Cellar Craft Showcase Yakima Valley Chardonnay questions

[Tripplett]

This being my second kit I'm starting to understand a bit more but I still have a few questions based on what I've read other members doing here. I've searched on most of this but I've almost ended up more confused.

My plan is to bulk age this in a 70 deg steady basement for at least 5 months before bottling. I also plan to cold stabilize this to remove bitartrate crystals - I have an extra empty fridge I can use.

1) I can't tell if this kit has the Acacia or Oak cubes. How do I tell?
2) The directions say to add any oak powder or shavings to the primary and there is no other mention of cubes anywhere else. I'm assuming I add these to the primary and transfer to secondary. Taste at each racking and remove when I like the flavor or after the first racking?
3) does fermentation time affect flavor? If so would it be better to lower temp to slow fermentation?
4) what about changing out this fast acting EC-1118 for something more suited to chardonnays like the D-47?
5) This comes with kieselsol and chitosan for clearing. Kieselsol added first with chitosan added 3 hrs later. I've read elsewhere to add the chitosan a day later. Does this time window matter much after 3 hrs?
6) I have mostly Better Bottles. Any reason I can't cold stabilize in a BB?

The more I read about making great wine the more I seem to come across inconsistencies. It could be just an individuals opinion. Or perhaps they set these kits up with the highest chance of success. Thanks for any help you may offer.

 

[ibglowin]

They do set the kits up to be mostly fool proof. This being only your second kit, don't "fool" with it.

Does the bag that the cubes are in have anything printed on it. Mine had Acacia printed on it. If this kit is new, just bought from a reputable dealer then its probably untoasted or lightly toasted Hungarian oak if there isn't any markings on the bag. You can add the cubes now and then transfer to secondary for long term bulk aging (months). It really depends on what type of Chardonnay you want/like as to how long the oak stays in for. If you like a lot of oak in your chard leave it for the full duration. If you want a more fruit forward wine, pull it after 2-4 weeks. Since kit wine must undergoes quite a bit of manipulation (like flash pasteurization) doing things like cool ferments are sorta questionable as to their benefit. It won't hurt but you could risk a stuck fermentation if your not careful. I would make this kit as is until you have been making kits for a year so you know what to expect when things go right and are better equipped to recognize a problem quickly when something starts going wrong.

I have always added the fining agents per directions. This is a chemical reaction of sorts and as such it is pretty much "done" in a short period of time. Waiting longer doesn't make the reaction do anything really. Temperature does. Keep it warm until it is fully degassed and cleared. As for cold stabilization I am not sure you need it.

I have 6 bottles left on my CC Showcase Yakima Valley Chardonnay and they are now 2 years old and they have no trace of any wine diamonds. My winery/cellar gets down to ~50 degrees this time of year.

Cellar Craft Showcase whites are less prone to wind diamond formation (in my experience) over some of the other kit manufacturers.

 

[SouthernChemist]

I believe someone inquired with CC/Vineco about whether the Yakima Chardonnay kit still had acacia cubes or oak cubes, and they were told it now contained oak. The cubes that came with my kit were not labeled as acacia cubes, and in fact the ingredient sticker on the side of the box listed oak. They were lightly toasted (at best) based on appearance, though again, there was no label on the bag. I added mine after the secondary fermentation. As someone who does not like heavily oaked Chardonnay, I did not find the addition of the cubes to be bad at all.

Because it is just your second kit, I would stay away from manipulating things too much. Better to get the experience and do it again later if you want to play around with the same kit. This particular kit has been fun to watch develop, and at about 10 months old it is still getting better! Just make sure you save some for a couple years to enjoy the its full potential.

 

[fivebk]

Mine came with acacia cubes in it. I wish it would have been oak. This wine still seems to me to need something to make it stand out. I think oak would have really improved it.

BOB

 

[uavwmn]

This being my second kit I'm starting to understand a bit more but I still have a few questions based on what I've read other members doing here. I've searched on most of this but I've almost ended up more confused.

My plan is to bulk age this in a 70 deg steady basement for at least 5 months before bottling. I also plan to cold stabilize this to remove bitartrate crystals - I have an extra empty fridge I can use.

1) I can't tell if this kit has the Acacia or Oak cubes. How do I tell?
2) The directions say to add any oak powder or shavings to the primary and there is no other mention of cubes anywhere else. I'm assuming I add these to the primary and transfer to secondary. Taste at each racking and remove when I like the flavor or after the first racking?
3) does fermentation time affect flavor? If so would it be better to lower temp to slow fermentation?
4) what about changing out this fast acting EC-1118 for something more suited to chardonnays like the D-47?
5) This comes with kieselsol and chitosan for clearing. Kieselsol added first with chitosan added 3 hrs later. I've read elsewhere to add the chitosan a day later. Does this time window matter much after 3 hrs?
6) I have mostly Better Bottles. Any reason I can't cold stabilize in a BB?

The more I read about making great wine the more I seem to come across inconsistencies. It could be just an individuals opinion. Or perhaps they set these kits up with the highest chance of success. Thanks for any help you may offer.

With all due respect........follow the directions and do not deviate. You will thank yourself in a few months.

 

[Tripplett]

There is no writing on my bag of cubes. I am no expert but they do not look toasted nor do they look like oak.

 

[Tripplett]

I'm starting this kit tonight. Thanks for the feedback. I will be following the instructions. They don't say when to remove the cubes but I'm sure I can figure that out based on taste. Past threads seem to hover around 3 months as a good time.

 

[robie]

The CC Yakima Chard I started about a year ago had only a packet of wood chips, not cubes. It smelled like lite toasted oak, but my packet didn't say what type of wood is was. Since I didn't want the acacia in my Chard, I just didn't use the packet at all.

If I were you I'd contact CC's new owner, give them the coded date from the box and ask them.

 

[Tripplett]

I looked on the box where it lists the ingredients and it says the word oak but ill contact them and report back. There seems to be some controversy over this on the posts I've read here.

 

[ibglowin]

Controversy, No. Confusion as to what wood is actually coming in the box these days.... Yes!

 

[Tripplett]

Ibglowin, poor choice of words on my part I suppose. I've enjoyed reading all your posts in other threads on this kit. Do you have any left?

 

[ibglowin]

6 bottles.

I have said in another post that this is my wife's favorite white wine I have made and she doesn't like Chardonnay. Definitely good juice! I have an RJS EP Aussie Chardonnay that will replace this one. It has a good amount of oak. I will be surprised if she likes it even half as much!