When does wine taste like wine?

[Namaste]

I've recently completedone of thelast phases of my kit which is addingSiligel and stirring and thenadding Liquigel and stirring. I then topped off with some of my favorite store-bought red winecalled 337. Since then, each of the last couple nights, I took a small sample to taste. I've noticedquite a bit of sediment at the bottom of the carboy and as of now the wine tastes very bitter with a horrible aftertaste (is this what dead yeast taste like?).


Does this mean my wine just needs more time to clear or should it have a somewhat pleasant taste by now and I'm wasting my time with a (somehow) contaminated batch? If I do a couple more rackings and give it some timeshould it eventually taste better?


Bryan

 

[MikeC]

Time and patience.


I recently did an Amarone with rasins. The first few tastings it was pretty awful. But-I tried it again yesterday after bulk aging for 3 months and it's great!


I plan to bottle tomorrow or Sunday.

 

[Wade E]

It really helps to know what kind and size kit this was as some are better much sooner but what i have to say may shock you. You will have to be patient and wait for quite some time especially for a red wine to become of age.

 

[grapeman]

If you just added clarifiers, it is perfectly natural to have sediment on the bottom. That is what is supposed to happen. As the kit progresses through the fermentation process a lot of chemical reactions are taking place. There is no way a person can expect it to taste like a store bought bottle at a few weeks of age, since those bottles of wine are typically two r more years old from starting to the point you bought them. While you save money making your own wine, the chemical processes are basically the same. You can certainly drink a very new wine, it just continues to improve as it ages.

 

[Namaste]

The kit is Summer Breeze Blackberry/Cherry Pino Noir. I wanted to try something inexpensive my firsttime in case I messed something up.Hopefully all I need to do is give it more time and maybe a couple more rackings because I feel like I followed the instructions quite well.

 

[Wade E]

These kits are very early drinkers and what you are tasting is all the fining agents and yeast. You should be able to drink this in a few weeks but a little more time will let it improve just a wee bit more.

 

[Namaste]

Thanks Wade. It's good to know it's likely going to be fine. I have no problem letting it sit for however long is needed; however, I will need to buy another carboy so I can start another batch. I guess this is what it's like when you catch "the fever", huh?

 

[Dean]

I'm confused by your experience of tasting "bitter". Breeze wines are typically so sweet that the only sensation you get is sweetness and not bitterness.

If you followed the instructions on the kit to the letter, at the end of the 28 day period, you will have a nice clear wine. Bottle it, and wait at least 3 weeks and try it then. You'll be suprised how much it has changed.

Oh, one final thing. To make a wine like 337 from a kit is quite possible, however, that one will require about 18 months minimum of age to get good.Edited by: Dean

 

[geocorn]

When did you add the flavor packet?

 

[grapeman]

Unless that is a new typekit , it would be a Black Cherry Pinot Noir and is a very sweet kit- rated at a 10. I have done that kit and it turns out very nice and is a popular sweet wine.


What George is asking is did you add the flavor pack which contains sweetener at the end of fermentation and adding the k-meta and sorbate, or did you happen to add it in the beginning? Some people add half at the beginning to try to increase alcohol and the rest at the end to flavor and sweeten less than normal. If you added at the end, finish it up, bottle it and set it aside for a month and then try it. It should turn out great.

 

[Namaste]

I didn't add the flavor pack until near the end as the instructions stated. I followed the directions well, but there are a couple things that are bothering me now. At one point I was told by a few peoplethat if I liked the taste of my tap water (well water)I could use that...so I did; however, the instructions stated not to use water with flouride, chlorine or water ran through a softener. Have any of you ever ruined a batch because you did one of those things and should I be paranoid of ruining this batch due to my tap water?
The other thing is my K-meta. I hear it gives off a foul and rather potent odor. When I mixed mine (or even when I didn't mix) it did not have an odor. Does this mean I may have been using some ineffective sanitizer which could've contaminated my batch?
Either way, I'm going to give it some time and see what happens. Would more frequent rackings help the clearing process or should I just wait until the wine tastes decent and then do one?

 

[Wade E]

When mixing up a fresh bath of sanitizer it typically doesnt smell, that usually takes a little while for it sitting in confined container to take your breath away. I think your fine and just need to give that wine its time.

 

[grapeman]

I don't think the water would make it taste that bad.


K-meta when first mixed up does not have that strong of an odor- that takes a few hours to develop. If you can, mix up a gallon of sanitizing stength a few hours ahead of using. It is still effective before that, but if you make it up ahead, you have it premixed already and you can certainly tell it is good.


I would not rack it until it is time- either in days, or when it is clear. Once it is clear and everything has been added and degassed per directions, bottle it and wait 30 days then start trying to taste. Don't wait to do procedures depending on tastes. That doesn't mean you can't tast eit while you do, but don't expect a finsihed product while it is this young.

 

[Namaste]

Thanks guys for the great info and the super fast responses. I'll let you know how it turns out.