Techniques in Home Winemaking is a resource for home winemakers looking for information or help on making great wines, including troubleshooting winemaking problems, and to share that knowledge with fellow winemakers. This resource is based and builds on my book by the same title and my newly released book titled Modern Home Winemaking, which has been updated to reflect the newest techniques and products for making outstanding wines.
Much of my experience is derived from extensive literature search as well as from my experience both as a home and a commercial winemaker.
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Hi Daniel,
I applied Caseine to brown colored Sauv. Blanc wine 3 days ago and half of the Caseine is floating on top and the other half is on the bottom. Directions say to rack after 3 days; do you think I should wait and do it later? Also the grape juice was brown at the time we pressed the grapes. I am wondering what caused that brown color? At harvest there was a lot of flower parts on the cluster–like the cap of the flower before it opens ; could these flower parts caused the discoloration?
Hi Mike,
It should all be precipitated before you rack. It should not be floating but rather be distributed throughout the wine volume. Hmm?? My guess is the brown color at press was from oxidation. Sauv Blanc can be very sensitive. Had you not sulfited the grapes before crushing/pressing? You have to work very fast with this varietal and always use sulfite.
Daniel
Thanks Daniel,
I only sulfated after pressing, so that maybe my problem. I think I will graft them over to pinot gris which is an easier grape and wine for me to work with as it is earlier ripening and more cold hardy here in Alaska, even though the vines are in greenhouses.
Yeah, you really need to sulfite right at harvest or at crush/press at the latest. If the trip from the vineyard to the winery is long or of the fruit is damaged or showing signs of rot, you need to sulfite right at harvest. Pinot Gris is easier.
Daniel,
I read in your book that if my wine cellar is at 55F, I don’t have to cold stabilize my reds; is that true for whites also? Thanks Mike
Reds will become cold stable to that temperature over time; don’t expect it to be 3 weeks or 2 months. It assumes that you won’t be storing the wine any colder.
Whites go in the fridge, and even storing overnight can cause tartrates, and so, you have to cold stabilize whites to a much colder temperature, usually just below freezing (roughly negative of half the alc/vol, e.g. 12% alc/vol, you would stabilize to -6C).
Thanks Daniel,
The reds and whites are stored for several months at 55F and I could go colder in my room; should I drop the temp.? Ok, I can put the whites in a colder area. Should the whites be finned before cold treatment? Thanks Mike
Yes, the whites have to go colder, much colder. The colder, the better and the shorter the stabilization time.
Always fine BEFORE cold stabilizing. Fining can affect tartrate stability.
Hi Daniel,
I have not made wine from a kit since I have fresh grapes. I have a few red wine kits that do not include ML bacteria. Can I blend the kit wine that has not gone the MLF with my red wine that has gone thru MLF? If I add Lysozyme at the time of blending will that do the job?
Thanks Mike
You can blend kit wines with your own, no problem. There’s no MLF with kit wines. No need for lysozyme, unless your final pH is high and you want to improve the inhibitory action of SO2.
Daniel, I have a package of Sur-lie compound. Should I add this to red and white wines I am aging on the less? Does it actually improve the wine as I don’t know how it works. I have been aging and stirring my wines on the lees for a month at 56F.? Thanks as always for you advise and help, Mike
I’m not familiar with the product and its contents. Why do you need it if you’ve been doing sur-lie aging? Sur-lie is used to add mouthfeel to wine and also to improve its redox potential. Some times less is better,
Hi Daniel,
In my wine room where many carboys of wine are kept and being stirred on the lees at 56F, is there a danger of fermenting kit wines in that room at 56F for white wines. For my grapes I have used 56F as a fermenting temp and the kits mention to go higher; is that because of the yeast they send in the kits? Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
The kits manufacturers tell you to ferment in the 68-77F range and give you a strong fermenting yeast, e.g. EC-1118, because that’s how they designed and tested the kits and they don’t want folks, particularly newbies, to fail at making wine. Remember that kits are designed to be produced in 6-8 weeks. At 56F, it would take several weeks just to ferment. If you know what you’re doing, I don’t see a problem trying it out; the EC-1118 yeast won’t have a problem fermenting to dryness. Just keep in mind that the results may not be what the kit was intended to deliver.
