First time winemaker and first time posting on the forum (although I've been reading it for a few months), sorry for the long post but I have a few questions I hope that they aren’t too inane or silly (being a newbie to wine making). Anyway I am in the process of making the RJS Premium Port Kit, I followed the directions to the letter and have now racked the wine and transferred it from the primary fermenter (after 10 days) to the secondary carboy.
During the first parts of the fermentation in the primary I pretty much understood what exactly was happening however after that I feel lost in terms of what is actually happening to the wine. I’ve read a few books, websites and watched videos which I believe has confused me even further. Now to my questions; after the first 10 days (Primary Fermentation) when I transferred the wine from the primary to the carboy; I assume this is considered the secondary fermentation period, however the instruction state to add the packets of sulfite and potassium sorbate, the F-pack, then to add the D1-Kieselsol and D2-Chitosan packets and finally degas. Wouldn’t the sulfite and potassium sorbate pretty much stop any additional fermentation performed by the yeast – if so is any fermentation actually going on (from my limited knowledge I wouldn’t think this wine would be the type of wine that would benefit from a malolactic fermentation)? What is “happening” to the wine between day 10 and day 42, is this essentially bulk aging here rather than secondary fermentation or is there indeed still some year fermentation activity within the wine?
Now since you all have much more experience what should the alcohol content and the SG of the finished Port wine (after the 42 days), and if I wanted to fortify the wine with Brandy (as typically done with Ports) when should I do this? If there is no fermentation going on in the “secondary” stage (after it goes into the carboy on day 10) should I have added it at the same time as the F-pack, or should I wait until after the 42 days? Do you have any idea how much brandy one should add or have any suggestions on types/brands that have worked well for you in your experience?
Finally, I have a 3L oak barrel that I would like to use to age some of the port (so as to keep the carboy filled to the top I plan to use marbles to displace the 3L I removed from the carboy into the oak barrel) – when is best to do this (and on a side note if I wanted to make another kit but add oak cubes or sticks when should I do this)? Can I or should I do it when I transfer from the primary to the secondary after day 10 and use the oak barrel as the secondary instead of using the carboy, or should I wait until after day 42? If aged in a barrel is there anything really preventing me or that might lead to poor results from aging and trying to make this into more of a tawny or even crusted or perhaps allowing it to become closer to a LBV port. Finally if I don’t filter the wine and allow a tiny bit of sediment to remain in each bottle is it possible to achieve an "unfiltered" or "bottle matured" type wine that can be improved by extra years in the bottle?
My apologies for the lengthy post and all these I’m sure silly questions, but your expert feedback, suggestions and answers to my questions are greatly appreciated. Glad to be part of this awesome forum now!
Matt
During the first parts of the fermentation in the primary I pretty much understood what exactly was happening however after that I feel lost in terms of what is actually happening to the wine. I’ve read a few books, websites and watched videos which I believe has confused me even further. Now to my questions; after the first 10 days (Primary Fermentation) when I transferred the wine from the primary to the carboy; I assume this is considered the secondary fermentation period, however the instruction state to add the packets of sulfite and potassium sorbate, the F-pack, then to add the D1-Kieselsol and D2-Chitosan packets and finally degas. Wouldn’t the sulfite and potassium sorbate pretty much stop any additional fermentation performed by the yeast – if so is any fermentation actually going on (from my limited knowledge I wouldn’t think this wine would be the type of wine that would benefit from a malolactic fermentation)? What is “happening” to the wine between day 10 and day 42, is this essentially bulk aging here rather than secondary fermentation or is there indeed still some year fermentation activity within the wine?
Now since you all have much more experience what should the alcohol content and the SG of the finished Port wine (after the 42 days), and if I wanted to fortify the wine with Brandy (as typically done with Ports) when should I do this? If there is no fermentation going on in the “secondary” stage (after it goes into the carboy on day 10) should I have added it at the same time as the F-pack, or should I wait until after the 42 days? Do you have any idea how much brandy one should add or have any suggestions on types/brands that have worked well for you in your experience?
Finally, I have a 3L oak barrel that I would like to use to age some of the port (so as to keep the carboy filled to the top I plan to use marbles to displace the 3L I removed from the carboy into the oak barrel) – when is best to do this (and on a side note if I wanted to make another kit but add oak cubes or sticks when should I do this)? Can I or should I do it when I transfer from the primary to the secondary after day 10 and use the oak barrel as the secondary instead of using the carboy, or should I wait until after day 42? If aged in a barrel is there anything really preventing me or that might lead to poor results from aging and trying to make this into more of a tawny or even crusted or perhaps allowing it to become closer to a LBV port. Finally if I don’t filter the wine and allow a tiny bit of sediment to remain in each bottle is it possible to achieve an "unfiltered" or "bottle matured" type wine that can be improved by extra years in the bottle?
My apologies for the lengthy post and all these I’m sure silly questions, but your expert feedback, suggestions and answers to my questions are greatly appreciated. Glad to be part of this awesome forum now!
Matt
