WineXpert Secondary Fermentation Duration

[Engineer]

Hello All,

My new work assignment has me away from home for 2 weeks at a time, and then back for 1 week. That rotation for the next 6 months. I'm trying to figure out how I will fuel my winemaking addiction with the new time constraints. Essentially, I will be back for 5 full days, then gone for 16 days (including travel time, etc).

I have only ever done basic WineXpert kits (First kit started 3 months ago and now I'm sooo hooked) and these call for: 5-7 days in Primary, 10 days in secondary, 14 days for clarifying/stabilizing. So, if I start the kit the day I get home and rack to secondary the day before I leave, that gives me a 5 day primary fermentation (maybe increase primary temp to speed things up?). But, then I would be looking at a 16 day secondary fermentation before I would be able to move to the next step. Is this too long? I know i can leave the wine to clear longer than the 14 days suggested before bottling but will it hurt the wine to be in the secondary for so long? Any suggestions at all on how I can do this?

Thanks for any feedback. I really don't want to have to put this hobby on hold for 6 months...

 

[cintipam]

Personally, in my opinion there would be no problem with a 16 day secondary as long as it it topped before you actually leave. I say that bec I often leave a little extra room for a few days after transfer to secondary to make sure it doesn't start foaming up again. Then I add some to bring it up to proper height. also be sure someone at home knows how to check the airlocks and the appropriate sanitation measures to take in case one of those comes off somehow. I had to teach hubby bec he was so used to my harping on sanitation he was afraid to touch anything if one of our cats knocked an airlock off during the night.

Remember, those kits have instructions geared to race you along to the finish line so you will buy another. Once you are in secondary carboy properly airlocked extra time is your friend, not your enemy.

Pam in cinti

 

[Dugger]

Welcome to the forum, Engineer. You'll enjoy it here! What you are proposing is no problem; in fact it fits very well with what is called the 5-20-40-90 schedule suggested by Tim Vandergrift, Winexperts' technical guru. This program calls for 5 days primary ferment, 15 days secondary ferment, 20 days clearing and 50 days bulk aging. I would think you can fit this with some modification to your work schedule. The times are flexible, especially the clearing and aging stages. There is a link somewhere on here in other threads to an article that explains this schedule but I couldn't locate it. Perhaps someone else on here could provide it. You can also go to winemaker magazine online and do a search for Making Your Kit Wine Shine, Redeaux or simply 5-20-40-90.

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome to the forum, Engineer. You'll enjoy it here! What you are proposing is no problem; in fact it fits very well with what is called the 5-20-40-90 schedule suggested by Tim Vandergrift, Winexperts' technical guru. This program calls for 5 days primary ferment, 15 days secondary ferment, 20 days clearing and 50 days bulk aging. I would think you can fit this with some modification to your work schedule. The times are flexible, especially the clearing and aging stages. There is a link somewhere on here in other threads to an article that explains this schedule but I couldn't locate it. Perhaps someone else on here could provide it. You can also go to winemaker magazine online and do a search for Making Your Kit Wine Shine, Redeaux or simply 5-20-40-90.

Yup, this is what I do, too. Here is the link to the article that Dugger mentioned: http://winemakermag.com/blogs/making-your-kit-wine-shine-redeaux

 

[Engineer]

That is great news! I gave the recommended article a read and will surely put it to use. Thanks for all your help and suggestions. It is much appreciated!