Daniel
Thanks Again Daniel,
Is 56F too cold for wine to be aged on the minor lees and stirring to be done daily?
No, you’re good.
Hi Daniel, I have 2 – 5 gal. glass carboys with Chard. wine aging on the lees and considering adding French lightly toasted oak cubes. Is that a good choice for Chard and if so how much oak and for how long of time? Thanks Mike
yes, sure, 1-2 g/L. Start tasting after one week and every week until you like what you taste.
Hi Daniel,
In regards to my brown Sauv. Blanc wine; 14 days ago I added the caseine which there is only a small amount floating on top of the wine, however , the wine is still brown and I have not stirred it up during those 14 days. Should I rack it off the sediment and what else should I try to clear it up, or is it a loss? Thanks Mike
Hmmm, the casein didn’t work!?! Strange. I suggest you rack it and filter down to 0.45 micron and drink asap. No pint in trying other things that might aggravate the browning further.
HI DANIEL,
I was given several wine kits and I have never made wine from a kit and was wondering if I added some similar concentrate that is from the 46 oz. cans to the 10 and 12 litre kits if the wine would turn out better? I would target a brix of 24 and ph of 3.2 for white wines. Would do the same for pinot noir and use your formula and use 212 yeast plus nutrients as out lined in your book? Thanks Mike
Kits are designed to yield predictable results and a specific style of wine. But of course you can experiment and see what you get; that’s how you learn.
Daniel, in making kit wines is it better to use distilled water or well water with about 350ppm dissolved solids and a ph of 7.8? Thanks Mike
I say if the water tastes good and its chemistry is good, go for it. AT 350 ppm dissolved solids, I don’t know what’s in their and which could disrupt the balance of the wine or of the winemaking. Use distilled water to be safe.
Hi Daniel,
I have a small Buon Vino mini jet filter and it only filters down to 0.5 microns. Will 0.5 sterile filter? If not can one obtain pads that will go down to 0.45microns? Thanks Mike
Those are nominal pads, not absolute, and anyways, you don’t have a “sterile” environment, so you won’t be able to truly sterile filter. If your wine is dry, you will be okay with 0.5 micron filtering and some sulfite.
HI DANIEL,
I am getting ready to bottle dry Card. that has gone thru MLF over a year ago and the wine has been heat and cold stabilized and finned. It appears clear and ph is 3.43, & FSO2 is 40ppm. . I do have a Buon filter with .5 micro pads. Should I sterile filter and add Lysozyme before bottling. Also would you suggest rinsing the bottles with a 50ppm SO2 and give them a shot of CO2 before adding the wine via an Enolmatic bottle filler? Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
If you have 0.5 micro pads, yes, do filter. No need to add lysozyme assuming your MLF was 100% complete.
Yes, sanitize your bottles with a sulfite solution. If your water is good, you may want to rinse. Some folks don’t bother knowing that the the residual sulfite will add a little SO2. Your choice.
I wouldn’t worry about adding CO2 to bottles.
Happy bottling.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Had my well water analyzed and this is the results: ph 6.93, Ca 64ppm, Mg- 10ppm, Na-7.3ppm, Cl-4.8ppm, SO4-16ppm, HCO3 189ppm, Fe,.01ppm other trace elements less than 1 ppm. It should be ok for wine kits? Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Your water is only moderately hard based on your numbers; so I think you will be ok.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I am making P. gris from a kit and I checked the ph and it was 4.0 and TA was 3.95, so I added 50 grams of Tartaric acid to lower the ph to 3.65 and TA to 7.2 in 5 gallons. Also made some Chard (16 litre Kit ) and also added Tartaric acid–60 grams in 6 gallons. Are all kit wines that low in TA and high in Ph? The instruction don’t mention to check TA and ph, but since I have the equipment and have made lots of wine from fresh grapes, I assume these kits need to be adjusted? Usually the ph goes up after fermentation anyway. Does the TA additions show up as soon as they are added and mixed well? Also no mention of additions of grow-ferm or mermaid K additions? I hope they turn out ok? Thanks Mike
I’m surprised at the numbers; kits are typically much better balanced. So my first instinct is to triple-check instruments (calibration) and reagents (freshness).
