

Day 45: Rack
Day 80: Rack
Day 140: Degas Rack add 1/4 tsp of potassium metabisulfite
Day 170: Taste, filter and rack
Day 180: bottle
(watch out for wine gremlins)

RR

Are you topping it off with anything after each rack? I'm assuming you are not topping it off with water as it seems most people use a "like" wine but doesnt that get expensive if you constantly top it off with more wine after racking.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Are you topping it off with anything after each rack? I'm assuming you are not topping it off with water as it seems most people use a "like" wine but doesnt that get expensive if you constantly top it off with more wine after racking.

You should not have any lees to replace by the second racking. There might be a tablespoon of fluff on the walls and bottom of your carboy. Not much to take out to have to top off later.

 

[Dugger]

Redskins - you really don't have to rack very often with kit wines. I'm assuming this is a Spagnols grand Cru kit; here is what I would suggest you do:
- let it clear for about 3-4 weeks, it should be quite clear
- if you have your 5 gal carboy, add 1/4 tsp of dissolved Kmeta to it and rack your wine bfrom the large carboy off the sediment into this carboy
- put any surplus into bottles and cork and drink these bottles first
-age the carboy wine for 3-4 months and then bottle and age for another 3-6 months.
The bulk aging time is your choice but this wine shouldn't need long term aging.

 

[cpfan]

I have an artful winemaker kit going now. This kit says to drink it within 6 months. It comes with simple push in short corks that I do not plan on using.
Is this the only reason that they recomend this?
If I treat it with Kmeta would it then be safe to age longer?
I am not at home now and cannot remember if it gets this already.

DaveL:

Please do not be afraid to start a new thread.

I think that the main reason for the short shelf ife is the push in corks. Get a floor corker and some decent #9 corks, and the shelf life will be better. Add a bit of K-meta and shelf life will be even better. [I deliberately didn't say how much K-meta cause I don't honestly know.]

Steve

 

[jrupjr]

do you need to add potassium metabisulfite if you are going to bottle age longer then 6 months? or is it for just bulk aging?

And, can I bulk age for just under 6 months, not add pot. metabisulfite, the bottle and age it in the bottle?

 

[Bartman]

do you need to add potassium metabisulfite if you are going to bottle age longer then 6 months? or is it for just bulk aging?

And, can I bulk age for just under 6 months, not add pot. metabisulfite, the bottle and age it in the bottle?

"Can you"? Sure, but it is unwise. If it is fully fermented (dry) and you have added some pot. metabisulphite (frequently abbreviated k-meta) along the way, it will probably be okay in the bottle because the risk of contamination is much reduced once it's in the bottle. K-meta inhibits microbes and slows oxidation both during bulk-aging and in the bottle.

I try not to add much k-meta to my wines, but that's not the standard recommendation or even necessarily the best policy. 3-4 months is the maximum time recommended to bulk-age without adding k-meta (and without accurately testing the sulfite level). I'm willing to take my chances, though, in order to limit the sulphites and additives to my wine.