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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Daniel,
I have finned 15 gallons of white wine 10 days ago and need to cold stabilize it. It has not been racked off the sediment yet and since Our weather is in the low 30 outside now, can I cold stabilize it without racking it first? I used Kieselsol as a finning agent.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
If you have PET (plastic) carboys , use those as glass can break at cold temperature. But sure, you can cold stabilize without racking. The only possible issue is that tartrate crystals stick to the side of your containers, and to dislodge them, you’ll have to stir the wine gently. That may cause your sediments to go back into suspension, and then you’ll have to wait for it to clear again.
Daniel
Daniel,
now that my red wines are finished with MLF is it good insurance to add lysozyme? If so how much per gallon?
Thanks Mike
Mike,
You shouldn’t have to add lysozyme if your MLF are 100% complete; you only need lysozyme if the MLF did not complete and there is malic acid left over. You only need to maintain proper SO2 levels from here on.
Cheers,
Daniel
Morning Daniel. Hope all is well.
This is an old article, but interesting:
http://www.practicalwinery.com/janfeb91/wineevap.htm
What is your take on evaporation in barrels and the effect on wine concentration/flavors/nose/body?
Have you experimented with any permeable tanks? I found https://flextankusa.com/products-tanks.php#!/~/
However, 15 gallon containers are a bit large for me to handle at home. Are there other alternatives that you may have found? Experience? Worth it?
Thanks as always.
Seth
Oh dear! How can I answer that in a few words? I can’t. It’s a big topic.
Evaporation and micro-oxygenation effects are key in barrel-aged wines, in concentrating flavors, aromas, etc. and increasing mouthfeel complexity.
I have not experimented with permeable tanks but I am considering the purchase of a 15-gal FlexTank after much talk in our Facebook forum and me wanting to find an alternative solution to barrels in my own winemaking. The feedback from other users are very positive. I don’t know of anything smaller than 15 gallons. That’s an ideal size for me as it is the size of standard demijohns and the size of barrels I use. So it makes transfers very simple in terms of managing volumes.
I invite you to join our Home Winemaking group on Facebook. There you will find threads on FlexTanks and ask questions to other users.
Cheers,
Daniel
Thank you, I will. Please send the link as there are several groups on FB with that name?
There is only one group named HOME WINEMAKING. Here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/59243558858/
Hi Daniel,
I made a Cab. Sauv. kit and intend to use it to top off my 100L Cab. Sauv. wine which has completed MLF. Since the kit wine has not gone through MLF, is there a danger that MLF could start up even though only a liter or 2 will be added to 100 liters of the finished Cab wine?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
You should be ok if you limit it to only a liter or two. The amount of malic acid introduced into 100 liters should be below the 100-mg/L threshold according to some quick calculations I made based on some assumptions on the malic amount in the kit wine. Above that level and the wine will be considered at risk.
Daniel
Oh! One more thought. You are ok with 1-2 L in 100 L of wine. Just don’t be tempted to blend a non-MLF’d kit wine with an MLF’d grape wine in any significant ratios. Kit wines usually have added sorbate, and that could create an unpleasant geranium taste/odor in the now partially MLF’d blended wine.
You had mentioned lysozyme recently with regard to MLF that may not have completed.
My 2018 Rose will likely yield approximately 60 to 70 bottles. I will most likely consume same within 6 to 12 months of bottling. Perhaps some will be given as gifts. Most will be stored in my cellar at 55 degrees.
What are your feelings towards using lysozyme prior to bottling for this, and any other application where the wine was not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation.
Thank you Daniel, as always.
If you did not inoculate with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and you are maintaining adequate SO2 levels at 0.8 mg/L molecular SO2, you will be ok. Sure, there is always a risk that there are indigenous, rogue LAB, but, again, you should be ok with proper SO2 levels. I don’t use lysozyme in whites and rosés. I never had a problem but now I sterile filter all whites and rosés as part of normal processing. Commercial wineries sterile filter such wines to (for all practical purposes) eliminate the risk of an MLF kicking in.
Cheers,
Daniel
Thanks you, I will be sterile filtering prior to bottling, as I did last year, thanks to your previous advice!
Then you can sleep with peace of mind.
Hi Daniel
I am going to use Flextank ECO EM15 barrels made of HDPE plastic. To avoid any damaging overpressure in the tank Flextank USA offers a pressure relief valve. However, in the case of some temperature drop of the stored wine I see the problem of a slight vacuum arising. To calculate the required head space I need to know the vacuum tolerance of these tanks. Unfortunately Flextank does not give any specification or advice on this, nor did they answer my email asking for more information.
Maybe you can help me on this?
Thanks
Eduard
Hi Eduard,
Congratulations on your Flextank ECO EM15. I too just purchased an ECO 15 as well as an ECO 30. I will be testing these and reporting my findings via a blog here. So stay tuned.
On to your question.
These tanks have to be filled to the very top, just under the relief valve to allow for some expansion. You should not have to worry about a vacuum. The valve is one way. You should not have partially filled tanks.
The small vacuum that may be created over a long sojourn due to the tank itself breathing is inconsequential given the very small headspace. These tanks can withstand quite a bit of pressure (I don’t have those numbers though).
I Hope this helps.
Daniel
Morning Daniel-
1) I tested (PH and TA) my 2018 C/M and 2018 G/S last night. I used 2 PH meters which are slightly off from each other, regardless of calibration, but have a variance within .03 to .07.
Using .2 NaOH to test for TA as instructed in your book to PH 8.2.
I am surprised to be getting very high PH and high TA. C/M= 3.82 and 5.8. The wine tastes a touch bitter but acceptable. Suggestions?
2) Have used the Accuvin tests for free SO2 and find the color chart very misleading/confusing, no matter what light source I view it under. Are there any recent methodologies that your prefer/recommend?
I look forward to your commentary on the Flex tanks. Please include your commentary on handling the weight and size of the 15 and 30.
Thanks as always.
Seth
Hi Seth,
Re. 1) The numbers are not necessarily high unless your previous measurements were lower. Is that what you are saying? I don’t have data to compare. The first thing I always instruct people is to calibrate your pH meter; this is almost always the source of discrepancies between readings. You should calibrate once a week, yes, once a week, at least, otherwise you will see numbers fluctuating, not stabilizing, or the meter taking a long time to stabilize and lock into a number. I also don’t know how fresh your 0.2N NaOH titrant and how close it is to 0.2N. That can affect your measurements. You can buy some KaPh (which is much more stable) and standardize your NaOH. Then you can see how close it is to 0.2N and make necessary adjustments to your measurements. This is explained in my book.
Re. 2) Yes, I too have problems with color changes as I am growing old(er). I recommend the Vinmetrica unit, usually the SC-300 as it can measure pH and TA too, for your SO2 needs. It’s one of the best and easiest methods.
The 15G and 30G Flextanks are actually quite light. I have not put wine into them but I did test them for water leakage. I had to move them around; they are light so it’s not a problem.
Cheers,
Daniel
I always calibrate before testing, no matter what.
Perhaps I just need to bite the bullet witht he vinmetrica. It just seems antiquated, and I keep hoping there will be a better, new product. Something like the Halo that works with your phone.
Acid appears to have come down a touch, PH appears to have gone up, as expected, but both appear to be a bit high. I did listen to a pod cast recently with established great wine makers and they were saying that their PHs were around 3.8 to 4.0 and that the old school of 3.3-3.4 was just that, old school etc.
Thanks as always.
Have a great weekend.
On the coding thing at an old age, my wife says we will never go hungry 🙂
Seth
Ok, great that you always calibrate before testing. That’s important to trusting one’s own results. I spend more time calibrating than measuring.
For the record I own and use both a Vinmetrica SC-300 and a Hanna Halo. I love the Halo because, sure, it looks “cool” with its phone app, but I also love my Vinmetrica SC-300 for its ease of use, great accuracy, portability, and expert one-phone-call-away support. It may not look state-of-the-art, but its performance sure is. I don’t know if Vinmetrica has plans to ever offer app-enabled solutions. What I do know from personal experience and from the feedback of many amateurs and small-winery operators is that the Vinmetrica SC-300 is one of the best instruments on the market for measuring free and total SO2 in wine. In my own study, I found the SC-300 to provide the best accuracy among the various methods I tested.
If your wine is tasting good, why worry about pH and TA other than maintaining an appropriate free SO2 level? I’m not sure what old school means in relation to pH. There is nothing old school about the relationship between pH and chemical and biochemical reactions — which determine aging potential and microbial stability. Taste is important, but shooting for a pH of, for example, 3.3 just for the sake of hitting a “perfect” number is not a good strategy. You may be taking a perfectly good tasting wine from a pH of 3.9 down to 3.3 and negatively affect overall quality. What one has to be aware of, however, as you know, is that you have to be mindful of the increased risk of spoilage as pH increases.
Cheers,
Daniel
The commentary relative to “old school” related to the idea that previously you had to strive fro lower PH because sanitary conditions and risks were much higher than today. The winemakers mentioned all indicated that you could easily have a great tasting higher PH wine, with little risk, as sanitary and SO2 practices were much better today.
