Mosti Mondiale MM AllJuice White Zin

[unaFORDable]

New to this, just read about starting a thread and keeping all my questions together in one spot...so here goes....
This is actually kit #3. I bottled a red Zin last month, followed the directions as best I could figure them out THEN I found this site

Ok, figured out that I did a few things wrong, bought kit #2 a Liebfraumilch and started it. It's now @ the degassing part, stir, stir, stir...
Bought kit #3, that's this one!! I was able to start it because of the bucket it came in. I have two primarys/secondary buckets w/taps and I'm racking back into the MM bucket, cleaning the primary and returning the wine to the primary to do the secondary stage. My primary/secondary buckets are called tuff tanks (9gal size) Anyone else use these???
I started the MM 29 Dec late at night. Temp is staying at 70 degrees, SG 1.095. Not a lot of active bubbles. Checked on Jan 2 SG 1.070. Decided to give it a gentle stir. Checked on Jan 4 SG 1.040 Checked on Jan 6 SG 1.015 Temp 70. Transfered it to the bucket it came in, cleaned the primary and transfered it back into the primary. Directions said to rack with sediments. Sounded weird but had read here the same thing. Transferd everything except that stuff on the very bottom of the bucket. Sure hope I was not supposed to stir up that mess and transfer it too?? Temp still holding @ 70 Checked Jan 10 SG .997 What Happened??!!! I left it alone though because directions say not to do anything till day 20. I'm wanting to bulk age this wine and will have questions about how to do this...What do I need to add, when, and does these additions come with the kit or do I need to go buy them?? As I think of more, I'll ask
Thanks, TinaLouise

 

[grapeman]

I'm not sure what you are asking.......... Do you mean it hasn't gone lower than .997 and you are expecting lower? If so, do not worry. That is an exceptible SG reading. Just continue to follow the directions and it will be fine.


One thing to note for future reference. The Mosti kits have you stir up and transfer the lees into the secondary- unlike the Winexpert. They feel it helps it clear more completely. I assume it is because of the bentonite added in the primary. If you rack off the lees and leave them behind, you also leave the bentonite behind. Don't worry though it will clear fine after a bit. Did you add any yeast nutrient when you transferred it? That is a fairly new thing with them to help the wine go just a bit lower.


Sounds like you are doing well. Keep up the good work.

 

[PeterZ]

Tina, you will need to get a 6 gallon glass or Better Bottle secondary. Once the wine finishes fermenting it is important to leave as little surface area exposed to the air as possible. The six gallon bottles allow you to fill up to the point where only a 2" circle is exposed to the air. This minimizes oxidation of the wine.


As far as how much sludge to carry over on the first racking, as long as the wine is cloudy you are fine. The hardest wine to clear is one that is only slightly hazy.

 

[unaFORDable]

I just ordered 2 - 6gal better bottles from here. They've arrived but I've been unable to unpack them because I dislocated my shoulder and the doctor found that I've broken the upper arm bone at the ball joint.

I made the first wine kit totally without a carboy and just bottled it when it said to. So using a carboy will be a new experience for me.
At the first racking, everything except for a very thin layer was transfered. All of the liquid wine was transfered. What was left looked like gold colored thick mud. Winewas very cloudy.

 

[unaFORDable]

My directions said to " siphon the wine including the sediments" I'm the kind of person that takes directions "word for word". So if it had said to stir and siphon the wine, that's what I would have done. If I ever do another of these kits I'll know in the future to "STIR" !!


Ok, what's "yeast nutrient" ??? I looked back at my directions and everything that came with my kit... Still confused


TinaLouise

 

[grapeman]

Sorry to hear about the shoulder. That can be very painful. You better get some help when you need it. I'm glad you got the carboys- like Peter says the wine should really be done in them for secondary to limit exposure, but you will be fine with the first ones as long as it wasn't bulk aged in a pail. The only thing is if you rushed things it may continue to drop just a dusting in the wine bottles.


Yeast nutrient is typically Diammonium Phosphate and it helps feed the yeast so they live more happily and help ferment the wine totally dry. Like I said, it is a recent addition to the Mosti kits and they all don't include it. If it was in there, you add it, if not, don't fret about it.




You will be fine with what you transferred.

 

[unaFORDable]

I've discovered that I have no patience what so ever. Last night I opened a bottle of my red zin that I'm supposed to stay away from for a few more months.

Ok so I know that I can not put this white zin into bottles, I MUST BULK AGE just to keep myself out of it.


Question: I read in another post..... add 1/4 tsp sulfite after every 3 months....
What is sulfite? Is this something I need to go buy? Do I rack the wine to another carboy when I add this sulfite? After adding sulfite?? Or do I not rack at all?


Thanks, TinaLouise
Oh, this was me after tasting this wine before thedegassing stage

 

[Wade E]

Hi Tina, sulfite is K-meta(potassium metabisulfite or even campden tablets. It is also Sodium metabisulfite but most of us tend just to use this as a sanitizer as we just dont need any more sodium intake in our life even though what we would be taking in using this is minute. You should have some to sanitize everything that goes into your wine what have you been using to sanitize?