Yeah, kits are designed for beginners and winemakers who either don’t have the instruments or interest in measuring parameters.
Kits should require zero adjustment, at least kits from reputable manufacturers.
You don’t need any additional nutrients; everything has been taken care of.
And yes, TA adjustments are observable immediately.
Daniel, you are correct my meter was off due to old reagents so now my ph is 3.04; is that too low for yeast to get started? Iam using EC1118. I do have potassium carbonate on had. Can I add it now even though yeast was added 18 hrs ago? Thanks Mike
There you go. It couldn’t be so high. 3.04 is good. Don’t change anything unless you feel your acidity is too high.
Daniel, thanks for the advise on ph calibration. As for the white wine kits, if I ferment at 55 to 60F
will I get a better product? Also I don’t intend on bottling for at least 6 months; is it ok to stir the lees daily at 55F like I am doing now on my wines made from grapes?
Thanks Mike
Yes, certainly. I still have to mention the standard disclaimer … anytime you deviate from the kit’s instructions, you may end up with different results that the intended ones.
Hi Daniel,
In making white wine from 12,&16L kits, and they tell you rack to a second carboy when the S,G. reaches 1.00 for 20 days. After that the instructions say to addd SO2 then after 2 days add pot. sorbate, then finning agents. Now when I make wine from grapes as soon as the specific gravity reach 0, or less I add SO2. Is it safe to wait this long in the kit wine to add SO2 when the S.G. is now less than one? I am stirring daily and topping off with a little CO2. I think I should add the SO2 now upon racking; what do you advise?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
I don’t know what kits you are working with there but here ours usually instruct adding sulfite once the SG is below 0.998. Personally, I even wait until I reach 0.995 and then wait several days to make sure it’s all done. It is safe as long as you keep sanitary conditions and the carboy well topped up. Kits will also instruct you to degas at once, as opposed to stretching it over several days by a daily stirring. The instructions should be to degas completely, add the sulfite, the sorbate and then the fining agent. If your SG is 0.998 or lower and fermentation is done, go ahead and add the sulfite. Be sure to completely degas before adding your fining agent or else the wine will not clarify properly.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I have several Speidel plastic tanks that may be used for long term storage ( 1 to 2 yrs.)_ and would like to know if they are ok for this purpose? Thanks Mike
They’re really not meant for long-term storage. #1 Plastic is a breathable material, so there is oxygen ingress. #2 The closures are not ideal, again, they let oxygen in. They are great for fermenting, blending, and short-term storage.
Hi Daniel,
I have been stirring my red and white wine made from grapes now for 60 days on a daily basis. How long should I continue to do this at a daily schedule ? When I open and stir I give each container a blast of CO2 also. The whites have only been racked off the gross lees and the reds were racked when MLF was complete. When should I rack it again? Thanks for your help. Mike
I would guess that’s enough but you really need to go by smell and taste, and assessing color. Yes, the wine still has some CO2; it will dissipate with additional processing. Rack as per normal schedule from here on.
Dainel
Hi Daniel,
My Chard, Pi. Gris, and Rielsing wine made from grapes thats been in the glass carboys for 75 days has not had a finning agent applied to it. What type of finning agent and when should I apply it.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
There are many fining agents you can use. My favorite is bentonite for whites. You should do bench trials; if you can’t, go with with 50 g/hL (that’s 50 g per 100 L of wine). I usually wait as late as possible before cold stabilization. Always fine BEFORE cold stabilizing.
Good luck
Daniel
Hello Daniel. I have a question that maybe doesn’t have a black and white answer. As an amateur winemaker, I sometimes use some commercial wine to top up carboys. Usually no more than 5-10% total. As far as entering this wine into amateur winemaking competitions, Is this considered normal and acceptable?
