Kit Instruction follow SG or days?

[ravelloview]

We are making a RJ Spagnols Malbec kit and it says that Stabilizing and Clearing step begins at Day 28 (approx) at SG 1.00 or lower. Was always told to go by the SG and not the days listed...On Day 14 (today) we measured the SG and it was below 1.00 so we went ahead and began the steps Hope we didn't f anything up...

Here are the instructions for this specific step....

Stabilizing & Clearing (Specific Gravity 1.000 or lower)

NOTE: For those making Winery Series Syrah, the final gravity will be .999-1.003, this is normal.

DAY 28 (approx.)
Date:
SG:
1. Clean and sanitize Siphon Assembly, Primary bucket or 23L (6 US Gal) carboy and
Long Handled Spoon. Make sure everything is well rinsed before you begin.
2. Siphon the wine into the sterilized primary bucket or 23L (6 US
gal.) carboy. Do not disturb the sediment (called “lees” in winemaking terms) during this racking. Discard sediment in primary fermenter.
3. Add Pkg. #2A Sulphite to the wine and stir vigorously.
4. Add Pkg. #2B Potassium Sorbate (please add both packages) to the wine and stir vigorously.
5. Important: Degas wine vigorously for 5 minutes by stirring with the handle of a spoon or with a drill mounted stirring device.
INSUFFICIENT STIRRING WILL PREVENT THE WINE FROM CLEARING ADEQUATELY.
6. Add Packet D1 (Kieselsol) to wine and stir for 1 minute. Then add D2 (Chitosan) and stir well. Important: Do not reverse the order of Kieselsol and Chitosan. Degass wine for 5 minutes by stirring vigorously.
7. If in primary bucket, rack back into carboy. Attach bung and airlock.
8. Top up with water to within two inches of the airlock. Attach bung and airlock.
9. Let wine stand until Day 42 in an elevated place cool area (15-19ºC/59-66ºF).

 

[mmadmikes1]

Go by SG measurements

 

[dangerdave]

I agree with ^^^

Stick to the SG. I have made kits that had instructions that said they would take 3-5 days to go from 1.070 to 1.040, and been dry in three days! Generally, the warmer they are, the faster they will ferment. I tend to keep mine a little warm. This doesn't make much difference if you are making wine from juice with no skins or raisins. I would want those (with skins or raisins or fruit in primary) to ferment more slowly, at a lower temp, to get the full benefit of fruit contact with the yeasts.

 

[ravelloview]

Thanks for the quick replies. I'm glad we went with our "read."

 

[rjb222]

Clearing a winery series kit on day 14 will not hurt anything as long as the SG is correct. Be late with the first racking after clearing about the number of days you were ahead on the clearing. There is allot of flavor in the lees with kits so they need that exposure to contain all the flavors. So no harm done as long as the exposure to the lees is correct and the SG is down to where it should be.

 

[abefroman]

Go by SG, the instructions are usually wrong.

If its the same SG for 3 days in a row its done.

 

[Wade E]

I ferment almost every single wine to dry in bucket myself as do many others, its much easier to degas this way and also helps in not racking over so much of the sediment. Even when the wine finishes fermenting its loaded with C02 so theres really no problem at all. When the sg gets to about 1.020 I snap the lid down and pout it under airlock.

 

[Rocky]

Ravello, the kit instructions are very general and each fermentation is different. I always go by my hydrometer.

 

[Dugger]

I don't think you should be a slave to the SG in the fermentation stage.
Although I don't pretend to understand what actually happens there are processes going on other than fermentation at this stage with the bentonite and other lees and adequate exposure to them is necessary for this to happen.
I usually do a 2 week ferment to dry in the bucket but when I rack I try to carry over quite a bit of the lees, stabilize it and let it sit for a week or 2 or 3 and then rack off the sediment to let it clear and proceed from there.