My wife asked me if I am cheating

[mark500]

On winemaking that is. I had a lot of sediment after secondary fermentation and when I racked it, I was about a half gallon short of the top of the carboy. So i added some store bought Merlot and a little water to top it off. My wife saw me and wondered what I was doing. I told her not to worry, because I haven't the slightest idea.


Seriously, I did taste the wine after secondary fermentation before I racked it and it was tangy, harsh, and acidic. This my first batch ever. Can you tell much about how the final product will turn out if you taste it at that stage?

 

[Wade E]

Thats about normal at this early stage of the process, Just make sure that when you rack at this stage of the game not to leave much behind as it will all fall out later. Another trick is to lean the carboy to 1 side so as all the sediment falls to 1 side and then when you are ready to rack off the lees gently tip it back the other way so you can rack off the shallow end of the lees getting more clean wine and less lees.

 

[Dean]

any resemblance to wine, while it is still so young and in the carboy is purely coincidental. After a few years, if you taste along the way, you'll develop a sense of where the wine is going and what its true potential will be. You'll also start to realize that my first sentence is true.

 

[K&GB]

Well said Dean. It will taste much better after you've degassed it and it's had time to clear. Then it should resemble wine. And after a few months or so of aging in the carboy, it'll be even better.

 

[jcnoren]

When I first started making kit wines I discarded my lees. Later it was pointed out to me, to save the lees, put the lees into another smaller container with air lock and let it settle a day or two. You would be surprised how much usuable wine you can get this way.


JC

 

[Wayne1]

Thanks jcnoren - I have tried a lot of things to avoid wasting wine but haven't tried that one yet

 

[Wade E]

A lot of beer making people do this to start their next batch, save their yeast patty that is. They refridge it and then warm it uo and stir it and then add it to their wort when its ready and off it goes an already lively yeast colony.

 

[mark500]

After 3 months aging in carboy, the batch is still not that good. Curiously, the aftertaste is good. Maybe 3 more months will help.

 

[v1rotate]

Just out of curiosity which kit are you making, Mark? Since you topped up with a Merlot it is a red. My early reds were very disappointing until about the 6th month when they magically improved! These were WE kits, a VR Zin, a Selection Merlot and Luna Rossa.

 

[Wade E]

Yeh, we need to know which kit or even if this is a kit!

 

[mark500]

Sorry, it's a Wine Expert kit, Original.