WineXpert To day is THE day!!!

[djcoop]

Today is the day I get to bottle my batch of chianti.


Any last minute suggestions, do's, don'ts, hints!!!


I'm very excited and nervous!!

 

[peterCooper]

Don't drink it all before it gets into the bottle.

Remember, sanitize sanitze sanitize.

The important thing is to LET US SEE A PHOTO WHEN YOU'RE DONE!!!

 

[djcoop]

Don't drink it all (just till I pass out, or finish bottling

)- check


Sanitize - check


Ok, I think I can handle that!! I'm going to rack over to primary and bottle out of that, so I can use my spigot to turn on and off.

 

[MedPretzel]

Fizz-Ex it again, just to be sure. (I always forget that one)

 

[djcoop]

Martina- So it is recommend on the day of bottling, when you move to your primary, or where ever you are bottling from, to de-gass again? for how long, a couple of minutes? Ideally, you of course will want to rack to primary or another carboy off of sediment then do, correct?


I just tasted and checked SG ,<990>(now I need to figure out how to calculate alc). Don't think I have to worry about drinking tonight

. I wouldn't say it was horrible. It's a VR Chianti. VERY dry, and tannic tasting (I think-- itchy tongue feeling). Definitely does not taste like the VR chianti I have tasted before. Clarity is perfect, smells pretty good. I sure do hope it will taste better later. Has anyone made this before??? I am defintely going to add 1/4 tsp. k-meta to 1/2 c. h20 and set for 3-6 mo. I even thought of sweeteningg a few bottles. Do I need to worry about restarting of ferm. if I do??

 

[masta]

Personally I never stir again just before bottling...if your wine is not gassed properly it isn't ready to bottle and you don't want to aerate the wine at this point in time.


The wine is young and don't get too concerned over the taste at this point in time. You can sweeten without any issues since the kit contained sorbate that was added along with the K-meta. Adding the extra 1/4 tsp of K-meta will help ensure a long shelf life and try a bottle in 3-4 months and I am sure it will be much different.


Congrats on getting the first batch in the bottle and this is the hardest one....!

 

[smurfe]

I agree with Masta, don't stir it again. It should mellow with age and the flavor will develop into what you are accustomed to. Make sure to sanitize your bottles and corks well. After you bottle, leave the bottle standing upright for a couple days to assure they seal well. So what you making next?

Smurfe

 

[MedPretzel]

Personally I never stir again just before bottling...if your wine is not gassed properly it isn't ready to bottle and you don't want to aerate the wine at this point in time.

Technically, I agree. But I usually jump the gun on the degassing part. I don't know why, but I always seem to. That's why I degas an extra time "just to make sure." It also allows me to see that I have really, properly degassed, and not just think I have.


But, Donna, go with the consensus on this one. I don't usually make kit wines, so go with what the others say.

 

[djcoop]

Smurfe-


I already have a peach apricot chardonnay to bottle next friday, a black rasberry merlot that I racked over to secondary yesterday and a pumpkin wine that I will check the SG on Saturday to see if it is ready to move to secondary. Whew!! I think the next kit I purchase will be the port (what it needs to age like 1 yr??), then maybe another Island Mist kit to have more to float me, then my fav, a cabernet.

 

[djcoop]

We did it. After a nutritious dinner of veggie pizza (I couldn't cook, my kitchen was clean for bottling

), the hubby and I did it. We bottled 28 1/2 bottles of chianti, our first kit!! I think everything went very well. The only thing I forgot to sanatize, was the corker. But at least we sanatized the corks. Hopefully, that will help cancel anything out. I was the official bottle filler and dictator, hubby was the corker. We had a few problems with that (we noticed it on a few certain types of bottles), but I guess that may be the norm.?....??.... And we even drank a smidge. Seemed to taste better as you were bottling!!


Thanks for everyones help...........

 

[pkcook]

DJ,


I always found bottling easier after a few samples!

I find most things easier after a glass as a matter of fact

.


Glad to hear of your success!


PC

 

[djcoop]

Don't worry PC, me too! Hey, it's cheaper and better for me than prescription meds.............

 

[Waldo]

Congrats DJ...Now where are dem dere pictures you took..You did take pictures of your vey first bottling I know !!

 

[Cove Cottage]

Congratulations!!! Sounds like some good team work going on there.


ENJOY your wine. Margaret

 

[djcoop]

Waldo-


I posted pics under the wine photos. Under the Raspberry photos (don't know why I did that??)

D

 

[Brandst]

She was just trying to hijack my wonderful, insightful, thought provoking thread on scratch wine making.

Or maybe she just wasn't paying attention.





Steve

 

[djcoop]

Steve-


If I was a betting woman, I would think it was the latter

~~


xoxo--d

 

[pkcook]

DJ,


Your wine on the other thread looked great

 

[djcoop]

Thanks!! It went well, nothing exploded or spewed!!

 

[smurfe]

Smurfe-


I already have a peach apricot chardonnay to bottle next friday, a black rasberry merlot that I racked over to secondary yesterday and a pumpkin wine that I will check the SG on Saturday to see if it is ready to move to secondary. Whew!! I think the next kit I purchase will be the port (what it needs to age like 1 yr??), then maybe another Island Mist kit to have more to float me, then my fav, a cabernet.

If a Cab is your favorite, I would get it made next and stashed away to age. Cab is my favorite as well. I made a VR kit which is OK but nothing spectacular. It IS way better IMHO than many give it credit for though. I added a some extra oak and some elderberries to it. It is quite good but still needs some age. It is drinkable though.


I have 3 high end Cab kits laying in the rack that wont see me for at least a year from now. I have one other that will be inhaled in about 6 months if I can keep out of it. I have been good and not touched any more of that one in a couple months or better. It is tough.


So, get those ones that need to age done and bottled and then get those quick drinkers made. You will be glad you did.

Smurfe