 

[grapeman]

If you keep it in a carboy for months to bulk age it, the sulfites get weaker over time due to gas exchanges. That is why after a few months you replenish it a bit-like 1/4 teaspoon of k-meta. You can also bottle it when ready and you don't need to add any more sulfites if done right after clearing. If you already have it in bottles, keep it there and put into boxes and tape them shut with packing tape. Place at the bottom of a small stack. Do anything you can to make getting at it difficult. Wait as long as you can and be strong. We are all here for you! Good Luck. Your mission should you choose to accept it is to age your wine and then enjoy!


This post will self destruct in 10 years.....................................................

 

[unaFORDable]

To sanitize: first I wash with hot soapy water thenI use Cleanpro SDH. After the bucket or bottles or equipment has sat with this in it for about 20 minutes, I rinse with water (tap water from a deep well w/a whole house filter on it) Then I use Sodium Bisulfite (just noticed that it also says campden on it) mixed with citric acid. I keep this in a spray bottle and just give everything a spray, I don't rinse this off.


I was also recomended to use Potassium Sorbate because I wanted to backsweeten with simple sugar syrup.


So do I alreadyhave what I need??


Thanks TinaLouise


Cute with the self destruct warning, that's just about what I need to keep my hands off those bottles.

 

[PeterZ]

Tina, I have never seen a kit that doesn't include potassium sorbate. You should have a packet that came with the kit.

 

[unaFORDable]

Tina, I have never seen a kit that doesn't include potassium sorbate. You should have a packet that came with the kit.

YES!!! MM alljuice comes w/metabisulfite & potassium sorbate which I added, per instructions, at the degassing stage.


I'm confused with the bulk aging stage... questions are about what to add, when to add when bulk aging.

 

[grapeman]

It might not be like everyone does, but I treat the wine as per directions right up to the point of bottling. Then at the point where you would bottle (all additives in there, fully degassed if possible) insteadIf just rack to a clean carboy - like you would before bottling anyways. Then I just put it in a dark spot and leave it there for a few months. I rack it into another clean carboy (shouldn't be much for sediment) and add 1/4 tespoon of k-meta. I either then bottle if handy or let it sit another 3 months. You then repeat the procedure of rack, k-meta and either bottle or age more.


Make sense?

 

[Jack on Rainy]

YES!!! MM alljuice comes w/metabisulfite & potassium sorbate which I added, per instructions, at the degassing stage......

Tina, take another look at the instructions. I think you will find they tell you to add the K-sorbate after clarification and just before bottling. (I just checked the instructions for my MM AJ Chianti started last week to be sure.)
But, I doubt that will have any affect onyour wine because you are not letting it get old enough

! Bulk aging is a good idea!

 

[unaFORDable]

YES!!! MM alljuice comes w/metabisulfite & potassium sorbate which I added, per instructions, at the degassing stage......

Tina, take another look at the instructions. I think you will find they tell you to add the K-sorbate after clarification and just before bottling. (I just checked the instructions for my MM AJ Chianti started last week to be sure.)

Well I just reread for the 99th time these instructions, Day 20 I'm racking, avoiding sediment, adding metabisulfite & stir, adding patassium sorbate & stir. then vigorously stir mim 4 times in 24 hours after that adding siligel & stir and liquigel & stir. This is what I've done.


Day 28 (I haven't got here yet) says to rack wine, add wine conditioner (It's got one of these) This is where I'm asking the bulk aging questions about. At this point, from others replys, I just rack, add conditioner & stir, then just let it sit for a few months. Then when I rack again, that's when I have to add that stuff (brain went blank

)
TinaLouise

 

[uavwmn]

Tina, was this the AJ Amaronne with the raisins? If so, I made that kit and it is wonderful!!! Bottle aging. It is a year old and tastes very good now! It will only get better.

 

[unaFORDable]

nope, this is White Zin

on a side note.... I did just buy the MM alljuice Amarone yesterday. I'd never tasted that wine until I tried it at the local winery store yesterday and couldn't walk out of the place until I'd bought the kit

I'll be starting it in about a week so I can be timed right behind another member here that's making the Amarone (I get to read about what all he's doing then I can work on mine, hoping to have less stressful days that way)
TinaLouise

 

[PeterZ]

Tina, looking back at your 23 Jan post, the instructions for day 28 is when you can start bulk ageing. Just leave it in the carboy for a few months. Then rack again and add the 1/4 tsp of K-meta.

 

[unaFORDable]

Thanks everyone!!

Well I've finally gotten to the "Bulk Aging" stage with this so called White Zin !! Boy is it not White !! Who in their right mind would even think to call this a white wine???!!!!


Ok, so my White Zin is now happyly sitting in a corner of my kitchen and I got to thinking..... do I put this in clear wine bottles so everyone can see this really non-white blush color wine or do I put it in a colored wine bottles??? What does everyone else do??
Thanks again TinaLouise

 

[vcasey]

I just use whatever I have on hand. We give away a blush wine as Christmas gifts to friends and I will use a clear or frosted bottle for those.
VPC