Thanks,
Pete
Hi Peter,
It’s more of an ethical question, one for the good conscience. 5-10% represents 1-2 L (1/4 to 1/2 gal) in a standard 20-L (5-gal) batch; it can impact quality. But then again, who knows what amateurs put into their wines. Is it normal? Maybe. Is it acceptable? Not for me. But it is perfectly acceptable for your own consumption. You can do whatever you want.
You’re right. There’s no B&W answer.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I have 4 glass 6 gal. carboys of red wine made from grapes in Sept of 2015. They have been racked 3 times and the last racking was in June of 2016. They were cold stabilized also. They are topped off with wine and some CO2. How often should they be racked while they are in storage at 55F? Can I leave them in the glass carboys for another year or two before bottling? Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Rack every 3-6 months depending on the type of wine and how long you intend to age, making sure to check and adjust SO2 every time you rack.
It’s no problem leaving the wine in carboys. I have had mine in glass for many many years. Just know the style of wine you want vs what you’ll be getting in extended aging.
Good luck.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
In regards to Chard. kit wines is it ok to rack of the gross lees@ -1 SG and store at 55F and stir the less daily before finning and adding the sorbate as they instruct you to do? I am hoping that by storing them for several months in carboys the wine will improve. I am in no hurry to bottle them either. Also I have one carboy at -.5 SG @ 68F and it will not go any lower in SG. The yeast was from the kit–EC1118. Should I wail longer or add a few grams of QA23 which I have on hand?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
I assume you mean Brix, not SG.
Sure, you can experiment as you want with the kit wine. It’s always good to experiment and discover. But you know that the kit was not designed for what you intend to do, and so the results can vary. But go for it.
If the wine is no longer dropping Brix at -0.5 with EC-1118, I think it is done. It will be close to impossible to restart fermentation on any remaining sugar.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I keep my stirring rods in a bucket of star-san and when needed I rinse them with tap water. Is it necessary to rinse them as they are wet from the star san?
Thanks Mike
Many — include suppliers — will say no need to rinse. I say ALWAYS rinse, always, IF you have fresh, clean water. If it’s supposed to be innocuous, I still prefer to rinse. If you were to look at the product’s MSDS, you too would agree that it’s best to rinse.
HI DANIEL,
I assume the concentrated juice from kit wines does not contain any SO2, therefore, is it ok to add 30ppm SO2 to the finished volume before adding yeast? My concern is that in case the fermenting area is not completely sanitary, at least the SO2 will give some added protection. Thanks for your answer which are very much appreciated. Mike
Hi Mike,
Some small amount of SO2, in the order of 10-15 mg/L, is added prior to packaging. There is really no need to add more to the reconstituted volume since you don’t have spoilage microbes and other unwanted wild yeasts and bacteria lurking around like in freshly harvested fruit.
If you do have concerns, I don’t think another 25-30 mg/L would hurt.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Last fall I make wine from pinot noir grapes grown in my greenhouses and used your recipe from the wine maker magazine article.. Grapes were picked at 22 Brix.. The resulting wine has very poor color– rather brick red. Is that due to the grapes grown up here at 61 degrees north or my inexperience in making wine? Is there anything I can add to the wine to improve the color.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Now you see firsthand why Pinot Noir is called the “heartbreak grape.” It is both a challenge to grow and to turn into wine. Color is always an issue, and it starts in the vineyard. Poor phenolic development in grape berries can lead to extraction challenges. Excessively cold weather is definitely a major impacting factor. Extracting the relatively small amounts of color pigments in grape skins can be frustratingly difficult. You need to use macerating enzymes, a relatively hot fermentation and the use of tannins to lock in the color. I have made Pinot Noir from poor vintages, i.e. cold and wet growing seasons, which resulted in light color. There may be only so much you can do in the winery. There is nothing really you can add and which would not impact the wine in some other ways. Maybe you should not be growing Pinot Noir if it is consistently cold. If you do get a good vintage, you can always blend for a good non-vintage Pinot.
Daniel
Hello Daniel,
Thank for your website.
I was wondering what your thoughts would be on the effectiveness of using Stainless Steel Immersion Wort Chiller to regulate the temperature of the must during the primary fermentation.