Yes, understood. I have had many great wines with pH above 4.0. And I have dealt with many such wines in my own winemaking. I currently have a Pinot with a pH of 4.3! It’s delicious. The high pH just means you have to be very vigilant against microbial spoilage and maintain proper SO2 levels.
Hello Daniel-
I took your seminar last fall in Connecticut and picked up white grapes the same day. Made a Pinot Grigio and a Chardonnay. The PG is turning out fine but I have an issue with the Chardonnay. This last month or so it has thrown off a bit of tartrates and is now tasting flat. I had added tartaric acid prior to fermentation and it was fine. Scanned your book for a fix and found your passage suggesting to overcompensate to allow for this eventuality (oops, too late). Testing shows a bit of increase in pH as well. Bench test results show improvement with even a small Tartaric addition. Will an acid addition at this point be fruitless (i.e. will it just settle out with continued aging or during cold stabilization) or detrimental to the flavor in the long run? Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
-Kirk
Hi Kirk,
Adding more tartaric acid can result in more tartrates; you really don’t know how stable the wine is unless tested for tartrate stability by analytical means. If you add more tartaric acid, you will need to cold stabilize the wine again, and then you’ll see if it is still an issue. Of course this take time and energy. If the wine has not been (and will not be) subjected to MLF, you can always add malic acid though you have to keep your SO2 levels up and not let your guard down (I’m assuming you don’t have the ability to sterile filter). If the wine has gone through MLF or you intend to put it through MLF, you have the option to add enological grade lactic acid.
TA and pH numbers would be helpful here.
Cheers,
Daniel
Daniel-
Thank You for your prompt response. I apologize for not including the numbers. The pH is 3.69 and TA is .76. It had been pH 3.62 and TA at .80. That was after a significant adjustment pre-fermentation. I also did a pre-emptive fining with bentonite. After initial processing, I broke down the juice and fermented with two different yeasts and treated portions of the fermentations differently during elevage. The effects I describe were consistent with all of the varying treatments. After your comments I ran chromatography tests on all of the batches. I did not do an MLF with any of the wine and wanted to check if there was a spontaneous MLF. There was not. Malic acid is significantly higher than lactic. Since I have a significant quantity, I tried a tartaric addition in one carboy. As you predicted, It flocculated. In the end it did not produce the same effect as the bench trial. The wine became slightly brighter, but more bitter. I have maintained SO2 levels throughout. The wine is not bad, but not what I endeavored to produce. I failed to make the grapes bow to my will. Could I have done something earlier to preserve the citrus/ fruit profile, i.e. fining or filtering? Is there a way to stop or impede some of the polymerization and let others continue? Should I have tried to stop everything at an earlier point by stabilization? I have not found a resource that gives input as to the timing of these processes except that they must occur before bottling. I assume that protein fining early would impact the final wine, but everything that I read indicates that would be detrimental; depriving the wine of the complexity derived from it’s components. Is a reductive strategy sometimes better? Is it possible?
Kirk,
I am not sure I understand some of the concerns based on your wording. You talk about the wine being “flat” though your acidity is up there, and then “bitter.” Your TA is ok though perhaps high for some, esp. if the wine is totally dry. If you did extract tannins, that acidity will exacerbate bitterness. I’m not sure what polymerization you are referring to.
You may be rushing things, not doing them in sequence, and definitely not giving them the time they deserve.
In general, the white winemaking process (with MLF) is:
– Fine the juice if necessary (this is usually only necessary if making wine from grapes when the pressed juice is highly turbid).
– Carry out the alcoholic fermentation (AF).
– Stabilize the wine with SO2 at the end of the AF.
– Let the wine clarify on its own as much as possible.
– Perform a bentonite treatment to deal with excess proteins. Let settle and rack (stubborn wines may need an additional clarification).
– Perform cold stabilization. This should be done after fining and should be one of the last steps before bottling.
– Bulk age the wine for 6-12 months, maybe closer to 6 for the lighter varieties. You need to give the wine time to develop its tertiary aromas and flavors.
– Filter and bottle.
I’ll repeat that you should not be rushing any part of the process. Intervene when necessary based on proper assessments but never be heavy-handed. And bulk age the wine; this is important. Wines need time to open up, some more than others. Be sure you understand the impacts of certain treatments and how/when to perform bench trials. Doing an acid adjustment made on bench trials and then performing cold stabilization won’t give you predictable results, as you found out.
Reductive winemaking does not necessarily help. You may not have the means to do it properly.
BTW, we just announced a second seminar at Musto on Sept. 7. There I will discuss TA and pH in some detail. Check out the seminar info at https://techniquesinhomewinemaking.com/home%20winemaking%20news_events.html.
Daniel-
Got this today from Morewine, wondering your thoughts on DAP free, since I don’t have the ability to test my must for this “need.”
New Yeast Nutrients From Cellar Science!
We are excited to offer new yeast nutrients from Cellar Science, packaged in multiple sizes to easily match your batch size.
FermStart
Start your fermentation right with FermStart by CellarScience. FermStart is a concentrated, micronutrient blend that helps yeast during the critical phase in which they transition from dried and dormant back into healthy and active. FermStart is added to your rehydration water so that your yeast absorbs the nutrients as they absorb the water. Rehydrating with FermStart prior to pitching your yeast also has the added benefit of allowing the yeast access to the nutrients before wild yeast in the must can uptake them.
FermFed
Help your yeast reach the end of fermentation safely while producing amazing flavors with FermFed by CellarScience. Yeast that are given FermFed have a higher likelihood of fermenting without issue while producing wines with more intense flavors and aromas. FermFed is a complex nutrient blend of diammonium phosphate, thiamin, amino acids, sterols, pantothenic acid, mannoproteins, protective microelements derived from yeast hulls, and vitamins B2, B5, B6, & B12. FermFed also contains the organic and inorganic nitrogen (DAP) that yeast need.
FermFed DAP Free
Feed your fermentation with FermFed DAP Free by CellarScience. The 100% natural formulation of FermFed DAP Free is derived from the autolysis of very specific yeast strains naturally high in free amino acids, sterols, mannoproteins, zinc, magnesium, and niacin, along with vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, and B12 for a complete yeast health regimen. As the name suggests, this unique formulation does not contain the traditional inorganic diammonium phosphate, but does provide organically derived nitrogen.
To view our complete selection of Wine Fermentation Additives, click here
Thanks as always.
Seth
Hi Seth,
I have seen these products but I have never tried them, so I don’t know how well or how much better they perform compared to other similar products.
My protocol is simple:
1. Measure YAN and add DAP (inorganic nutrient) to the must according to Brix.
2. Add rehydration (organic) nutrients to yeast.
3. Add nutrients (organic and inorganic) at 1/3 Brix depletion.
Vinmetrica has a YAN kit that is easy to use. It is a test I recommend everyone to do.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Its been very hot here in Anch Ak. this summer and my Pinot Noir is ripening ahead of schedule. One location is way ahead of another and I am thinking to pick the fruit that is ready and crush and freeze it until the second location ripens. What should I do to preserve the frozen fruit? Do I add KMS and enzymes?
Thanks for your help, Mike
Hi Mike,
Yes, you can add 30 mg KMS/kg of fruit (50 mg KMS/L of total volume, liquid and solid phases) and enzymes before freezing.
Cheers,
Daniel
good morning Michael,
I am about to harvest Pinot Gris grapes and have been reading about finning at the juice stage with Albumex bentonite and Polycacel. Do you recommend doing this at the juice stage ? I intend to cool the grapes to 50F then crush, then press, add KMS @50ppm, cool to 50F, wait an hour or 2, and then add enzymes, then let the juice settle and the next day transfer to a carboy ,warm up and add the yeast plus nutrients and put back in the cooler at 50F with an air lock and punch down 3X a day when yeast starts to work and ferment to a very slight fruity flavor on the dry side. This should take14 days or more ? Should I taste to the flavor I like and then add KMS according to the ph?
Thanks for your help, Mike
Hi Mike,
I’m Daniel, not Michael 🙂
I would recommend a pre-fining at the juice stage if you could measure turbidity, which I assume you are not equipped to do. With that data you could then determine how much bentonite to add. The problem is that if you do it blindly, you could be adding too much bentonite, which would affect fermentation dynamics and possibly result in a stuck fermentation or flaws.
What you could do is go with the minimum recommended dosage and maybe wait 36 hours if you are able to hold the juice cold for that long.
Duration of fermentation depends on temperature. I recommend a cool fermentation, say around 55F or maybe cooler.
When fermentation is 100% complete, add KMS according to pH shooting for a molecular SO2 of no more than 0.8 ppm.
Good luck
Daniel
Thank you Daniel,
Sorry about your name mix up,
Mike
Hi Daniel,
I am going to ferment pinot gris , chard, Sauv. blanc, and riesling grapes at 50f and wondering if T306 yeast is ok to ferment at 50f? I do have QA23 which states 50F, however, which ones would you suggest for the above varieties .
