Tartrates

[John Prince]

I've made a couple kits and have some tartrates in the bottle. What happened? Didn't degas well? I bulk aged it for a year.

 

[Deezil]

Tartrate crystals?

Thats usually a stabilization issue, although not really a major one (wont render the wine undrinkable)

If the wine was bottled at room temp, with excessive acids, and then it cooled down - this would cause the acids to crystallize and precipitate.. And once they form and fall, they dont go back into solution when the temp of the wine rises again.

Would surprise me from a kit.. But i've only done a lot of reading on them, not so much on the experience-front

 

[Runningwolf]

I am also surprised you got them from a kit. Which kits were they. I am betting they were high end kits you got. I cold stabilize everything at 28* for at least three weeks.

 

[John Prince]

Mosti Mondiale 2011 Meglioli. Taste great.

 

[ibglowin]

I have them fall out all the time from my CC Showcase red kits after about 2 years. You did nothing wrong. It means the juice was good and had nice acids. They are a normal occurrence from a wine that has not been cold stabilized before bottling.

 

[UBB]

I have an old old fridge that cools down to 36-38 degrees. Cold enough to cold stabilize??

 

[winemaker_3352]

I have an old old fridge that cools down to 36-38 degrees. Cold enough to cold stabilize??

Yup - just go about 6 weeks at that temp.

26-28* - I go 3-4 weeks
28-32* - I go 4-5 weeks
32-36* - I go 5-6 weeks.

That is just me though...

 

[UBB]

Yup - just go about 6 weeks at that temp.

26-28* - I go 3-4 weeks
28-32* - I go 4-5 weeks
32-36* - I go 5-6 weeks.

That is just me though...

Ok thanks for the feedback.

 

[robie]

Yup - just go about 6 weeks at that temp.

26-28* - I go 3-4 weeks
28-32* - I go 4-5 weeks
32-36* - I go 5-6 weeks.

That is just me though...

That works for me, also. I don't have a frig for this, so I have to do all my CS in the winter.

 

[BeerAlchemist]

I have an old old fridge that cools down to 36-38 degrees. Cold enough to cold stabilize??

You could pick something like a Ranco temp controller up and hook your fridge up to that, crank it to max cold and let the Ranco turn the fridge on and off and it will get to freezing pretty easy.