Troubleshooting

[K&GB]

Hi All,


Just returned from my vist to family in Texas. Remember that Sauvignon Blanc I bottledon Christmas Eve? Well, I gave some away to family after New Years and over the past week several bottles were opened and drunk. But each bottle seemed to be not as good as the one before. In fact, now that I'm back and trying a new bottle (bottled 2 weeks ago), I'm thinking this wine doesn't seem nearly as good as it did 3 weeks ago when I tasted it the first time. So I did some testing and came up with the following in hopes that some of you can provide advice. Note: I only bottled 3 gallons of this kit. The remaining 3 gallons is aging, and I hope to make corrections to it at the next racking.


The taste is harsh with a somewhat bitter aftertaste. The nice herbacious bouquet that it had when I first tasted it is almost completely gone and so is most of the sweetness, not that it was very sweet, but we did back sweeten it to .75% residual sugar (clinitest).


Acid- I'm frustrated with the new acid test kits I got. I can't get an accurate reading because color change is so subjective, especially in that big fat medicine cup. I liked the test tube kit much better. However, the acid appears high between .75-.8%... and maybe just a bit higher, but who can tell. Also note that I mistakenly added tartaric acid to the must before fermentation because I did my first ever acid test wrong. I later corrected with calcium carbonate (I think that's what it was), and 3 weeks ago (first tasting) the acid was .65%. But it seems a lot higher now.


Sugar- Holding steady at .75%


PH- 3.43


Alcohol- I just got this vinometer, so I have little experience with it. Readings appear high. My initial and susequent readings were 17.5%. So I tested a wine marked 11% and it read 14%. I assume the actual alcohol content of my Sauvignon Blanc is therefore 14.5%. Wow, that's high for a white! We tried to cold ferment this wine and kept it covered (with an airlock) throughout fermentation (after it was going good) because we thought oxygen would be a problem even during fermentation. (know better now) I've since read that depriving yeast of oxygen can cause it to produce more alcohol. Is that correct?


Okay, so high acid and high alcohol. Sugar and PH seem fine. What can I do to my remaining 3 gallons to improve the taste and bouquet?

 

[grapeman]

K&GB let me start by saying that any wine is at it's worst tasting between 1 week and 1-2 months in the bottle. This is a big reason why we preach patience in aging. Give the same wine 6 months in the bottle and you won't believe it is the same.


I wouldn't change much with the other 3 gallons, just give it some time. When you get a kit, don't try to adjust the acid. That has already been done for you before you get it. If you have a hard time reading the acid tests colors, get an inexpensive pH tester. Calibrate it when you get it and the color change takes place at a pH of 8.2, so you don't need to rely on seeing the subtle change and is more accurate.


Lastly unless you added sugar to this wine it is probably in the 12.5-13%ABV range. What were the beginning and ending specific gravity readings? You can check the alcohol content from that fairly accurately.


Don't get discouraged at this point- it will improve as it ages a bit. Start another early drinking kit and give the first one some time.

 

[Wade E]

I dont believe that you can use a vinometer accurately once i has any bit of sweetness and even then they are not that accurate from what Im told. Do you know your starting SG and your finished SG before you added sugar back. This will give you an accurate SG reading. As far as wine taste. You probably have bottle shock which can take a week or sometimes a few months depending on how delicate the wine is. Give it another month and open then and then make adjustments.

 

[K&GB]

Thanks Appleman and Wade. I'll give it some time and see how it goes. I've learned (after starting several kits) not to mess with acid and sugar at the beginning. I studied a book for months before beginning, but I failed to realize that the book assumed I was starting out with fresh grapes instead of a kit. My approach to my first four kits was based on the information I'd read in my home winemaking book. I bought some test equipment and chemicals and dove into my first kit (Heron Bay Sauv Blanc) with only a cursory glance at the directions. My second kit (a cab) didn't come with any directions, so I pretty much followed the book then too. Not until I discovered this forum did I begin to realize the fundamental differences between kits and fresh grapes. I also gained, a little late in the game,a healthy respect for following the kit directions. But alas, I added tartaric acid to two whites and sugar to two reds (prior to fermentation) before I woke up to the notion that the kit makers know what's best for their kits.


I've read about bottle shock, and now maybe I've experienced it first hand. Hopefully that's all it is.


Starting SG for the Sauv Blanc was 1.094, 23 brix, 12.8% potential alcohol. After 12 days, SG was .992 with only trace residual sugar verified by clinitest. I added 3 oz of table sugar dissovled in 1 cup of water at the first racking along with the packet of K-meta and Super Kleer. Since I had mistakenly added 6 tsp tartaric prior to fermentation, I countered with a trial dose of 2.5 tsp of calcium carbonate at the first racking to counter the high acid. After 13 days I drew a sample and found it perfectly clear, smelled great and tasted great, herbacious and fruity with a hint of oak. Acid was .65%, residual sugar .75%. Since it turned out so well, I decided to bottle half of itat Christmas.


Maybe I'll wait until April to see how the remaining bottles taste. Then I'll decide if I need to think about making adjustments to the remaining 3 gallons.


Thanks again.

 

[grapeman]

Your alcohol is probably a bit over 13% there Ken. You need to add the alcohol as it goes below 1.000- about 1%


Depending on where you are located, you might try to cold stabilize the remaining 3 gallons. If you can get it close to freezing, it will drop out some or all of the tartaric acid you added as tartaric crystals. You then just rack off the wine from those crystals.

 

[joeswine]

WE WILL BOTTLE NO WINE BEFORE IT'S TIME,someone once said that,I guess they meant that learning curve thing again,read, adjust ,know the product as well as you can ,don't reeingenere the wheel,and in the end have a glass of wine and it will be alright

 

[K&GB]

Appleman,


I've read about cold stabilization and bitartrate crystals precipitating out at low temps. Lum Eisman's giude suggests 27 degrees for a couple of days. My 3-gal carboy of Suav Blanc has been in the garage since Christmas where the temps range from 38-60. I just checked it and noticed quite an accumulation of crystals on the bottom. Questions: Will these crystals be reabsorbed at higher temps? Also, should I try getting that smaller carboy into my refrigerator for a few days?

 

[grapeman]

The lower temps are good, but you can't always attain them like you are seeing. I would wait for a good cold spell so it is cold for a few days in a row so the crystals are at their maximum. Rack off the crystals into a clean container before bringing in where it is warmer. Yes the crystals will redissolve at the warmer temps with time- so rack before moving.


See the following post of mine with a few oictures of crystals- 1/2 cup per carboy.


http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1474&PN=44