I am going to be fermenting some Malbec from argentina this May, in Connecticut, and I am concerned about the fermentation temperature.
Basically the wort chiller would be installed inside the fermenter, along with a thermometer that is connected to a temperature controller. When the thermometer hits the max desired temperature a pump would engage that would pump cold water through the wort chiller, thus lowering the temperature of the must.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
Hi David,
Yes, absolutely, if you expect May temperatures to be on the warm/hot side, you can use a s/s immersion chiller to cool the fermenting wine down.
Daniel
Thanks a lot for your response, I appreciate it!
Is this something I should be concerned with if I am not looking to make a wine with heavy floral aromatic characteristics?
I understand that I can get perhaps better color extraction at a higher fermentation temperature… I just don’t know in terms of temperature how high is too high, and if it will possibly go out of control.
I plan on co-innoculating, which would be another reason why I wouldn’t want temperatures getting too high.
What would you suggest as a max temp limit?
Thank you!
You can get better color extraction with a cold maceration, which can be tricky in May, or using a thermal treatment, which is tricky unless you can control the temperature fairly accurately.
Your fermentation will get hot enough to favor a good extraction, so I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Just make sure you use macerating enzymes and when you reach your desired color, add in oak chips or powder to lock in the color.
What you need to concern yourself with is a high temperature, which could cause a stuck fermentation or off flavors and aromas. Use your chiller to kick in when the temperature of the fermenting wine reaches around 30C/85F. And make sure you do at least a couple of punch-downs per day to help improve phenolic extraction and keep the temperature as uniform as possible throughout the wine volume.
Hi Daniel,
My Chard. wine made from my grapes (2015 harvest) had a strange off odor, which I also detected in some store bought Chard and a sample sent from a central Calif. winery. At 12 months of storage in glass carboys the odor was still present. At 13 months at bottling the odor was gone! Now I have the same smell in Chard. wine from 2016 harvest and hope it will also disappear by 13 months.? The odor is hard to describe, something like rubber? I have never smelled it before in wine. Do have any comments about the odor that disappeared at 13 months of storage or is it part of the aging process? The 2015 wine was cold stabilized, finned and filtered down to 0.5 micron also. Thanks for your help, Mike
Hi Mike,
If it is a rubber-like smell you detect, it points to some thiol compounds (those containing sulfur atoms), like hydrogen sulfide. It is not uncommon in white wines, very often those bottled under screwcap. They are a result of what is called “reductive winemaking,” i.e. wine made in the absence of oxygen, more or less. Those thiols will manifest themselves under reductive conditions and then disappear if the wine is decanted or aerated somehow, for example, after it is poured. This is usually not considered a fault.
It is a fault if excessive. If it is excessive or it does not disappear, the wine can be treated with copper sulfate.
Daniel
Dear Daniel ,
Thanks for the information on Thiols; I will read up on thiols. My other white wines- Riesling and Pinot Gris did not have this ordor nor did Chard made from Kits? Can that be explained ? Thanks Mike
The concentrate in kits are very well balanced. You don’t need to add any nutrients. That greatly reduces the risk of sulfides or other thiols forming. They are also processed much quicker, therefore, again reducing the risk.
As for your Riesling and Pinot Gris, I don’t know what you did to them and how you processed them.
If you process your grapes and wine carefully and diligently, thiols are rarely a problem.
Daniel, the pinot gris and riesling were both grown in the same vineyard as the Chard and the wine was made in the same manner. The vintage of 2015 chard had the same odor also and all 3 varieties were given 50ppm SO2 after pressing. Thanks Mike
Every variety will react differently. Actually, even the same variety in the same vineyard can react differently.
Hi Daniel,
I just racked my wines for the second time after 4 months storage. Is it too soon to fine them now or should I wait a while longer. Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
You can fine now if you want. It all depends what you want to do next and how soon you want to bottle, and if you want to filter.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
after racking my wines for the second time there is no noticeable lees in the carboy, especially the whites. My question is should I continue stirring the contents and exposing the wine to the air, even though I top off with CO2 each time? Thanks Mike
No, there is no point, and you certainly don’t want to introduce oxygen.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for answering my question about the stirring. I have 6 gals of Chard. wine made from a kit on Oct 20 that I am currently stirring on the lees. It did not finish well as it is rather sweet in taste. Can I add yeast to it and warm it up and try and ferment it so to finish as a dry wine? It has free SO2 of 40ppm and no other additives such as pot. sorbate.
