Vineco Sediment at start seems odd.

[blue_jeans]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum but I've been wine making for a few months now. I just started a Cheeky monkey Gewürztraminer and I followed the kits instructions loosely but i went more off my wine store guys advice. I started with water at 80 deg F and added 5 L to the pail, then added bentonite. I followed that with the juice, then topped up with cool water so that my starting temp was around 75 deg F. I then gave it a final stir then added my packet of yeast. After about half an hour there is about 3/4 of an inch of sediment and the yeast particles seem to be dropping to the bottom like stones. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Runningwolf]

Blue Jeans first off welcome to the forum. Any relation to Mr Green Jeans LOL, never mind you're probably to young. I have never done that kit before but it seems like a lot of sediment this early in the game. I would probably try to give it a really good stir again.

 

[blue_jeans]

Lol, no, no relation. Thanks for the tip tho, that was pretty much what I was figuring. Maybe adding the bentonite before the juice caused it to sink too quick. I was gonna wait to stir it to see if something started happening but if you think its the route to go I'll give it a whirl. Stirring won't mess up the yeast action will it?

 

[Runningwolf]

Not at all, it will enhance it.

 

[cpfan]

Blue_Jeans:

I think sediment at the bottom is fairly normal until the yeast gets going. Stirring again shouldn't hurt anything. I see it regularly in white wines.

BTW, I like to follow the Vineco instructions for bentonite (and I've made a LOT of their kits including the CM G'wine). Sprinkle the bentonite on top and stir vigourously, then sprinkle the yeast. This gets the bentonite dissolved, and stirs O2 into the must.

Steve

 

[robie]

Welcome to the forum.
Are you fermenting in a flat bottomed bucket or in a carboy?

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!

I agree with above - stir it back up and when fermentation starts it should do better.

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome to the forum.
Are you fermenting in a flat bottomed bucket or in a carboy?

Good question as I always use a bucket and thats why I wouldn't notice any sediment right away.

 

[robie]

Good question as I always use a bucket and thats why I wouldn't notice any sediment right away.

Yep, and because of the roundedness, where the sides of a carboy meets the bottom, it can appear that there is more sediment than really exists.

I can't imagine 3/4 inch of anything already on the bottom, within the first day of fermentation, unless it might be the grapes from a large grape pack, and his wine is a white, so no grape pack.

I bet it will all turn out super for him in the end.

 

[grapeman]

I would say you are seeing swollen up bentonite. Some brands just swell up and don't dissolve very well. I have some that when you add a tablespoon to water, you will have a half cup full of a swollen globby mess until added to the must. Like cpfan said, once fermentatio gets going, it will sort of mix it all over as the must rolls along.