White Wine - Greenish color?

[Wiccan_Lager]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here. I did not find the answer I was looking for by searching the threads or the web so I was hoping you guys and gals can help me out.

I had made wine with my dad for years but never a white wine, so when I moved in with my lady, she wanted to learn how to make wine, and of course...white wine. SO I went ahead and got 12 Gal of Lodi Gold Pinot Grigio. Made myself a slurry, dropped into the pales and stirred the pales once a day for about 3 days.

I then proceeded to rack them into a 15 gall heavy plastic barrel my dad has been using for years. I waited for it get happy, until there SG got to about 1.005ish (I can't remember exactly what it was. I am at work and posting so bare with me.)

So I racked the white into some fresh carboys and noticed that it almost has a greenish/brown tint and not clear at ALL. Is this normal as it is still young or is this something that needs attention.

The last time I checked the temp of the wine was around 68 degrees, if this matters.

Your help is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

Some of your lighter wines could have a greenish tint to it - my vidal blanc was like this - pinot grigio does as well.

As far as the brown - not sure - that could be oxidation setting in - have you added k-meta in?

 

[robie]

I wouldn't worry much until it is cleared.

When I made my first Chardonnay, I was really surprised that the must was more brown than straw and it didn't change much until it started clearing.

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

Hey!

No we did not add K Meta. This wine is for my girl and she claims she alergic to sulfites (even though she can eat dried fruits with no issue. But who am I to argue right?)

How would I know if it was oxydized? It smells and tastes like white wine to me. Unless, perhaps, its picking up on the floor tiles....those have a brown in them. Hmmm. I am going to check that out.

SO your saying that the greenish color is normal. Good. I would hate to have it go bad.

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

Hey Robie,

good to hear. I normally wouldn't panic, but I never made white before so to see a color such as that, I wasn't sure if it was normal. I would hate to have it go bad, me not know it, and I am sitting here waiting for a must to turn to wine when it's garbage ya know.

 

[robie]

Hey!

No we did not add K Meta. This wine is for my girl and she claims she alergic to sulfites (even though she can eat dried fruits with no issue. But who am I to argue right?)

How would I know if it was oxydized? It smells and tastes like white wine to me. Unless, perhaps, its picking up on the floor tiles....those have a brown in them. Hmmm. I am going to check that out.

SO your saying that the greenish color is normal. Good. I would hate to have it go bad.

You are taking a very serious risk not sulfiting a home made wine. At home, we just don't have the necessary controls to guaranty a wine will last without added sulfites. There will be some sulfites in the wine, anyway, as a result of fermentation, but it's not enough.

I would add the sulfites and wouldn't mention it to your girlfriend.

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

You are taking a very serious risk not sulfiting a home made wine. At home, we just don't have the necessary controls to guaranty a wine will last without added sulfites. There will be some sulfites in the wine, anyway, as a result of fermentation, but it's not enough.

I would add the sulfites and wouldn't mention it to your girlfriend.

That's exactly what I said! And when decanting, you can get rid of most of the sulfites too. I have no problem with em. I don't have a lab and sterile rooms and dedicated placed to keep clean for this kind of operation. I have a basement and a kitchen sink.

So are you suggesting I put some K Meta now? And if so, how much?

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

Never mind, found that that information in a sticky thread. 1/4 tsp per 6 gal for preservation.

 

[robie]

Wait until fermentation is completely done, then add 1/4 teaspoon of Kmeta per six gallons.

If you don't add the Kmeta, I would be sure to drink it well within six months. Watch it closely and make sure it continues to smells and tastes nice, that's the only signs it is going bad. If it looks, tastes, and smells OK, it is OK to drink.

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

Thank you both. This won't be the last time you will see me. I am on a mission to prove that I can make better wine than my brother and father, who just crush grapes, throw them in an old whiskey barrel, and pray.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I agree with Robie - and my Chardonel I made looked like chocolate milk during fermentation - it is now a nice straw color and tastes great!!!