Your chances of restarting fermentation at this point, assuming your Brix is fairly low, is close to nil. You can try with a string starter, EC-1118, in a small volume and then buildup the volume once fermentation shows sign of activity. But again, if your Brix is low, it will likely not work. Personally, I wouldn’t risk it.
In your technique book page 386-387 you don’t say when or how to add liquor de triage to the base cuvee.
Yes, I seem to have skipped that step. You would add it right after adding and thoroughly dissolving the sugar in the base wine, which you would do after the yeast starter (liqueur de triage) has reached a negative Brix as per the preceding instructions.
Hi Daniel,
I just finned my white wine yesterday and was wondering if its ok to cold stabilize without racking off the percipate from finning? Thank you, Mike
Yes, you can cold stabilize after fining, without a racking.
Hello Daniel,
I have a question regarding storing a 5-gallon European oak wine barrel for a period of 3 months.
Presently the barrel is brand new. Over the next two months I will be cycling through it about 15 gallons of wine.
Come the beginning of June I will be away so I would like to store the barrel in the solution, and then recommence with its use when September arrives.
My question is, Should I be worried about loosing a great portion of the oak flavor during the 3-month storage period?
If so, what would you suggest?
While not wanting to uselessly waste the oak flavor, I also am ok with loosing a little over the storage cycle. I immagine that as the the barrel becomes neutral I can still use it for its micro-oxygenation properties along with oak spirals.
Thanks for your help and your awesome blog!
Hello David,
My recommended approach given that it will still be considered a relatively new barrel is to burn a piece of sulfur wick.
After you have racked the last wine out, thoroughly rinse the barrel with clean, fresh water. Turn the barrel bung-side down to let the water drip out as the wood dries. Let dry for about 24 hours. Turn the barrel bung-side up, then burn a piece of sulfur wick and replace the bung as tightly as possible as it should last until your return. Wrap the bung in a piece of cellophane as the sulfur gas will slowly damage the silicone bung otherwise.
Good luck.
Daniel
HI Daniel,
After finning kit wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, their color is still the color of honey. I used the finning agent in the kits. Should I try finning them a second time with Casein and then filter at 5 micron? Also I cold stabilized them at an average temp. of 32F. for 10 days.
In regards to my Pinot Noir that has the brick red color and is 6 months old, can I add a 46 oz. can of Pinot Noir concentrate and raise the brix up to 18 to 20 Brix and referment with RC212 or another yeast or is that a waste of effort? The free SO2 is 50ppm and the ph is 3.6.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
I’m puzzled here as there shouldn’t be an issue with color with kits, at least not good-quality kits.
When did you first notice the honey color? That color is typically indicative of oxidation, but again, I’m puzzled as it should not be an issue with a kit wine if you have followed all the steps as per the instructions. So I would really need to understand the root cause to see what went wrong before I recommend a treatment. But yes, a casein treatment will remove some of the brown color.
I don’t recall if we discussed cold stabilizing this wine, but there is no need with a kit wine since it is already tartrate stable. If suspect you did not find any tartrate crystals after the 10 days.
No, I do NOT recommend your plan for the Pinot. I suggest you ferment something separate and then blend it in with your other batch AND ONLY AFTER you have done bench trials.
Daniel
Thanks Daniel for answering my question about the honey color of my withe wine. I noticed the honey color of the concentrate as I mixed it with water. These were top of the line kits. Thanks Mike
Ummm. Strange that that is the original color as you added water. I suggest you do NOT treat with casein. If you want, you can still try the treatment on a small sample and see how that works out.
Daniel,
Awesome article on pH in the WM mag last month in Advanced techniques. Your info regarding Phosphoric Acid will be added to my “tools” notes. I always look forward to your columns, very leading edge and educational to say the least.
