racking question

[rrawhide]

was reading the book 'grapes into wine' and there was mention of evey
time you rack you need to add a light dose of meta. Is this
something we need to do every time? What about when you bulk age
for 5-6 months and rack off when you have some lees built up?
Also, if you add a light dose every time you rack does the meta build
up and cause problems. I have a MM Amarone; WE Gewurz; and WE Cab
bulk aging right now - kit started early - mid June. Racked once
and ready to do again. Planning on leaving until November and
then bottling. Advice please.

thanx

rrawhide

 

[dfwwino]

I would follow the kit instructions. For example, WE has you add sulfites at Step 3 and says to add an extra 1/4 tsp near bottling if you plan to age. If you really want to be accurate, you can measure free SO2 near bottling and add the right amount. You can use a PH meter and titrates or Accuvin's tester. See http://www.winemakermag.com/mrwizard/142.html


Wagner was a legend in winemaking and grapegrowingwriting, especially on the East Coast, but he was also dealing with making wine from fresh grapes and assuming the homewinemaker did not have lab equipment to measure sulfites and assuming that many homewinemakers did not have the best sanitation practices. He wrote at a time when home winemakers did not have the resources that we do today. As I recall, the book was written in the mid-70's and Wagner died in 96.Even with fresh grapes, you would not add sulfites at each racking. For example, some folks add no sulfites until after MLF is complete to ensure MLF occurs and is not prevented by sulfites. Some folks might add sulfites before fermentation, but none until after MLF. There are many methods, depending on winemaker preference and type of wine. If you plan to age wine made from fresh grapes, the key is to make sure you have adequate sulfites before bottling. The only way to do that reliably is to test for sulfite levels, as mentioned above. Otherwise, you risk oversulfiting your wine and leaving your wine smelling like a burnt match.Edited by: dfwwino