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Both the T306 and QA23 have a recommended temperature range above 59F. It might be risky trying to ferment at 50F. You could ferment in the low 60s or choose more temperature-appropriate yeasts, e.g. D-47, K1V-1116.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I am cleaning all my wine making equipment and wondering if hydrogen peroxide @3% solution is a good cleaning agent and is good as Star-san. I have a lot of H202 since we buy drums of 35% for our nursery business. Will it harm stainless steel and is it ok to use on plastic and glass carboys, and Speidel tanks and for washing wine bottles before bottling or would that give off too much oxygen?
Thanks for your help, Mike
plastic tanks
Thanks for your help,
Mike
Hi Mike,
As you know, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a very strong oxidizer, which makes it a very good sanitizer, generally speaking. Alas, its strong oxidizing characteristic makes it highly reactive and unstable, and that’s why it is usually diluted for transport and storage. At low concentrations, H2O2 is no longer as good a sanitizer; it can be enhanced by increasing temperature.
For these reasons, and given the choice of better alternative products, H2O2 on its own is not used for sanitizing winemaking equipment. It is however a component of many such alternative products; it increases their effectiveness. At low concentrations, H2O2 is compatible with stainless steel, glass (through preferably hard glass), elastomers, and most plastics though less with HDPE.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I have just added yeast to my white grape must @55F and wondering if I should stir it a couple times a day and blanket it with CO2
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Stir when inoculating, then protect with CO2 and wait for fermentation to kick in. You can optionally stir very gently during fermentation to keep the lees in suspension; it is not to introduce more oxygen – there is no need.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I am using Fermaid O @ 1.5 grams per gal of must at first signs of fermentation and its suggested to add it again at half way through fermentation . Fermaid O is an organic yeast nutrient used in place of DAP. Do you agree with this formula, or is once enough?
Soon I will harvest Cab Sauv. and Cab. Franc. Some vines are mixed together in the vineyard. Is it ok to ferment them together or should I separate the clusters and ferment separately? I was planning on blending them together anyway after aging .
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
More often than not, grapes are deficient in assimilable nitrogen, i.e. the nitrogen that yeast can assimilate and metabolize for supporting the fermentation process. And so, it is customary to add nutrients although this is done kind of blindly. I prefer to measure how much nitrogen there is and then add whats needed.
Yeast have a preference for DAP, and so it will assimilate DAP before nitrogen-containing amino acids found in complex-nutrient formulations. But the latter are better as they provide all sort of other micronutrients (e.g. vitamins) needed by yeast.
Half the amount of nutrients to be added are added just before inoculating the must, and the second half is added at 1/3 or 1/2 sugar depletion (i.e. between 16-12 Brix if initial Brix is 24).
Fermaid O is a good nutrient formulation.
Blending grapes at crush (in what is called “field blending”) is one strategy you may want to experiment with, and certainly the easiest if you are dealing with small volumes. Otherwise you have to manage two separate wines individually and then blend them at some point. It’s not always simple to manage many small lots.
Good luck
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
thank you answering my questions so rapidly. If I understand you correctly, this is my procedure—Add gro-ferm protect to hydrated yeast and add to must. At beginning of fermentation or 2 to 3 degrees sugar depletion add fermermaid O @ one and half grams per gallon of must , and then a second application at around 10 to 12% sugar depletion.
thanks Mike
Just to be clear, you add the required amount of GO-FERM in 20 times its weight of water at the required hydration temperature (typically 104F/40C), and mix until well dissolved. Then you add the yeast and hydrate as per your process. After the hydration period, about 20 minutes, you add the yeast/GO-FERM solution to the must.
Add 1/2 the required amount of FERMAID O, i.e. 0.75 g/gallon, BEFORE you inoculate, and then 0.75 g/gallon when the Brix has reached 1/3 depletion (I don’t know your initial Brix). You can add the initial dose after a 2-3 Brix drop but I prefer to add it before inoculation.
Good morning Daniel,
I purchased Viniflora CH16 bacteria and the instructions say you do not need to rehydrate or add nutrients; I do have nutrients for it and wondering what your thoughts are in regards to their suggestions?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
You don’t need to hydrate the bacteria. Just sprinkle the powder on the surface and stir well but gently.
If the wine is still on the fine lees, there are sufficient nutrients there for the bacteria; otherwise, I suggest you do add nutrients 24 hours prior.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
My pinot noir cap has fallen, however, there are still bubbles and I checked the wine with my precision hydrometer and it reads minus 0.70 Brix. and ph is 3.63 and FSO2 is 18ppm. Should I press it tomorrow and cool it down until I receive my ML bacteria on Friday, I hope.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
It’s up to you. I tend to ferment totally dry, to at least -1.5 Brix, if not -2.0 Brix, before I press. You might as well do the same, then press when you receive the bacteria, then inoculate for the MLF.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
now that the cap has fallen on my red wine and the brix is not yet down to minus 1.0, should I stir up the lees?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
You should keep stirring the solids in the wine, yes. That will stir up the lees.
Daniel
Hi ‘Daniel ,
I have 30 gallons of Riesling from grapes ( which started at 19.5B, ph–3.38 and TA–8) I grew in my greenhouses and it has fermented down to 5% and tastes good, but spritzy. I stir it on the lees once a day also. Temp is 49F. I would like to stop it at around 3 to 4Brix, so should I just add KMS @30ppm.? I don’t mind if it has a slight fruity sweetness.
I have 30 gallons of pinot noir (-0.9 spec. gravity) from which I followed your recipe and it has good color and has not been pressed, and yesterday I added the ML bacteria–CH16 and today added @ 1 gram per gallon of Opti Malo Plus and stirring on the lees once a day, and temp is 67F. Should I press it now or wait until the Spec. Gravity get down to -1.5?
Thanks for your comments,
Mike
Hi Mike,
30 ppm KMS won’t stop fermentation. I would go with 100 ppm free SO2 — note I said free SO2, as 30 ppm KMS only gives you about 17 ppm free SO2. To get 100 ppm free SO2 in 30 gallons of wine, you need to add about 20 grams (0.7 oz) of KMS. Then you need to chill the wine as cold and as quickly as possible. You’ll need to do this NOW fermentation won’t stop instantaneously. You’re at 5 Brix and you want 3-4 Brix.
I think you mean Brix and not SG for your Pinot measurements . My preference would be to let the wine go completely dry, down to -1.5 or even -2.0 Brix, before you press. I also would have added the ML culture much sooner during the AF or after pressing. Just go very, very gently when racking the free-run wine and then pressing to minimize oxygen uptake. Too much oxygen can inhibit the bacteria.
Good luck.
Daniel
Goodmorning Daniel,
thanks for your quick response to my questions. In regards to the pinot noir with the ML culture, should I stir it gently once a day and cover to keep out oxygen and top with CO2?
Thanks Mike
If the wine is still in the primary with the grape solids, you have to keep doing daily punchdowns. Once transferred to glass carboys or barrels, you can stir daily, but stir very, very gently. The idea is to simply keep the bacteria in suspension. Keep oxygen out and protect with CO2 if you can, yes.
Daniel,
The pinot noir wine is still in the primary fermenter with all the skins and ML culture. If I press it before it reaches -2.0 B, will it continue to go dry to -2.0 B as it now is only at -1.0B and moving down slowly at 68F. How many times a day should I punch down as the cap has dropped down to the bottom of the fermenter ?
Thanks Mike
If the yeast is still viable it will continue fermenting whatever sugar it finds. Don’t let it go too much down from 68F; the ML bacteria prefer warmer temperatures.
Punchdown/stir twice daily. The idea is to avoid overly long exposure of the surface to the elements (and acetic acid bacteria). If you are able to contain the CO2 you inject, you can get away with once daily.
Hi Daniel,
My pinot noir and Zinfandel are going through MLF and have not been pressed. They started primary fermentation on Oct 3 and MLF started on Oct 17, and are now only at -1.1B. Pinot Noir Ph is 3.8 and TA 7.8. Zinfandel ph is 3.4 and TA of 10.1. Is it safe to leave them on the skins this long ? Should I press now?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
You can press now though you should go gently with both the free- and press-run wines during pressing and transfers in case the MLF is not complete; bacteria are sensitive to excessive oxygen. It is otherwise ok to leave the wine on the skins provided that you keep doing daily punchdowns, actually twice a day. It may be an option to consider as the wines are not totally dry; they will be dry at -1.5 Brix (I use -2.0 Brix). They can also complete the AF in carboys/barrels after pressing. I just wanted to point out that the AF is not quite complete.
Cheers,
Daniel
Good afternoon Daniel,
thanks for answering my questions regarding red wine. My Chard. wine is at -0.8B and I like the flavor so I added 100ppm of KMS. It is still in the primary fermenter with the lees. Is it ok to leave it on the primary lees or do I need to rack it off. How often do I need to stir it and when I do it gets some CO2 on top. The temp. in the cold room is 49F
Thanks again, Mike
Why so much KMS? Are you dealing with a high pH? Also, at -0.8 Brix, the wine is not quite dry yet. Is that what you wanted?
