Questions for the wine makers

[jamesngalveston]

Please answer for me...just curious...

1. Do you ferment in a closed bucket with airlock
2. Do you ferment in an open bucket with cloth,etc cover.

1...Do you ferment to dry in primary.
2...Do you move to secondary and let it go dry are complete ferment.

1. Do you add sorbate before it clears.
2. Do you add sorbate after it clears.

 

[JohnT]

Please answer for me...just curious...

1. Do you ferment in a closed bucket with airlock
2. Do you ferment in an open bucket with cloth,etc cover.

1...Do you ferment to dry in primary.
2...Do you move to secondary and let it go dry are complete ferment.

1. Do you add sorbate before it clears.
2. Do you add sorbate after it clears.

open ferment in unsealed vats (just toss a plastic tarp over it).

I transfer to secondary and continue to ferment dry there.

I add no sorbate. I age for 2 years and never back sweeten. A light filtration is all I need for nice, clear wine.

 

[dralarms]

1 ferment with air lock
2 move to secondary to finish.
3 sorbate before clearing

 

[wineforfun]

Ferment with loose lid
DB I ferment to dry, some of my fruit wines I transfer before dry
Sorbate when clear, a week before bottling

 

[Scott]

please answer for me...just curious...

1. Do you ferment in a closed bucket with airlock
2. Do you ferment in an open bucket with cloth,etc cover.

1...do you ferment to dry in primary.
2...do you move to secondary and let it go dry are complete ferment.

1. Do you add sorbate before it clears.
2. Do you add sorbate after it clears.

2.
2.
2.

 

[dangerdave]

I ferment in a plastic bucket with a lid placed on top (not snapped) covered with a cloth.

As you know, I ferment DB to dry in primary, as well as most of my fruit wines. With kits I "usually" follow the directions. Usually.

I normally add sulfite, sorbate, and the clearing agent after the wine has gone dry.

There have been exceptions to all of these.

 

[DoctorCAD]

1. Open fermenter, non-snapped lid and towel
2. Ferment to 1.020 or so then move to carboy
3. I only sorbate wines I know will back-sweeten (I like really dry wine). I do sorbate when clear and ready to bottle.

 

[jamesngalveston]

thanks for the replys...appreciate it.

 

[wineforfun]

I have noticed in some recipes, it calls to rack to secondary when around 1.020-1.030, while others run everything dry in the primary.
I thought it was to get the "goods" off the gross lees, but alot of recipes don't do this and they taste good when finished too. Seems to just be a preference.
Please explain.

 

[olusteebus]

2,2 and 1

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (had to do that because my post was too short.

 

[Rocky]

Start fermentation in an open bucket with the cover laid on top, not snapped down tightly. Move to a secondary fermenter when SG is at or near 1.020 and continue fermentation to dry. I rarely add potassium sorbate, but if I do add it, I do so when wine is clear.

 

[jamesngalveston]

gus, i have no idea about why some recipes do what they do are why some do opposite..
It really does not make sense...One article says let it go dry in primary, another says nooooooooooooo...
One article post kit says sorbate when you move to secondary,
another says wait for it to clear.
One article, etc says ferment with lid on and airlock, one says
no lid and cover..


None of it makes sense, except .....it all makes wine.

 

[jamesngalveston]

Rocky , If you said you added sorbate in a cloudy wine, I would change my opinion of you......I consider you one of the better wine makers....

 

[Deezil]

Depends on what you're making.

Trying to ferment a warm, red grape wine, in a closed bucket with an airlock & you'll be repainting your ceiling

Trying to cool ferment something like a traditional mead or Riesling grape wine, in an open bucket, all the way to dry, and you may get some oxidation - maybe not enough to change the color, but it will affect the flavor a touch.

If you rack to secondary to finish the fermentation, do you take the sediment with it, in hopes of fermenting dry, or do you leave most of the sediment behind to see if you can 'hang'/'stick' the fermentation for some residual sweetness? The latter doesnt always work, but does sometimes. I dont advise it for new winemakers.

The only time I could see any reason to add sorbate to a cloudy wine, would be in an instance where you're making a high-flavor, low-alcohol, sweeter wine/cider. If you're in secondary, and you want to add more flavor layers (fruits added in secondary have a chance at retaining natural flavors and sugars for residual sweetness when the yeast are starting to decline, old meadmakers trick), then sorbate may help. Other than that, always added to cleared wines.

That's part of the reason why you find so many differing opinions. Part of it is the outcome they're hoping to achieve.. The other part is the date at which they posted the information.. Wine making science and knowledge is developing so fast that it's difficult for those of us who are trying, to even keep up with it.

I have some 'general' things that I do, but to make every batch exactly the same way, regardless of flavor, style and approach.. It's limiting yourself, in my eyes.

 

[cimbaliw]

As a 14 month "veteran," the nebulous, gaseous cloud of technique is still cooling and condensing. Red kits, white kits, Expensive kits, mid priced kits, SP/DB, apfelwein all get treated a bit differently. I'm not sure I ever want that to change?

 

[pjd]

Please answer for me...just curious...

1. Do you ferment in a closed bucket with airlock
2. Do you ferment in an open bucket with cloth,etc cover.

1...Do you ferment to dry in primary.
2...Do you move to secondary and let it go dry are complete ferment.

1. Do you add sorbate before it clears.
2. Do you add sorbate after it clears.

2
1
2 almost never happens, I don't like or make sweet wine so rarely use sorbate.

 

[the_rayway]

1) Open bucket with towel or loose lid.
2) Whatever I feel like
3) I used to add sorbate in secondary, but now will be waiting until I actually decide to back-sweeten.

 

[Johngottshall]

Closed w/ airlock

Move to secondary then let go to dry back sweeten to taste

Sorbate after it clears few days later bottle.

 

[jpsmithny]

Ferment closed with airlock.
Move to secondary and ferment to dry.

Have not used sorbate yet as I have not back sweetened any of my wines so far.

Of course, from the good people here, I have learned to wait until it is clear.

 

[Rodnboro]

2
Most of the time 2
2