RSG
Hi Ron,
Thank you for your message and feedback. It’s always great to get reader feedback.
Yes, phosphoric acid is another tool in the toolkit but I really only recommend it as a very last resort. I have never used it myself, except for lab testing.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hello Daniel,
I just wanted to first say how much I enjoy your book, “techniques in home winemaking”. Thanks for your clear and detailed explanations!
I had a question regarding oak barrel use. as a home winemaker, my wine may have to sit in glass after fermentation for a few months before I have an available barrel to move it into.
My question is, is there any downside to having wine sit in glass to begin maturing/filtering for a few months before moving it into a barrel for further ageing?
Thanks a lot!
Hello David,
Thank you for your nice comments; it’s always greatly appreciated.
There aren’t any real downsides to letting wine age for a short period of time in glass before going into barrels. I assume that if you are doing a red that you would have completed its MLF in glass. I was short of a barrel this year and that’s exactly what I’m doing: the wine is in a demijohn and will be transferred into a barrel once one becomes available.
Just be sure to maintain a proper SO2 level. That applies whether you are working with glass, barrels, plastic, etc.
Good luck.
Daniel
Hi Daniel.
I just racked my white wine after finning and its very clear, except one container got some lees from finning. Will it clear up in a while and then I should rack again? Also now that the wine is 6 months old should the glass carboys have a solid stopper or do I need an air lock. Thanks for your help and the wine tasted really good at present, except the Chard from 2016 also has the off flavor which may disappear in 13 months like my 2015 chard.
Mike
Hi Mike,
If the wine is completely clear, you can rack it from its lees (sediments), or you can cold stabilize and THEN rack, that way you only do one racking. Wait if the wine is not clear.
If the wine is degassed (you can taste it), you can switch over to solid bungs.
Time can definitely heal some wine wounds.
Good luck.
Daniel
Hello Daniel,
It is me again… you have offered me clear and concise answers in the past so I thought I’d run this question by you.
I am racking my brain, trying to understand why I wouldn’t be able to use cleaned out food-grade plastic water bottles (particularly bottles made for carbonated water which tend to have a greater thickness) as my vessels for topping off my barrels.
I could simply fill these 1 liter bottles with my topping wine and, as I top off, I can even squeeze the bottle to remove the headspace before resealing. If the bottle visually remains under pressure than I can assume air is not getting in, thus preserving my topping wine.
Am I perhaps missing something? I ask because nowhere online is this mentioned as a viable option. But it seems to make sense and could help me avoid ullage issue for my topping containers.
I know a nitro-keg system is cooler… but what are your thoughts?
Thanks a lot!
Hi David,
Nice pun for a winemaker … racking your brain. LOL
I don’t know the exact physical characteristics of the bottles you have. If they are clear, they are generally ok IF they are food-grade. If they have any kind of color (tint), then I would not recommend them. The thing here is that wine is a much more acidic medium than carbonated water, and therefore dyes, even though they are harmless, can well leach into the wine. It’s like copper tubing: ok for water, not ok for wine. Whatever leaches into the wine can then alter the chemistry and cause some unexpected reactions.
As for squeezing the bottle, that could work IF you could squeeze the headspace completely flat, which I doubt you will be able to do. There will remain a very small headspace (i.e. air), very small indeed but rather large compared to the volume of wine the bottle. And so, that little topping wine will be subjected to oxidation and possibly acetobacter (acetic acid spoilage bacteria), and you will then contaminate the rest of the wine.
I use two methods for topping barrels.
1. I use bottled wine (same varietal and character). Whatever is leftover in the bottle, I drink that evening at dinner.
2. I store wine in a small keg and protected under nitrogen gas. I have a special stainless steel gun attached to it. Here topping is a piece of cake since I only need to press the lever on the gun and dispense wine under nitrogen pressure. I discuss this in my book.
Hope this helps.