Usually, you would rack the wine off its gross lees once fermentation is complete, then add KMS to stabilize the wine. What you have left are fine lees, and those are ok. You can stir however often you like depending on the style you want to create, but keep in mind that you are introducing oxygen every time you do so. When I do it, I stir once a week for a few months.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I pressed the red wine which already had the ML bacteria in place , how often should one stir it gently until the ML bacteria has done its job? During pressing a lot of oxygen did get in the wine when the transfer from the press to the carboy. I am using Spidel plastic carboys and do they need to be covered to prevent light from entering? There is no UV light inside the greenhouses and temp is 68F.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Stir at least once a week, very, very gently. You should minimize the exposure to light to the extent possible. Cover the carboy if need be.
Daniel
Daniel
FerMonster Carboy 23, 27 litres.
Can you tell me if these FerMonster are vacuum resistant.
Thanks
Geeraerd
Geeraerd,
No, PET carboys like the Fermonster or Better Bottle are not vacuum resistant.
Daniel
Daniel,
I have a Blichmann WineEasy,
please advise me what to do for vacuum transfer.
Geeraerd.
Geeraerd,
Are you asking how to transfer wine from one carboy to another using the WineEasy pump?
Transferring wine from the WineEasy to a carboy upon completion of fermentation is described in the product instructions.
To transfer wine from one carboy to another, you place a racking cane in the carboy with wine, attach that to a receiving carboy, and connect the vacuum pump to the receiving carboy. The pump creates a vacuum in the receiving carboy and pulls wine from the other carboy. The Youtube video at the following link shows you how to do it (it uses some other vacuum pump). Oh! You’ll want to mute the speaker when watching the video – you’ll understand why.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSiftJnzn3I
Cheers,
Daniel
Daniel,
Can I purchase the STM eDrometer somewhere; or is it out of production.
Thanks
Geeraerd,
I have not heard of the eDrometer in many years and I see that the STM Instruments website no longer exists. I’m assuming it is out of production.
Daniel
Hello,
I have recommended to my fellow winemakers in clubs and on forums that if they add glycerine to their finished white wines that they should also add potassium sorbate as a prevention for refermentation even if they do not add any sugar. This is based on my experience of a wine starting to referment after the addition of 4 ml/L of glycerine and the appropriate quantity of KSO2. The wine SG was .996 before the additions. Fortunately the wine was still in a carboy and I waited about a month until the bubbling stopped and then added potassium sorbate and more glycerine (to taste) and bottled it. Am I wrong on recommending addition of potassium sorbate if only adding glycerine? My yeast was EC 1118. People in the forum are saying that and addition of more glycerine than was produced by the yeast will not create an additional fermentation and Sorbate is not required.
Hi Mike,
Glycerol metabolism in yeast is a complex subject with no clear answers; it various a lot by genus, species and strain. I believe that Saccharomyces yeasts are not very good at metabolizing glycerol, and so no sorbate is needed. But some other rogue yeasts as well as bacteria, acetic acid bacteria chief among them, can metabolize glycerol, and that’s probably what you have witnessed. Sorbate cannot protect against all yeasts and certainly not against bacteria. Good sanitation and use of SO2 should be sufficient.
You want to look into using gum arabic instead of glycerine; I much prefer it as it has many, many useful properties with no concerns of microbial spoilage.
Daniel
Daniel – I measure and pay close attention to pH, TA, Free SO2, and temperature … but for MLF, I typically don’t do much testing. I usually just wait 2-3 months and call it done. Never any issues. Compared to other tests testing for MLF progress/completion is relatively expensive (per test). I’m fine with that cost if it is something that is worth doing. My question is whether or not you would recommend such testing for the average home winemaker making less than 50 gallons per year? I have waffled on purchasing the Vinmetrica MLF Analyzer … hence my question 🙂
FYI … I do expect my wine production to increase in volume over time. So a related question is whether you have a “production volume threshold” where MLF testing becomes a must have?
Kevin,
It is absolutely worth doing; you’re playing Russian Roulette otherwise. Most serious home winemakers perform paper chromatography to confirm MLF completion. And if you’re doing up to 50 gallons, you are in the “serious winemaker” category and you should be testing for MLF.
Waiting 2-3 months not knowing if MLF is complete, or that it has even started for that matter (you may have a stcuk MLF), all the while with no SO2 protection exposes your wine to potential adverse microbial effects. If it is not complete and you bottle with residual malic acid, malolactic bacteria can kick in, and it may not be necessarily be malolactic bacteria of the good kind, when SO2 levels drop.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
My red wines have 420 ,280, and one has 720 mg/L of malic acid. At what point are they complete so I may add KMS?
My Riesling has 6.19 g/L of residual sugar , and my Chard. has 0.97g/L of sugar. What must I do to protect them from further fermentation other than adding KMS
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
MLF is considered complete when malic acid is below 100 mg/L. KMS can keep malolactic bacteria in check if you maintain adequate SO2 levels. The problem is, if you intend to age wine in bottles and you have not sterile filtered, free SO2 slowly drops, and then at some point MLF can kick in.
The Chardonnay is ok; it just needs its usual dose of KMS. The Riesling needs sorbate in addition to KMS.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
thanks for your rapid response to my questions about MLF. I also have some other red wines that are a few years old and stored at 55F that have not completed MLF. They have from 30 to 3.2 ppm free SO2. If I warm them up to 68F and reintroduce some fresh ML bacteria will that work to lower the Malic acid?
Thanks Mike
It might be very difficult to get the MLF going again in a now-hostile environment. I would leave them alone, esp. if the taste is fine.
Thanks Daniel,
They do taste fine and I would like to bottle them. I assume that I must bring the FSO2 up to the correct amount according to the ph. Is there anything else you would suggest to add to the wine before bottling?
The assay stated that some of the reds had some VA issues. How can I correct that prior to bottling?
Thanks again, Mike
Yes, adjust FSO2 according to pH.
There shouldn’t be anything else to add except if you want to do some adjustment on “mouthfeel” with finishing tannins.
You can’t correct VA, unfortunately, not inexpensively anyways (wineries with $$$ can do it). You’ll have to live with that. You’ll have to figure out why you have VA issues and fix your process and equipment for next time.
Good luck.
Daniel
Daniel,
To deactivate MLB in older wines that did not finish MLF, should I add KMS plus Lysozyme as outlined in your book?
Thanks Mike
Mike,
Yes, you could use lysozyme to reduce the risk of an MLF restarting if you intend to age the wines in bottles for a long time. I would have recommended it for a young wine that you would be bottling, esp. at higher residual malic levels.
Daniel
Hi Daniel, I have a high PH, high TA red wine, (PH 3.62, TA 7.2 g/l), that does not drink well. I want to reduce the TA without increasing the PH.
I currently do not have anything in my wine cellar to blend with this wine and I am hesitant about a water addition because this wine was treated with lysozyme and has lost some tannins and mouth feel. What options are left besides cold stabilization?
Robert,
I wish I worked more often with those kinds of numbers.
Ok, so your TA is a bit high, but I would not worry about pH as long as you maintain a proper FSO2 level. I’m not sure what you mean by “it doesn’t drink well.” Is it too acidic, too rustic, too tannic, etc.?
If you deacidify, you will increase the pH. Your best bet is cold stabilization. Your pH might increase or decrease depending on what side of pH 3.65 you’re on. You measured 3.62 but it can easily be just over 3.65 accounting for error. If you are at 3.62, pH will drop a little as TA drops.
Adding sugar to balance the TA is a no-no as your wine has undergone partial MLF.
Cold stabilization is it.
Daniel
Daniel, thank you for the prompt response.
The wine is too acidic for my taste. I will try cold stabilization as soon as conditions are right.
Thank you again.
You’re welcome.
That’s your best course of action at this point. Try it out and see where it gets you at, then we can decide what else we can do.
Good luck.
Daniel
Hello Daniel, I put a carboy of wine in my basement bulkhead for cold stabilization in January as we had some cold weather. After 2 weeks, when I removed the wine from the bulkhead, the temperature had dropped to 36F. I racked the wine immediately and the bottom of the carboy had a coating of tartrate crystals, (about 1/16″ thick), covering the entire bottom of the carboy. The PH has dropped to 3.59 and the TA has dropped to 6.6g/l. Best of all, the wine is less acidic to taste and drinking better.
I would like to continue to reduce the acid because the wine is still tart for my taste. Should I continue with another round of cold stabilization?
Please advise, thank you.
Robert
Hi Robert,
If I understand correctly, you left the wine in the bulkhead for two weeks and the coldest temperature it reached was 36F. And are we talking white or red wine? White are stabilized at colder temperatures.
Keep in mind that a wine is as cold-stable as the coldest temperature it was subjected to, and that for a minimum duration. So if your wine was at, say, 40F for 10 days and then 36F for just a day, it will likely only be stable to 40F. It would have had to be at 36F for several days, even a week or two, for it to be stable at that temperature.
