WineXpert Specific gravity question

[Mo-Wine]

Hi all,

I'm new to winemaking, making my first kit now, Winexpert Selection California Cabernet Sauvignon. I started the kit on (Sun) 1/25/15 and my SG was 1.090. So far so good. The instructions say to check the SG in 5-7 days and it should be 1.010 or less. On day 6 (Sat) mine was @ .992, which is where it should be at the end of secondary fermentation (another 10 days). I racked it into my carboy, but I'm wondering, should I move on to the stabilizing and fining stage now or should I wait the 10 days per the instructions? Would it hurt anything to leave it for the 10 days before stabilizing?

Thanks for your help,

CharlieMo

 

[tanddc]

Time is your friend. Let it sit at least the minimum time as stated in your kits instructions.

Tim

 

[Mo-Wine]

Thanks for the reply. As this is my first attempt @ winemaking I don't want to screw anything up. I'll let it sit the required time before moving on to the next step.

Charlie

 

[Boatboy24]

Since your SG is so low and your fermentation likely complete, make sure your carboy is topped up.

Welcome to WMT!

 

[Mo-Wine]

Thanks for the advice. In the instructions for the kit it says not to top up the carboy, but I've read in other places that it should be topped up. Some say to top up with water and others say to use a similar type wine. Would water dilute the wine too much?

Thanks

CharlieMo

 

[sweed]

I just checked my cabernet a little more than 3 weeks in the primary and is at .991. I was going to rack to clear it today, but I just moved last month and tossed my racking tube. I also homebrew.
I think I'm going to age this 3-6 months in the carboy.

 

[Dhaynes]

Here is a quote from Tim Vandergrift copied from another wine making forum. Tim is probably the world's leading expert on wine kits. He wrote the instructions for all of the Winexpert kits.

"For first-time success follow the instructions completely, making no changes however small, omitting no detail, however slight. Double check the temperature of the must before pitching the yeast, keep it at the upper end of the temperature range, keep the temperature steady, sprinkle the yeast and when offered a choice of a time or a gravity reading, always do the thing that takes longer (i.e., if your instructions say, 'after 5-7 days the sg should be below 1.010. When it is, rack the wine to the carboy', if the gravity is 1.010 after only two days, wait until the 5th day. If it's above 1.010 after 5 days, wait until it drops.)"


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[Mo-Wine]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Makes me feel more confident that my first effort will turn out OK, or better yet... it will turn out great.

Thanks again,

Charlie

 

[GaDawg]

What everybody else says and Welcome to wine making!

 

[Rocky]

I am swimming upstream again I realize, but I respectfully have to disagree with Mr. Vandergrift. I have always followed the specific gravity rather than the calendar and I will continue to do so. Making wine from grape juice is essentially a chemical process and the hydrometer is the tool that tells me where the process is at any point in time.

I am not advocating that any or everyone follows my advice. I also wonder at his specification, "for first-time success" in his statement.

 

[richmke]

but I respectfully have to disagree with Mr. Vandergrift. I have always followed the specific gravity rather than the calendar and I will continue to do so. ...

I also wonder at his specification, "for first-time success" in his statement.

Tim is not advocating much different from what you do. He says "do the thing that takes longer", which is, in essence, following SG, but waiting a few more days if you have not hit the calendar time.

"for first-time success" - nothing mysterious here. It means for newbies who have no idea what they are doing.

One benefit of waiting for calendar time is: If the newbie mis-measured SG, time will make sure the newbie is not that far off.

I would bet that, in some respects, you are following Tim anyway. After all, you are probably waiting X days to check SG. For the newbie that is OCD and checking SG daily, it forces the newbie to wait X days.

 

[Rocky]

Rich, I understand what you are saying but I find that the thing that is longer is the time shown in the instructions. I have had wine go from SG 1.095 to 1.010 in a matter of a few days and not the 7-10 that are normally stated in the instructions. I rack the wine when it goes below 1.020, regardless of how many days have passed. I believe that the time show in the instructions are averages of the times for various steps. I am concerned with what is happening before my eyes and not what may have happened, on average, for a few thousand people. A person can drown in a lake which has an "average" depth of 2 feet.

And, again, I am not advocating that anyone follow my way of doing it. I am just expressing an opinion and what works for me.

 

[richmke]

The 180 day kit instructions have you keeping the wine in the pail and on the lees for 1 month. I'm thinking about trying the instructions with a CC Malbec kit I have. I might rack (including lees) to a carboy after 10 days, just to get it out of the pail.

 

[Kraffty]

Rocky, I haven't near the experience as you and understand you speaking about what works for you but you can't really use SG only as a blanket rule. Kits that include Oak powders or shavings need a certain amount of time do achieve their intended purpose. Grape packs or skins need time impart their colors and tannins and flavors. Do you see any harm in extra time (not excessive of course) time spent in different stages even after hitting a target SG?
Mike

 

[DoctorCAD]

The 180 day kit instructions have you keeping the wine in the pail and on the lees for 1 month. I'm thinking about trying the instructions with a CC Malbec kit I have. I might rack (including lees) to a carboy after 10 days, just to get it out of the pail.

I use the 180 day instructions for all my kits now. Adding tannins and the extra time really helps.

 

[Rocky]

Rocky, I haven't near the experience as you and understand you speaking about what works for you but you can't really use SG only as a blanket rule. Kits that include Oak powders or shavings need a certain amount of time do achieve their intended purpose. Grape packs or skins need time impart their colors and tannins and flavors. Do you see any harm in extra time (not excessive of course) time spent in different stages even after hitting a target SG?
Mike

Hi Mike, I guess I am causing a lot of confusion here for no good reason. What I am mainly addressing is removing the wine from the gross less in primary and moving it to a secondary container at or below SG 1.020. I will leave it in that container until it is fermented to dry, for me SG 0.992 or so. I am just a little concerned about leaving wine in the primary fermenter (with just a lid loosely lying on top) for an extended time. That arrangement counts on a layer of CO2 protecting the wine and at the lower gravities, CO2 production is diminished. At SG 0.992 or so, I add K-meta and the clarifiers and go to bulk aging, which for reds could be a year or more.

I should say that the instructions are the place to start when you are a new wine maker. Once you have made a number of batches, you see things that work just as well with little or no risk. I suppose that is where I am. Contrary to the purists in the wine making hobby, I see it as an extension of cooking or baking, which I also do frequently. As such, I rarely follow a recipe to the letter and I am constantly trying new things to see how they work out. I do the same with wine.

Once again, this is my way and I am not espousing it for others. Just stating an opinion.