Daniel
Hello Daniel – I’m considering investing in a filter. I make 25 – 35 gallons of wine a year. What are your thoughts concerning the Buon Vino Mini Filter vs the All in One Wine pump with filter attachment? Or any other options? Thanks
Hi Pete,
The Buon Vino MiniJet is too small for that volume; you would need the SuperJet. I have used the SuperJet for many, many years and I’m very happy with it. It can only be used for filtering although you could also use it for transferring wine.
I have recently acquired the All in One Wine Pump. It is very versatile. You can use it to rack/transfer wine under vacuum, filter (you need the filter housing and cartridge), and bottle.
You may also want to consider the Enolmatic.
Each has their pros and cons. I recommend all three. I have reviewed the MiniJet, AllinOne and Enolmatic on my website at http://www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com/home%20winemaking%20product%20reviews.html.
Your decision might boil down to a cost comparison.
Daniel
Hello Daniele,
I appreciated your help recently with the topping off vessels… I am ultimately going to complete my argon tap system.
Concerning my Argentinian Malbec grapes coming in, I plan on trying two different yeast strains for increased complexity:
– 5 gallons – BM 4×4 (for spiciness)
– 11 gallons D254 (general recommendation, also adds fruitiness)
However, I really want to perform an extended maceration (using the same argon system I have for topping off to protect the vine during EM).
My question is concerning whether or not I should reunite the two wines after AF has completed so that the EM can take place under one vessel.
Note that my doubt lies in the fact that both musts will have been inoculated with MLB during the AF..
If AF has completed on both batches, is there any problem with blending back while both are undergoing MLF?
This way I can have 16 gallons wine PLUS skins in my sealable 30 gallon HDPE drum that has a small bung for purging air by inserting argon on a regular basis.
(another brainstorm crazy idea I have for eliminating the extra headspace…I also am thinking a 6 gallon closed and sanitized glass carboy floating on top of the must in the sealed container could eliminate a good portion of the headspace… allowing for a better argon blanket with less)
What are your thoughts regarding combining batches that are undergoing MLF?
Thanks!
Hi David,
Thank you for your message. BTW, I go by Daniel; Daniele is the feminine form, but I’ll forgive you, LOL, ’cause that’s the Italian way of writing it, as it is on my birth certificate.
You are somewhat defeating the purpose, in your proposal, of fermenting two batches with two different yeast strains. Actually, it is pretty common to NOT blend separate batches fermented with the same strain until much later in the process.
The wines, and especially when fermented with different strains, will evolve differently since their chemical composition is different. I would let the wines age separately and then perform bench trials with different ratios of each wine when you are close to wanting to bottle. You may even decide to keep and bottle the two batches separately.
Also, you’ll never know how each wine has turned out from each strain if you blend this early.
My thoughts … now it’s your decision.
Good luck.
Daniel
haha capito!… e scusi!… I speak italian and sometimes the italian names come out when i’m in that mode! haha!
I understand your point concerning blending back too early…
I was just concerned about having only 11 gallons + skins in the 30-gallon sealed container for extended maceration… in your opinion am I running a great risk? or is regular argon blanketing + saran wrap + sealed container enough to perform EM successfully? I have never attempted it before so I am somewhat nervous (but really desirous to try it)
You need to drop the temperature real low for EM. Saran Wrap might not be the best option to keep the container sealed real tight under the (granted low) pressure of argon.
I’ve tried searching for an answer to my question so my apologies if this is redundant but is there a way to get a copy of your books for an ipad or Kendal?
Thanks
Unfortunately, no, my books are not available electronically. Perhaps one day.
Thank you
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I have several pinot noir vines and since the color of the wine is very poor, can I make a white pinot out of the grapes by pressing them after crushing and fermenting like a white wine? Is a white pinot a good wine or should I graft the vines over to pinot gris? Thanks for your suggestions, Mike
Hi Mike,
It takes great resolve and a heart of steel to grow Pinot. Color is one of its many, many challenges. The challenges only grow in the winery. You know now why it’s called the heartbreak grape.
You can certainly make good whites, or even rosés, with Pinot provided the grapes are good quality and well balanced. Pinot Noir is one of the three varieties used to make (white) Champagne. The other two are Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier (another red variety).
So I say give it a try.
Good luck.
Daniel