If we’re dealing with a white wine, I would try and stabilize colder, as close as possible to 20F. (I realize that may not be possible, but if you live in a northern area, just wait for the next cold snap.) If there is still sufficient tartaric acid in the wine (assuming that there is also a good supply of potassium though tartaric acid is usually the limiting factor), then you can expect more tartrates and a further drop in TA. And since your pH is now below the tartaric “threshold point” of 3.66, pH too will drop. But I’m guessing that you will not get the kind of drop you are looking for, and so, you’ll need to consider either deacidifying or backsweetnening. The latter will require proper stabilization with sorbate and sulfite . . . and I’m assuming that we’re dealing with a white wine again; if it’s a red wine, you should NEVER add sorbate if the wine has undergone malolactic fermentation.
Good luck.
Daniel
Hi Daniel, this is red wine and it has gone through MLF, so yes, I understand back sweetening is not an an option. I will try another round of cold stabilization as soon as there is a cold snap. If the results are not to my satisfaction I will try deacidifying.
Thank you,
Robert
Ah! Red, ok! So you don’t need to go as cold to stabilize, but you can try if you still want to drop the acidity some more, if there is sufficient tartaric acid, as I mentioned.
Hi Daniel.
I am considering buying S.S. Speidel variable volume tanks to store wine for 2 years or more. Are these tanks ok for long term storage and does that variable lid really work well to keep out air?
Speidel also has some sealed tanks which do not have a variable volume lid. As long as they are topped up with wine are they ok for storage for up to 2 years?
Thanks , Mike
Hi Mike,
You can use Speidel s/s variable capacity tanks for long-term storage provided that you check and adjust free SO2 periodically, much like in a barrel. You have to make sure that the bladder creates a very good seal, and that involves knowing how to position and pump the bladder. The bladder is very good for creating a barrier against liquids but not so good to gases (oxygen, CO2) if not installed properly. I have seen cases when the wine lasted more than a year with only normal free SO2 consumption and I have seen cases where the wine did not last one month.
Fixed-capacity tanks are good, again provided that the closure is sound and installed properly. I have had spoilage in a carboy because of a bad bung.
Good luck.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Can Flex tanks be used for long term storage?
Thanks Mike
Yes, although they “breathe,” much like barrels. I’m currently doing a study comparing wine aging in a Flextank and the same wine aging in a two-year-old barrel.
Hi Daniel,
what temp. will wine at 11% alcohol freeze. Its outside in my shed and temps outside may go down into the low 20F tonight.
Thanks Mike
At about 25F if it’s a dry wine, lower if it’s sweet. Obviously the freezing takes time and will likely not happen if the temperature surges back up in the morning.
Hi Daniel,
you are correct about Speidel tanks eating up the KMS as I checked it and it was way down. Today I ordered 2 S.S. variable volume tanks and will rack my wine into them next week.
Thanks again. Mike
Ok, good, Yeah. Stay on top of free SO2 levels.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel, I have a 2017 red wine that is high PH and high TA, ( PH 3.62, TA 7.2 g/l). The wine has a tart/acidic finish I would like to smooth out.
I have done two cold stabilizations and the wine is now , ( PH 3.59, and TA 6.6 g/l), less acidic to taste but still needs some improvement.
You recommended my next step should be deacidifying the wine. Should I start with bench trials using Potassium Bicarbonate?
Please advise, thank you.
Robert
Hi Robert,
I wish I worked with such “high” pH wines. LOL
3.62 is not high; I have wines at 4.2!!!
I assume the wine went through MLF, so you have reduced the malic acid to the extent possible, correct?
If you have cold stabilized already, doing a deacidification with potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) can quite possibly throw off you tartarte stability, and so, you’ll need to re-stabilize just to be sure. And I’m not sure you will see any TA drop, at least not anything significant, as there may not be sufficient tartaric acid.
You can try some bench trials to see if there is any significant drop. Be sure to let your samples freeze overnight, and then thaw and taste so that if there is tartaric acid to reduce as potassium bitartrate you see any possible drop in TA. Also run a sample also at double the max rate, i.e. 1.34 g/L (instead of 0.67 g/L) of KHCO3 per 1 g/L of TA to reduce . . . this is in case there is no drop in TA, it will give you a little mouthfeel boost and maybe correct the perception of acidity you are getting.
Good luck.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
My red wine make from grapes has completed MLF and is being kept at 53-55F , and has not been racked off the lees since completion of MLF. I stir it once a week and have added KMS. I will use egg whites as a finning agent . Is it ok to add the egg whites now or should I rack the wine first?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Typically, you rack after completion of the MLF and then add KMS, but it’s ok. But you should definitely rack before doing a fining or else you’ll get all the lees back into suspension. I would also recommend you age the wine for a few months, say 6 months) before fining so that it clears as much as possible on its own first.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
now that my red wine has completed MLF, I have lowered the temp. in the wine room to 58F and added the necessary amount of KMS. My new Speidel plastic carboys will arrive next week so is it ok to wait that long before I rack it over to the new vessels?
Are the 100 L Speidel carboys safe to store wine for up to 2 years?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
You have added the KMS before any racking, so yes, it’s ok to wait for another week to transfer the wine to the Speidel carboys. One would typically rack the wine off the lees and add KMS.
I would not leave the wine in a Speidel carboy for an extended amount of time. There will be quite a bit of oxygen getting in and chewing up your SO2. If you decide to go for it, measure your free SO2 after each month and see if oxygen ingress is an issue. I’m betting it will be.
Daniel
Hello Daniel.
Haven’t commented on this blog in a while but I still read and learn from posts.
A strange thing is going on with my 2018 Cabernet sauvignon. First the numbers:
TA 6.5 g/l which I bumped up to 7.0 g/l
Brix 25
I pressed at sg 1.000 and moved the wine to a warm room where it continued to ferment until January 2019. I inoculated with malo culture and let the malolactic fermentation finish. I checked it with paper chromatography. I let the wine stay in bulk at 22 degrees C until July 2019 when I bottled it. The sg was 0.096 The wine seemed stable with great fruit flavor and aroma.
Then in October a cork popped. The wine had refermented in the bottle. I checked other bottles and some had refermented and others not. As time went on I observed leakage around the corks. So I undertook the difficult decision to uncork 2 carbuoys worth of wine and return it to bulk. I added light American oak chips to increase the oak component and hopefully dissipate co2. At this point the wine had a funny aroma which seemed to go away when left in the glass for a while. After a couple of weeks I racked the wine off the oak and degassed using a whip and drill. I was concerned about H2S so I placed a copper pipe in the wine for a couple of hours. This seemed to improve the aroma considerably. However the wine has started to form bubbles again similar to a very light fermentation. I confirmed a second time that malolactic had completed. So I’m puzzled as to what this bubbling is all about. I would guess that it’s something that was going on since at least October. At the moment sg is still 0.096. What do you think this is? Thanks Daniel.
Hi Vince,
Why did you leave the wine at 22°C until July 2019 if MLF was complete?
Not sure what you meant by “adding oak chips to dissipate CO2. Oak doesn’t really do anything to CO2 except every so slightly upon introducing the chips, but it’s peanuts.
Why were you concerned about H2S? Did you smell it? It’s not a good idea — actually, it’s a bad idea — to place a copper pipe in wine. You have no idea how much copper you are introducing this way. You will likely end up with high amounts of copper, higher than is considered a non-issue health-wise. The high amount of copper will also cause premature oxidation as your wine ages as copper is an oxidation catalyst. It’s always better to use copper sulfate and perform bench trials to determine the “right” amount needed.
Your SG is 0.996 NOW. Maybe it was not before you noticed all this bubbling and the wine did indeed referment. Are you seeing any kind of sediments? If yes, then it’s for sure refermentation. I’m also assuming that your MLF testing is valid, because that too can cause refermentation, more precisely, renewed conversion of residual malic acid into lactic acid.
You don’t mention anything about having added sulfite. If you left the wine at 22°C until July 2019 with no sulfite, you may very well have had rogue microbes causing spoilage; that’s a high possibility given that you noticed some funky smells. I would bet that you have some VA (volatile acidity) too at this point; it’s smells like vinegar.
Daniel
Thanks for the info Daniel. First thing I will do is to get a copper testing kit to determine how much copper I have and compare to what’s acceptable for drinking water.
Yes I did sulphite the wine along the way and the SG was 0.096 prior to bottling I’m just wondering if this is alcoholic fermentatiin of some residual sugar. I’m going to let it do its thing until it stops and check sg again. Maybe the sg will drop further considering the initial bric
No smell of VA.
Ok. I’d like to know what copper-testing kit you will buy; it’s not an easy test..
The main question about sulfite is: How much is there in the wine? Maybe didn’t add enough. So that’s another test.
Your SG is 0.996 (not 0.096). But it’s not a very accurate measurement with a regular hydrometer. You may have enough residual sugar that yeast can ferment, and you may not see a drop on you r hydrometer.
NO smell of VA. That’s good.
BTW, these are all tests that I provide as part of my lab services. We can discuss those and pricing if interested.
Daniel
I was thinking of getting Health Metric
Lead Iron Copper and Mercury – Home Water Test Kit for Well Tap and Drinking Water from Amazon. I added sulphite at crush then again after fermentation in Nov 2018, and January 2019 and a little in March 2019.
But yes I would be interested in your testing services. Can you send the info to my email address? Is testing for copper in wine different than in water?
