# sediment on top?



## m056432 (Mar 5, 2013)

So I added my clearing agents this afternoon (in the right order) and gave it a good stir w my drill. I just went down to check on it and noticed that theres a solid 1 inch layer on the top of my wine. I'm assuming this is sediment and it will fall to the bottom? Has anyone else seen this? This is only my second wine and it certainly didn't happen last time... it's the Grand Cru int'l australian cab - it had been stable at .993 SG. I degassed for awhile before adding the clearing agents... any thoughts? thanks

Edited to add picture


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## TonyP (Mar 5, 2013)

Welcome. I'll be interested in the comments you receive because I've never seen what you have. My wine doesn't have more than minor sediment when I add fining agents. Did you stir each item or wait until you finished adding everything? (Hopefully the former.) Had you racked before or is your wine still in primary?


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## Polarhug (Mar 5, 2013)

I had a thick compact 1" layer on the top of a choco-raspberry port once. Turns out I didn't degass enough and the entire lees pushed up and compacted up top! 

I degassed again... and it fell to the bottom in a matter of days.


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## m056432 (Mar 5, 2013)

Thanks Tony - I took the advice from some other threads saying to follow the directions to a T the first few times. These instructions had me rack at 1.020 and then rack again prior to stablaizing and clearing. I the added everything seperately and mixed well in between each. 
Poloar, right after mixing the Chitosan it seemed to be degassed - it passed the poof test and didn't taste bubbly. If there's no other advice I guess I'll wait a day and see what happens and maybe give it another good mix


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## Polarhug (Mar 5, 2013)

Thats exactly what mine looked like. I was worried about mixing in that sediment again... BUT I think there was just bubbles attached to it because it did sink back down.


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## REDBOATNY (Mar 5, 2013)

Australian wines will have the sediment on top unless they are made in the southern hemishere.......................... Sorry couldn't resist!


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## Sammyk (Mar 5, 2013)

I have that happen to me too and I did not think too much about it. It dropped back down a day or so later. I don't know why it happens.


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## m056432 (Mar 5, 2013)

haha redboat.. guess i'll give it a day or so and see if it falls. Almost have the urge to just rack it, the wine on the bottom looks pretty clear


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## saramc (Mar 6, 2013)

m056432 said:


> Thanks Tony - I took the advice from some other threads saying to follow the directions to a T the first few times. These instructions had me rack at 1.020 and then rack again prior to stablaizing and clearing.



What was the SG prior to stabilizing and addition of fining agent?


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## grapeman (Mar 6, 2013)

Like said above, it can happen if you have an ungassed witne with some sediment on the botton. You are beginning the degassing and the gas bubbles make some of the sediment float. As the bubbles pop, the crap will sink back to the bottom.


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## m056432 (Mar 6, 2013)

saramac, the wine was at 993 for 2 days before stabilizing and clearing
grapeman, it could make sense except I'm not at the beginning of degassing or atleast I thought since there was no fizz or "poof" when shaken


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## BernardSmith (Mar 6, 2013)

M056432, You say you degassed for a while... How long was the while? And how did you degas? The photo you provided is not very clear but it looks like there are particles suspended all the way through as well as creating this one inch cap. That suggests to me that your wine may contain more CO2 than you think. And I guess I am skeptical about this "poof" or "fizz" test. If you half fill a test tube with plain water stick your thumb over the top and shake it, and you release your thumb quickly enough the gas (air) still goes "poof" ... and there is no CO2 in suspension..


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## m056432 (Mar 6, 2013)

Thanks bernard, I mixed everything with a drill - probably an hour total and then vacuum degassed until it held steady at 21 inches overnight i then added the fining agents and mixed again for an hour+ until there was minimal bubbles, thats when everything then floated to the top... the picture isn't that great the wine on the bottom is pretty clear.... this morning I stirred more for about 2 hours more - switching direction every few minutes, i did get some bubbles, but just checked and everything is back to being on top. 
Guess I'll just keep mixing?


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## grapeman (Mar 7, 2013)

You need to stop mixing or it will never settle to the bottom.


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## robie (Mar 7, 2013)

I guess it is a good thing you didn't top off the carboy, as you would have had a mess with all that foam and sediment foaming out of the air lock.

The carboy definitely needs to be topped off, though. The wine level should be up slightly into the neck. 

Had you completely degassed the wine, you could have added the clarifiers and immediately topped off the wine. 

All that CO2 will protect the wine as long as you keep the air lock in place until the wine is clear. Just don't be stirring it. Once cleared, rack the wine; top it off and add an air lock.


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