Brewing Master

Question:

Saw your note. This very slow gravity drop is not typical. Also, the extensive time in the primary would contribute to a very yeasty character in the finished wine. Let’s do the safe thing – throw away the wine and we will send you another new kits no charge. John Arthurs/Wine-Art — John Arthurs V.P. Sales         Wine-Art Inc.         The Best Home Wine and Beer Kits Available!          Visit our Web Site at http://www.wineart.com                 or call us at                 Phone:      (905) 477-WINE             Toll free:    1-(888) 477-WINE

Response:

Anibal: FWIW: I sure wouldn’t throw that wine away! A long, slow sur-lees (in contact with the yeast sediment) fermentation, coupled with extended oak aging can result is a red wine with remarkable character. The yeasty character Mr. Arthurs mentions can be balanced (along with the fruit character, the oak character, etc.) by the almost magical transformative powers of aging. My 2Cs: -Perform batonnage as described in earlier post, -Allow the wine to reach Brix 0 (SG 1.000) Note: If wine refuses to drop in gravity after batonnage, you probably started with a bad packet of yeast.  If so, properly rehydrate a packet of Lalvin K1V yeast and add it to the must.  Now; whether you’re at SG 1.000 with the original yeast, or you have just added the new yeast slurry, -Rack into fresh carboy & top-up. -Allow wine to sit for 3 weeks (SG ~.995 or lower) -Add potassium metabisulphite (measured kit amount or 50 ppm) & fining agent , agitaite wine & allow to sit for 10-14 days. -After 10-14 days, rack the finished wine onto French toasted oak chips (1oz per USGal) Note:  Heat sanitize chips by placing them in an oven at 250 deg for 30 minutes. -Allow wine to sit on chips until desired level of oak is achieved (4-6 weeks) -Rack wine, & bulk age for 3 months. -Add 20ppm of potassium meta & bottle wine, -Bottle age for 3 months, -Drink proudly & Win awards. -Good luck with whatever you decide: -Ed P.S.:  Regardless; I would certainly take Wine Art up on the generous free kit offer  It’s very refreshing to see a company stand so firmly behind their product. — "Wine is sunlight, held together by water…"  -Louis Pasteur – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Saw your note. This very slow gravity drop is not typical. Also, the extensive time in the primary would contribute to a very yeasty character in the finished wine. Let’s do the safe thing – throw away the wine and we will send you another new kits no charge. John Arthurs/Wine-Art — John Arthurs V.P. Sales         Wine-Art Inc.        The Best Home Wine and Beer Kits Available!         Visit our Web Site at http://www.wineart.com                or call us at                Phone:      (905) 477-WINE            Toll free:    1-(888) 477-WINE

Response:

Hi, recently I bought a Spanish Red Wine art kit. The instructions said to rack the wine when it gets to 1.020 SGr. or one week after the fermentation started. I measured the Specific gravity by the end of the first week and it was 1.060. I measured the specific gravity again by the end of the second week and it was 1.040. Rigth, now it’s been three weeks since fermentation started and the Specific gravity is 1.030. I am planning to let it ferment for one more week and then rack it. I think that the fermentation has taken so long because of the temperature (20 C). Am I on the right track? I will appreciate your comments. I forgot to tell you that the initial Specific gravity was 1.086. Sincerely, Anibal                              Anibal Quintana                       New Mexico State University                  Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry                         PO Box 30001/ Dept. 3C                        Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001                         Telephone: 505-646-4626                            Fax:505-646-2649                        

Response:

<Hi, recently I bought a Spanish Red Wine art kit. The instructions said to rack the wine when it gets to 1.020 SGr. or one week after the fermentation started. I measured the Specific gravity by the end of the first week and it was 1.060. That is slow, my WineArt kits at 66-68 F are usually at 1.010 or lower within 10 days.  BTW  is that the new Rioja kit they are supposed to be receiving this month? Michael

Response:

Hi Anabel, I think you are on the right track. Meg – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Rigth, now it’s been three weeks since fermentation started and the Specific gravity is 1.030. I am planning to let it ferment for one more week and then rack it. I think that the fermentation has taken so long because of the temperature (20 C). Am I on the right track? I will appreciate your comments. I forgot to tell you that the initial Specific gravity was 1.086.

Response:

Anibal: You are definetly on the right track. One observation:  20C (68F) is really not all that cool for a fermentation. The slow start may be due to other factors, such as: -Inadequate availability of dissolved O2 in the must (this can be caused by attaching the air-lock right at the very beginning of fermentation &/or by conducting the fermentation in a carboy). -Inadequate availability of nutrients for the yeast. (can be caused by Wine Art not including enough nitrogen in the must) -Use of a yeast which ferments slowly [unlikely with a kit] (such as Cote des Blancs or Lalvin RC-212). A few things which you might want to consider doing: -Agitate the must by stirring it for several minutes.  This will not only aerate the must with dissolved O2, but it will also place some of the settled yeast back into  suspension.  Interestingly enough, the optimum time to conduct this "batonnage" is at Brix 8 (or SG 1.030!) -Add a few grams (maybe 4 grams) of yeast nutrient to the must just before it is stirred. -Hold off racking into a secondary fermentation until your Brix is 0 (SG 1.000) or lower.  It is dangerous to separate the must from the large percentage of yeast which is in the lees when you still have a sugar concentration of 6% (SG 1.020). BTW, if you add the nutrient & stir the must, I would bet that you would be at Brix0 (SG 1.000) within 5 days at 20C! Finally; keep in mind that the suggestions above would probably speed-up the fermentation, but that they are probably not necessary.  IOW, the wine would probably come out fine even if you did nothing now.  Also; kits tend to benefit from the enhanced fruitiness which is caused by a cool, slow fermentation. Hope this Helps: -Ed — "Wine is sunlight, held together by water…"  -Louis Pasteur – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, recently I bought a Spanish Red Wine art kit. The instructions said to rack the wine when it gets to 1.020 SGr. or one week after the fermentation started. I measured the Specific gravity by the end of the first week and it was 1.060. I measured the specific gravity again by the end of the second week and it was 1.040. Rigth, now it’s been three weeks since fermentation started and the Specific gravity is 1.030. I am planning to let it ferment for one more week and then rack it. I think that the fermentation has taken so long because of the temperature (20 C). Am I on the right track? I will appreciate your comments. I forgot to tell you that the initial Specific gravity was 1.086. Sincerely, Anibal ***                             Anibal Quintana                      New Mexico State University                 Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry                        PO Box 30001/ Dept. 3C                       Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001 Telephone: 505-646-4626                           Fax:505-646-2649 ***

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