Thanks
I’m not sure if those kits work for wine; probably not. Wine chemistry is very different from water chemistry. You have interfering substances in wine that need to be dealt with to ensure the test is valid.
You added sulfite, ok, good, but I don’t know how much, and more important, what is your free SO2 level ** NOW **. Yeast cells can hang around and wait for SO2 to be sufficiently low to go back into action if there are any substrates, such as residual sugars.
I’ll send you a services-price list by email.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel! Curious to get your thoughts on lees tiring during MLF. Unlike alcoholic fermentation, MLF is not an aerobic process so oxygen exposure is not beneficial. But there seems to be a general sense that lees stirring during MLF is “necessary”. My understanding, which may be way off base, is that MLB will not settle and “pile up” like yeast does and since only fine lees should be present during MLF there really is no benefit to lees stirring.
Thoughts?
Cheers!
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
It is not “necessary” but stirring the lees, ever so gently to avoid oxygen uptake, causes the bacteria to go back into suspension, which tends to speed up the process. It is also based on my personal experience. Bacterial cells will still fall to the bottom and into the lees.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I have 120 L of white wine blend that I would like to back sweeten a little before bolttling. It currently has 0.76g/l of residual sugar and a ph of 3.16. I have on hand several 46 oz. cans of Alexandres sun country Riesling concentrate @68brix. Is the concentrate ok to add or should I use table sugar to back sweeten the wine?
How many ounces per gallon of concentrate or table sugar would you suggest to add and how much sorbate and lysozyme would be necessary? The wine has not had any ML bacteria added to it and has been cold stabilized and finned and is 15 months old.
Thanks very much for your suggestions ,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Yes, you can certainly add concentrate to backsweeten your wine. It has the advantage of adding extra flavors beyond sweetness compared to table sugar. The downsize is that it will likely affect your cold stability and you may need to stabilize again; table sugar is not an issue. You’ll have to perform some bench trials to see how much concentrate to add to get something to your taste.
No need for lysozyme, only sorbate. The amount of sorbate to add depends on your %ABV. For 10%ABV you need 150 mg/L of sorbic acid; then you decrease that amount by 25 mg/L for every increase of 1%ABV. For example, for 12%ABV, you would need 100 mg/L sorbic acid. To then calculate how much potassium sorbate you need, you multiply the amount of sorbic acid needed by 1.34 multiplied by your volume. For example, for 12%ABV and 120 L, you would need 100 x 1.34 x 120 = 16,080 mg or 16.1 g.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
When Finning white wine with Kitsol 40, will the wine be heat stabilized?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Is this wine from juice or grapes or is it from a kit?
If it is from a kit, then the wine will be protein-stable after the Kitsol 40 treatment.
If it is from juice or grapes, then there is no guarantee that the wine will be protein-stable. The wine would need to be tested for protein stability and then treated with the right amount of Kitsol 40 based on bench trials. All this to say that the amount you added may not be sufficient to make the wine completely stable.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
since white PVC pipe is used for drinking water, can one use it for pumping wine from one container to another ?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
We should always be careful not to extrapolate. Wine is much more acidic than water. But I think PVC is fine, particularly that contact time is very short.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I am going to need a filter system to sterile filter before bottling and wondering if a 10 or 20 plate filter pad set up will get down to .045 micron? I would pass through 100 gallons of white wine made from grapes and racked several times, finned, cold stabilized, and now 14 months old. It looks rather clear. I would also be doing red wines that did not finish MLF.
Thanks for your comments. Mike
Hi Mike,
Plate-filter systems can filter down to less than 1 micron but it is not sterile. For sterile filtration down to 0.45 micron, you need a filter housing with a cartridge rated for 0.45 micron ABSOLUTE (compared to NOMINAL, which does not guarantee sterile filtering). And the wine bottled as “sterile” will only be truly sterile if you bottle under sterile conditions, i.e. if you have an open system, the wine is exposed to the elements and is no longer being bottled as sterile. The Enolmatic with its Tandem filter is a good system to sterile filter and bottle (bottling in done under vacuum). 100 gallons will require some patience and time as it’s a lot of volume for the Enolmatic to process. There is a professional model but it is very pricey.
That being said, if your white wine has less than 2 g/L (0.2%) of residual sugar and well protected with SO2, then you can filter with a plate-filter system and bottle directly from your fine filtering.
I would strongly recommend you use lysozyme and SO2 for a red that has not completed MLF at this point.
Good luck.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I have some Albumex bentonite which states that you can add it directly to the wine without mixing it with hot water.
My white wine made from grapes is stored at 55F, and has been racked once after fermentation and is 90 days old and I stir it once a week ; the ph is 3.4. It does have 3% res. sugar and 40ppm FSO2
Do you think this direct application of Albumex bentonite is ok, and if so how many grams per gallon would you add.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
I’ve never used Albumex but I have heard from others who have and they said the results are excellent. The recommended rate of addition is 4-12 g/gal. I’d go with half the max, i.e. 8 g/gal.
Your residual sugar is really 3%? That’s 30 g/L, which would be fairly sweet. But I assume you tasted it and you like it. BTW, how did you measure it?
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
sorry for the error in sugar concentration, its 3 grams per liter.
Mike
That’s more like it.
Hi Daniel.
Mr red wine has completed MLF , however, the ph is now 3.9. I would like to drop the ph down to 3.5 to avoid a lot of KMS additions. How many grams of tartaric acid to 10 gallons of wine would you suggest I add?
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
The first question is: What’s your TA? You could otherwise increase the TA to some very high level if it’s already high.
Notwithstanding that, you’re looking at a fairly significant addition to drop TA that much. Hard to tell exactly how much since you’ll then lose some tartaric acid with a drop in TA as the wine stabilizes against tartrates, and that will impact pH. It’s a lot of acid to add at this stage. And I’m not sure why you are concerned about “a lot of KMS.” It would be very much acceptable. I make many wines with pH in the 4.2 range.
If you really want to change the TA that much, first add 2 g/L of tartaric acid; that’s some 8 g per gallon. Then see where your TA and pH end up. You could then cold stabilize, re-measure TA and pH, and then add lactic acid if you REALLY want to drop pH further.
But I’ll caution you again; You’ll be stressing the wine’s chemistry and may not like the results.
Good luck
Daniel
Thanks Daniel,
These are the 2 red wines ; both finished MLF
TA-4.8 ph 3.9 pinot noir 10 gallons
TA 5.7, ph 3.95 cab sauv 10 gallons
Thanks Mike
The TAs are pretty close to what you would want them to be at bottling. I suggest you conduct bench trials adding 1, 2, 3 and 4 g/L of acid (tartaric and then lactic as I had suggested) to see what your palate likes. I couldn’t tell you because I don’t know anything about the wines and their tannin contents, and about what you like.
Daniel,
can I send you a sample for you to test and see what it needs? What is the charge for this test?
Thanks Mike
I don’t know what you would want me to test. I can analyze/taste test the wine, but I see this first and foremost as a taste test FOR YOU, to see what you like. You seem to want to fix the pH without regards to taste, and possibly negatively impacting your wine.
Hi Daniel,
Yesterday I applied 8 grams per gallon of Albumex Bentinoite to my white wine made from grapes last fall. The wine has only been racked once after completion of fermentation. The temp. of the wine is 55F. Is that too cold for it to work ? How many days before racking , and may I cold soak without racking off the bentonite in the same container? Is it harmful to the wine to leave bentonite in the wine for a month or longer?
Thank you again for your professional advise,
Mike
Hi Mike,
No, it’s perfect. You should see clearing of the wine happen very quickly and completely clear within 2 weeks; I usually wait an extra week. But I don’t know with Albumex; it will probably be quicker. You can cold stabilize (I assume that’s what you meant by “cold soak”) at the same time; no harm in leaving the Albumex in for a month or more.
Daniel
Thanks Daniel,
I will move the wine to my outside shed before it gets too warm as Tomorrow temps will be in the mid 20F at night and highs in the mid 30F during the day as snow is forecasted.
Thanks Again, Mike
You’re welcome.
Hope all is well, we are in the process of investing in another barrel. We currently have a 110L St Martin French Oak which has had a positive impact. Plan is to use it for smaller batch cab franc and merlot. New barrel will be for our larger cab sav batch of 90 gallons but could drop to 75 gallons in a few years.
Question is do we go with a 225 L or another 110 L. With three 250 L variable volume tanks, 110 L barrel, and other equipment realistically only have enough space in cellar for one more barrel. Fear is over oaking the first year or two since we will not have enough to fill it twice. How long can the first fill be in a 225 Lit barrel and can the second fill safely make it 12 months without being over Oaked?
Any other thoughts or concerns of a 225 L barrel for home winemaking? If we went with another 110 L, half of our wine would not get the benefit of a barrel.
Hi Joe,
All is well, thank you, and I trust you are doing well too.
There are many, many, many variables here that I couldn’t possibly make a recommendation for you. The biggest variables are your own preferences on wine style, winemaking space limitations, future plans, types/size of barrels, etc etc. I can however highlight some points to consider in making a decision.