I never would have thought that it would have turned out that way - but robie is right - once it is clear it will have a different look to it.

I would also suggest using sulphites - and ask away - there are a lot of smart and experienced minds in this forum.

 

[Tom_S]

Looking at a carboy full of wine is a lot different than looking at a bottle of wine. The lightest colored white wines will look a bit brown when looking through a full carboy. And when the wine still has yeast floating around in it, of course the color will be a lot different. I can't say that I've ever seen a green tint, but I'm partially colorblind anyway.

If you follow good sanitizing procedures, pick a good yeast, use a hydrometer, and rack when you need to, you'll make a far better wine than your dad & brother who just throw juice in a barrel and hope for the best. The scientific method works better than chance.

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

I agree with Robie - and my Chardonel I made looked like chocolate milk during fermentation - it is now a nice straw color and tastes great!!!

I never would have thought that it would have turned out that way - but robie is right - once it is clear it will have a different look to it.

I would also suggest using sulphites - and ask away - there are a lot of smart and experienced minds in this forum.

I hear ya. It's just hard to believe that what I see now will eventually turn into something clear.

Looking at a carboy full of wine is a lot different than looking at a bottle of wine. The lightest colored white wines will look a bit brown when looking through a full carboy. And when the wine still has yeast floating around in it, of course the color will be a lot different. I can't say that I've ever seen a green tint, but I'm partially colorblind anyway.

If you follow good sanitizing procedures, pick a good yeast, use a hydrometer, and rack when you need to, you'll make a far better wine than your dad & brother who just throw juice in a barrel and hope for the best. The scientific method works better than chance.

Any idea how long it should take before i start seeing it clear? And there has been some debate on temperature. Does a colder temp allow for clearing faster than a warmer?

 

[JDC]

Glass clear?

Are your Carboys completely clear? Two of my glass carboys have a greenish tint in the glass.

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

Are your Carboys completely clear? Two of my glass carboys have a greenish tint in the glass.

Hey JDC,

Yes, completely clear. Just bought them before I started all this. I have a feeling that the brownish color I am seeing may be relfection of the tiles on the floor. It's strikingly similar.

 

[grapeman]

The colors can vary quite a lot, even with the same variety. This year we had a lot of sun and most of the whites became a beautiful golden color, some even close to brown. As a result, the wines are darker than normal, but oh man are the aromas and tastes great. It made for a more concentrated experience. They will be fine.

P.S.- if you want to make the wine better and more reliable than family, use the sulfites included and follow the steps. You will end up with a low sulfite wine with plenty of taste. I can read good wine in your future through the cards.......... LOL

 

[Tom_S]

The Riesling I just bottled is darker than my other white wines, but I didn't filter this wine. I have a feeling that had I filtered it then it would be lighter than it is now.

But when you pour it into a glass, it doesn't look as dark and looks like a regular white wine.

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

The colors can vary quite a lot, even with the same variety. This year we had a lot of sun and most of the whites became a beautiful golden color, some even close to brown. As a result, the wines are darker than normal, but oh man are the aromas and tastes great. It made for a more concentrated experience. They will be fine.

P.S.- if you want to make the wine better and more reliable than family, use the sulfites included and follow the steps. You will end up with a low sulfite wine with plenty of taste. I can read good wine in your future through the cards.......... LOL

Yes, the cards never lie.

The Riesling I just bottled is darker than my other white wines, but I didn't filter this wine. I have a feeling that had I filtered it then it would be lighter than it is now.

But when you pour it into a glass, it doesn't look as dark and looks like a regular white wine.

I noticed that. When we put in a glass it looked amazing. I got nervous when it went into the carboy because it wasn't clear. I thought things went south, hence forum post.

 

[grapeman]

The wine should be just fine- and yes some carboys have a slight greenish blue tint to them. I have had people ask before why two carboys of wine next to each other were different colors-both the same wine. It is because of variations in tinting of the glass.

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

OK I feeling better already.