Cellar Craft Seconday Ferment Complete...

[Jaggz]

I have a Syrah that just completed secondary ferment in a carboy...but I have to leave town for four days...do you think it's ok to sit idle without racking or adding sorbate till then? My plan was to rack into a clean carboy before clearing & degassing but I'm not quite sure if it'll be ok for a few more days as is, (in carboy with airlock in place)?!? My hunch is that it'll be fine...as it seems most things related to making wine seem to lean more towards additional time rather than less - but you guys are awesome & know way more than I!

 

[roger80465]

Go on your trip and fuggetaboutit. As long as the airlock is giving protection and the bung is tight, you will be fine. You are right, time is your friend.

Roger

 

[Rocky]

Jaggz, the wine will be fine as long as it is protected against oxygen. You mentioned adding "sorbate" but not potassium metabisulfite. The K-meta is more important and if the fermentation is complete, i.e. the SG is in the low 0.990's, one coulld argue that you do not need the K-sorbate.

 

[TonyP]

Let me offer the same conclusion as Roger and Rocky, but from a slightly different perspective. I'd bet 99% of winemakers (including myself) don't know exactly when fermentation ends, so the kind of precision you're suggesting is hard to envision. In fact, I'm guessing you're not really saying the wine "just completed secondary ferment". Are you certain there aren't a few little yeast guys left around doing their thing and that the SG reading won't get lower? (And consider that wine's been made since long before the hydrometer was invented.) In other words, it's all just an estimate anyway, including the instructions - which say something like 0.998 or less.

Yes, you're fine.

 

[Jaggz]

You guys are correct, I'm basing it as "complete" on the fact that there hasn't been any bubbles released from the airlock in two days now...I will ensure that the hydrometer reflects the correct SG. The instructions do say to add the k-meta as well as the sorbate...but only mention that it may be easier to degas if it were racked to the primary fermenter. I know when I racked to secondary, there were lots of sediment, it even clogged the spigot. So I'm thinking I need to rack again, add k-meta, sorbate & degas...thinking that as long as its protected via the airlock, that'll be ok until Thursday or so?

 

[Boatboy24]

Topped up and under airlock, you're fine. In fact, some kit instructions specifically state it's ok to extend secondary by up to a week.

 

[TonyP]

I know when I racked to secondary, there were lots of sediment, it even clogged the spigot. So I'm thinking I need to rack again, add k-meta, sorbate & degas...thinking that as long as its protected via the airlock, that'll be ok until Thursday or so?

Jaggz, you're making me nervous here. I'm certainly not familiar with all the Cellar Craft kits (some, but not all), but I don't know any that suggest transferring sediment from primary. Thus, if you racked using the spigot (which I'm not suggesting you do), you'd rack sediment. If that's the case, I suggest avoiding it going forward. Overall, my suggestion is to degas before adding anything.

 

[Jaggz]

Jaggz, you're making me nervous here. I'm certainly not familiar with all the Cellar Craft kits (some, but not all), but I don't know any that suggest transferring sediment from primary. Thus, if you racked using the spigot (which I'm not suggesting you do), you'd rack sediment. If that's the case, I suggest avoiding it going forward. Overall, my suggestion is to degas before adding anything.

Yeah, perhaps I learned a little to late on this batch, which just happens to be my first

I say sediment, but I think the stuff that clogged the spigot was the wood shavings...it didn't clog until the very end...and there was still lots of sediment on the bottom of the primary bucket. At the time I didn't have a siphon...so going forward, I'll use the auth-siphon for all racking!

Do I need to be concerned about this batch? I'll rack again on Thursday when I get home...add the K-meta, sorbate, degas & add oak cubes.

 

[TonyP]

Concerned, no. Most of the mistakes we all make can have an impact on taste, but little is likely to be ruinous. Make certain your equipment is clean and sanitized; this accounts for 90% of fermentation failures. Make certain the wine is fully degassed. Also, don't bottle unless the wine is clear. In addition, be mindful of the potential for oxidation, so avoid the introduction of air after primary fermentation. Beyond that, follow directions, be patient, and have fun.