You have the most experience with those specific barrel types and sizes, and so, trust your experience and palate. It is quite possible to age wine for 12 months or more in premium 225-L oak barrels, absolutely, even 110-L ones, and in fact, I aged a wine for 12 months in a 55-L barrel. It depends on the wood and the cooperage. I remember ages ago that I couldn’t even go to 2 months in an 55-L American oak barrel.
When it comes to barrels, bigger is always better — because of the smaller surface-to-volume ratio — for wine quality. But they do take up a lot more space, which is at a premium in a home winemaking context. But working with smaller volumes also makes it a challenge to keep barrels full all the time. If you can’t, you can always store them with a sulfite-citric solution or burn sulfur in empty barrels.
Also, are you stacking barrels? That can solve you space issue. I use a row of three 55-L barrels and then stack two more on top of those and one more on top of the two. I know it’s more of a challenge with bigger barrels in a home winemaking context since you are not equipped to move the barrels around easily. It’s easier with 100-L barrels.
Then you have to look at your winemaking in terms of how many varieties you make, volumes, aging durations, etc. Working with different volume barrels can get tricky when comes time to rack or transfer. As I said, I work with 55-L barrels, all of them, so I can transfer from one to another without worrying about excess or insufficient volume. I also work with 15-gal (54-L) glass demijohns, so again, it’s generally not an issue since I’m working with similar volumes.
As for over-oaking, that should not happen if you taste your wine regularly and pull them out when they have reached your desired taste profile.
Hopefully I have given you sufficient guidance to make an informed decision.
Good luck,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I have two 500Litre S.S. variable capacity Marchisio tanks. One is full to the top with white wine –ph 3.3, @ 28ppm FSO2. I gave the wine a dose of CO2 before putting the lid on and then inflated the bladder. The wine is 8 months old and made from grapes grown in greenhouses here in Anch. Ak.. I think it taste good. I shall rack it again in 4 months and bottle it soon afterwards. How long can one keep wine in these tanks? Also I intend to store some red wine in another 500L tanks for 18 months; is that too long before bottling?
Thanks for your help , Mike
Hi Mike,
You have to be careful with variable-capacity tanks (VCTs). If you don’t place the lid properly and carefully and re-inflate the bladder on a regular basis, the wine can spoil. I have kept wine in VCTs for many, many months, up to 18 months with no problems (with regular check-ups and measurements). But I have also seen others who have had spoilage within just a few weeks.
My recommendation is to taste the wine and measure SO2 once a month initially to see how things are changing and evolving. If everything is good and there is no significant drop in SO2, you can do it at the 2-month interval, then 3 months. But you should definitely do it every 3 months as you would for wine aging in carboys.
It’s ok to age wine for however long you want. When you feel the wine tastes just right for it to be bottled, then you bottle. But again, just follow my advice and recommendations above.
Good luck
Daniel
Good afternoon Daniel.
thank you for your quick response to my question about VCTs. I check the pressure sometimes twice a day and after 2 days no drop from .08 and I put some water with star scan around the seal and not bubbles. What do you think about using a Gas Diaphraagm bleeder regulator with CO2 gas? for the VCTs? I will taste and check the FSO2 in a month and follow your advise.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Not sure what the .08 refers to. It’s probably overkill installing a regulator and all, but if you’re up to it, go for it. The absence of bubbles around the bladder when doing a water test is not sufficient; it is so slow that you won’t see it. Just make sure to inflate the bladder well beyond the red line.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
can one blend red wine finned with egg whites with red wine finned with kieselsol ?
Thanks Mike
Mike,
Yes, absolutely. I don’t see any issues.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I know you were studying flex tanks so what is the final word on flex tanks? are they as good as VCT? , thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
My study is a minimum of 12 months, but I intend to go to 24 months. I’m almost at the 6-month mark right now and the 2-year-old-barrel wine and Flextank wine have identical chemistries, so it looks like, based on current findings, that Flextanks can emulate 2-year-old oak barrels. Open-top Flextanks can be fitted with a lid/inflatable-gasket and be used as VCTs.
Stay tuned for updates here.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I am going to purchase a bottle filler and considering the 4 spout Xpressfill level filler with the gas purge system or the Enoitalia vacuum filler, or the Enolmaster 4 spout filler. Which of these machines would you suggest for a small winery bottling about 1,500 liters per year?
Thanks for you professional advise, Mike
Hi Mike,
I don’t have experience with either Xpressfill or Enoitalia fillers although I know about them and had read reviews; they are both good choices. The Enolmaster too is a top-end filler; I have the Enolmatic for smaller jobs. I have not used the Enolmaster but I have had a chance to take a look at a unit and the construction is very, very good.
With any of these, aside acquisition cost considerations, you have to take into account how easy it is to get replacement parts when something breaks down, or more important, how easy is it to get a hold of the manufacturer or your vendor for product support.
Cheers,
Daniel
Thanks Daniel for your reply on bottle fillers. The Xpresslevel filler with gas purge system is made in Calif., so service would be better than those made in Italy . They say the Express level filler fills a precise amount of wine in each bottle, but I am wondering where the displaced gas goes while filling? Thanks Mike
I don’t know the exact answer but I would imagine it gets displaced during filling and then you have to cork very quickly. I’m not sure it’s worth the trouble. I don’t use gas in my bottle filling, preferring instead upping the SO2 by may 5 ppm to account for any extra oxygen pick-up, which should be small with a good bottler, esp. a vacuum bottler.
Daniel-
Hope all is well and you are safe and healthy.
I typically filter my Rose’s but not my reds. I recently bottled my 2018 G/S blend and have noticed a brown film on the inside of he bottles in some after pouring. I had used a powdered tannin product from Laffort, followed all directions etc. Wine is otherwise fine. I had used the same product in my 2018 C/M blend and am thinking of filtering with my Mini. I am afraid of stripping the color.
Suggestions? Use only the #1 filter? Wine has fallen clear and racked fine.
Thanks
Seth
Hi Seth,
You either have not racked sufficiently, did not stabilize the color adequately, or added the powdered tannins too close to bottling and maybe did not rack sufficiently here too.
A light filtering (Buon Vino #1 pads) will fix the issue. Filtering removes what would otherwise sediment or what would, er, stick to the inside of the glass — it does not strip color, it just adds sparkle.
You have to be sure that the wine is well racked so that it is very clear, and I always recommend a light filtering when bottling young wines.
Good luck
Daniel
Thanks.
FWIW, I followed instructions as they indicated that it could be added as late as 3 weeks prior to bottling. In the case of the 2018 G/S, it was added >1 month prior. I did not rack again, as there were no instructions to do so. So I imagine that was the cause.
I usually rack 24-48 hours after press, again well after MLF and battonage for a few months minimum, again late spring, and again in the fall. Bottling in the spring, minimum 1.5 years later, I have bottled off the spigot, figuring that counts as a further rack, and not wanting to expose it again to more O2. The sediment, if any, remaining in the fermonster, is usually very light.
Never “young,” but I will filter with the #1 just to be safe and follow your recommendation.
Are there late cycle tannins that you prefer? Liquid?
Thanks again.
Seth
Yeah, one final racking is recommended, and a light filtration too. The tannins you add that late, just before bottling, will polymerize with other tannins and anthocyanins (color pigment molecules) and possibly with other “tannin-philic” substances and cause precipitates. If you bottle in 1.5 years, you need that light filtration.
I use powdered tannins, e.g. Laffort Tan’cor Grand Cru, which is great as it dissolves well right in the wine. You can research “finishing tannins” or “cellar tannins” in any other vendor’s product portfolio.
Good luck.
Daniel
Thanks again.
Seth
Hello Daniel – Should I stir during a malolactic fermentation. And if yes, how often.
Thanks
Hi Peter,
You can do it as much as once daily or only once a week — I do it once a week. The idea is really to get the bacteria and lees back into suspension to favor the MLF. Do stir very gently though to minimize oxygen uptake. Bacteria are sensitive to oxygen.
Daniel
Hello, Daniel.
At the WineMaker conference in Portland a few years back I had you sample a Siegerrebe I made from grapes grown on Whidbey Island, WA. I think you liked it. I always ferment to dry, but often need to backsweeten to counter the acidity, which can be a challenge if I’m using a large amount of sugar to raise to 1.0% RS. A wine-maker friend suggested I use Dextrose instead of the usual cane sugar because it can be more easily dissolved in wine (instead of hot water). Doing some research on the web, I found a site that states Dextrose – which is Glucose – is not as sweet as Fructose, so more sugar would be needed to get the expected mouthfeel and sweetness.
Do you have any experience with Dextrose or any comments/suggestions on backsweetening my wine?
Thanks.
Hi Dan,
The first thing I look at before I decide to balance acidity with a sugar addition is if there a way to reduce the acidity. I don’t know if you put this wine through malolactic fermentation, or if this variety is a good candidate for MLF. MLF would reduce acidity.
You should also consider cold stabilization to drop the acidity by precipitating tartrates.
If you take sucrose (cane sugar) as a reference for sweetness and give it 100 points, glucose is 75 while fructose is 175. So you are right. But would you see the little difference between sucrose and glucose? Likely not. FYI, I use sucrose; dissolving in water is not an issue. I always use sucrose so I don’t need to deal with the differences in sweetness. I prepare a 10% solution and then do bench trials at various rates, for example, equivalent to 5, 10 15 g/L, and then repeat with the range I like, for example, 6, 7, 8, and 9 g/L if 5 was not enough and 10 too much.
If you want to go with dextrose, you should in any case perform similar bench tests. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking you like a certain rate, say, 10 g/L (1.0%), you bottle it, then you come to drink it and it’s too sweet.
Keep in mind also that you need to stabilize your wine if you backsweeten. You can’t use sorbate if you put the wine through MLF. And I doubt you can sterile filter, which means high SO2 dosage and drinking the wine fairly quickly or it will start refermenting in bottles.
Hope this helps.
Good luck.
Daniel
Thank you, Daniel. The Siegerrebe does not improve with MLF – it loses much of its character. I prefer having good acidity (as high as 7.0) and backsweetening to 0.5 – 1.0% RS. Yes, I do bench trials to get the right balance and finish the wine by sterile filtering. O.K., not quite “sterile” filtering – I use the o.5 micron filters with my Buon Vino Super Jet system and haven’t had an issue with refermentation. Again, thanks for your response. Best wishes for the successful finishing of that Oregon Pinot Noir you’re working on.
Ok, I learned something . . . Siegerrebe does not improve with MLF. Thank you.
You haven’t had refermentation issues because you probably kept the SO2 at the right level, or they haven’t dropped below any critical level. A filtration at 0.5 micron with Buon Vino pads is NOT sterile filtration. It might give you a false sense of security as the pads are rated as nominal, not absolute. I have had refermentation occur with lower RS levels filtered at 0.5 micron.
Cheers.
Hello Daniel – What’s a good temperature range for malolactic?
Thanks – Pete
Hi Pete,
Usually 18-23°C (64-73°F) but check the specs for the particular lactic acid bacteria you are using.
Cheers,
Daniel
H Daniel,
I have a 100L Hungarian oak barrel, (3 years old), that I have kept filled with wine until six weeks ago. I bought this barrel new and has not been a problem in any way.
After racking the wine from the barrel, (10/1/20), I rinsed with hot water, followed with a cool water rinse until clear and let the barrel dry overnight. I then burnt a sulfur disk and followed up with a second sulfur disk 2 weeks ago.
I now want to put the barrel back into service with my 2020 vintage.
My plan is to do an overnight soak with cool water to hydrate the barrel, empty and let dry. Then fill with wine.
Here are my questions;
1), I will be using well water to hydrate the barrel. The well water is “hard water” and treated with soda ash to a PH of 7. Is it best to hydrate the barrel with the well water, (“hard water”), straight from the well, or should I hydrate using the well water that has been treated with soda ash to a PH of 7?
2), Is it necessary to sanitize the barrel after using the well water to hydrate, before I fill with wine?
3), Am I missing any sanitation steps to put this barrel back into service or has the sulfur been enough?
Please advise, thank you.
Robert
Hi Robert,
Personally I prefer to swell with hot water because I use much less water and I can swell a new barrel in one hour or so. So if you would boil you treated water, that would be perfect. I describe the procedure in my book.
Otherwise, yes, don’t use straight well water as there is too much calcium and other minerals. Treat the water first. I would get some distilled, maybe 10 L, and do a final rinse with that.
Personally I would pour in maybe 5 L of sulfite-citric solution made with distilled water to sanitize the barrel in case there are undesirable microorganisms in the well water. Then rinse with a little distilled water, let dry, and transfer wine in.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I have plenty of distilled water available for this procedure.
If I do not use any well water for the hydration of the barrel and only use distilled water, does this mean I can prepare the barrel for wine as follows?
a), let out any remaining sulfur gas from the barrel.
b), rinse with lukewarm distilled water, twice .
c), swell the barrel with hot distilled water per the procedure in your book.
d), let the barrel cool down and dry.
e), fill with wine.
Thank you,
Robert
Hi Robert,
Yes, your protocol is good.
Good luck
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I am going to bottle my Chardonnay which has a ph of 3.3 and FSO2 of 35ppm and a Cabernet with a ph of 3.45 and a FSO2 of 40ppm. They are stored in VC tanks. They both taste great and are made from Alaskan grown grapes in greenhouses.. The red wine has aged 2 yrs with some oak, but has not gone through MLF nor has the Chardonnay, which is 12 months old. My question is will these wines be stable in the bottles with these numbers for ph and FSO2, or do I need to add any other products to protect them.
Thanks for your advise. Mike
Hi Mike,
It depends how long you intend to age the wines and the type of closure you will use. Over time during bottle aging, some FSO2 dissipates or gets consumed by oxygen more or less depending on the quality of the closure, and some gets consumed by polyphenols (in reds). At a certain point, FSO2 may fall below some critical point. Bacteria are sensitive to bound SO2, so you would need to know TSO2 to get more confidence. If you have been making regular KMS additions, you are likely well above minimum threshold. I would think you are ok for a while, I don’t know, 2 years, 5, 10 maybe. It depends on so many factors.
I say bottle as is. Just use good corks. You’ll be ok. I just wanted you to understand what happens and the risks. And it’s not like you are selling your wine. You have control over it.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I have some pinot noir wine with VA @0.51g/L. Malo latic fermentation is complete also. Is this an acceptable level for VA in red wine
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
It is higher than it should be. You are close to detection threshold (0.6 g/L).
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
thank you for your comments about the VA problem (0.51g/L) in pinot noir wine. What can I do next year to prevent VA from entering my wine. My grapes are clean in that they do not have any bunch rot . I crush and add 50ppmKMS and cold soak at 55F for 3 days and then introduce RC212 yeast plus nutrients, then press when dry and introduce ML bacteria which took 30 days at 70F.
Thanks again, Mike
Hi Mike,
The cold soak should be colder, below 45F, and the must should be protected with CO2, esp. if you can’t achieve the colder temp. That’s the only thing I see in your process. You didn’t mention any barrels, so I assume you are not using any here; they are a source of VA.
Also I’m assuming that your VA measurement is valid.
Regards,
Daniel
Thanks Daniel,
yes the VA was measured by Vinmetrica lab, and I did not use a barrel,
Thanks Mike
Ok, so the measurement is good, we can trust it. And no barrels. So I can only conclude that you got some VA during the cold soak.
Daniel
Thank you Daniel
My pleasure.
Hi Daniel,
I have made some port by adding sugar and ever clear alcohol to obtain 16% alcohol plus 100ppm KMS, however, when I open the screw cap on my Spidel carboy , gas hisses and escapes. So does that mean that the yeast is active and consuming the sugar? Should I add Sorbate to stop fermentation or something else?
Thanks for your help, Mike
Hi Mike,
First of all, was your wine completed degassed before you added sugar and Everclear? I just want to make sure it’s not degassing you are witnessing.
At 16% alcohol, yeast can certainly kick into action and start metabolizing sugar again, albeit a challenge with 100 ppm KMS. It could well be that your free SO2 is low after much binding in your wine, and so the KMS is no longer effective against a renewed fermentation. Ports are usually around 20% alcohol. Yeast would not have a chance at 20%.
Don’t add sorbate if you wine when through MLF, which I suspect it did. I would add more Everclear to get 20% alcohol. That’s your best bet.
Good luck.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I am using a 100L plastic Spidel carboys to store the port in for several months. I will add more alcohol as you suggested to stop the re-fermentation. At present the carboy is stored in a cold room at 20F. The carboy when stored at 55F produced lots of CO2, and the lid was so tight because of the pressure against it, that I had to use pliers to open it. When I open the cap on top you can hear the gas hissing to escape. If the Spidel carboys holds so much pressure of CO2, then how can Oxygen enter when the lid is tightly closed? Therefore, can one assume that these Spidel plastic carboys are safe for long term storage of dry wine? Another question, what method would you use to measure the percentage of Alcohol?
Thanks for your reply, Mike
Hi Mike,
Spiedel carboys should NOT be used for long term storage. They are made of HDPE plastic, which means they let oxygen in. You could use them for long-term maturation but you would need to add oak staves in the carboys. As for CO2, it will find it ways out ultimately, but yeah, if there is a lot being generated and it exceeds the carboy’s max pressure, then things could get messy.
You can measure alcohol using an ebulliometer or Vinmetrica’s kit.
Cheers,
Daniel
Hi Daniel.
My wine is stored in Var.CAp. tanks and some Spidel carboys. How often should I check the free SO2 and ph since I do not intend to bottle this wine for 6 months.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
I recommend once a month. Once a month because Spiedel tanks are made of HDPE and they “breathe,” meaning they let oxygen in, which consumes SO2, and VCT as a precaution because I see all too often they are not sealed properly and let oxygen in.
Daniel
Daniel,
I’m looking for a digital version of Techniques in Home Wine Making, is there such a version present or in the future?
Thanks,
John
Hi John,
No, there isn’t, and unfortunately, there are no plans for a future digital version. I have a new book due out in May, titled MODERN HOME WINEMAKING. We are looking at a digital version for that one.
Cheers,
Daniel