# Cold Stablization - when ?



## vacuumpumpman (Oct 23, 2013)

I typically will wait for over a year to Cold Stablize - Just wondering if I have grapes from this August and 3 transfers already - can I cold stablize now ? 
BTW the grapes are fronteac - so there is always fall out


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## winemaker_3352 (Oct 23, 2013)

Hey Steve.

I CS after fermentation is complete and i have racked off most of the sediment.

Right now my seyval is CS and i got that in lat august.

I will CS my Chardonel in a few weeks - i got that in mid sept..

You can CS at any point - It can also help clear your wine some as it will drop some sediment with the crystals...


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## vacuumpumpman (Oct 23, 2013)

Thanks Jon 
I decided to move several outside in the shed today and let them cool off till Thanksgiving.
I think I should start locking the shed !!!


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 23, 2013)

Steve,
Like you, I typically wait a year or more until I'm ready to bottle, at this point, most of the sediment will have been racked off and the wine will be naturally fined.


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## Boatboy24 (Oct 23, 2013)

vacuumpumpman said:


> Thanks Jon
> I decided to move several outside in the shed today and let them cool off till Thanksgiving.
> I think I should start locking the shed !!!



(looking up Steve's address...)


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## cimbaliw (Oct 23, 2013)

(looking up Steve's address...) I'll distract him at the front door!

Great question Steve, Temps sure are falling on the other side of Lake Michigan, I was wondering the same thing about CS.


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## KeystoneHomebrew (Oct 23, 2013)

Steve,

Curious why you keep the caps off your airlocks? Is there an awesome technique I don't know about?


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## vacuumpumpman (Oct 23, 2013)

KeystoneHomebrew said:


> Steve,
> 
> Curious why you keep the caps off your airlocks? Is there an awesome technique I don't know about?



I lost most of them over time - I will suck out the water with a flexible small hose and I topped them all off with vodka. I don't think anything will get by a S- style air lock - comments ??


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## GreginND (Oct 23, 2013)

Yeah. My caps are long gone too. Haven't used them in years.


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## KeystoneHomebrew (Oct 30, 2013)

S-types are by far the more forgiving without caps than the 3-piece. I was just curious.

And just so you know, we've (Keystone Homebrew) never been able to get the pieces to airlocks to help people out. A dollar is only a dollar, but hey, sometimes all you need is the cap. So we usually just thief a piece for people and use it for store fermentations.


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## vacuumpumpman (Oct 30, 2013)

KeystoneHomebrew said:


> S-types are by far the more forgiving without caps than the 3-piece. I was just curious.
> 
> And just so you know, we've (Keystone Homebrew) never been able to get the pieces to airlocks to help people out. A dollar is only a dollar, but hey, sometimes all you need is the cap. So we usually just thief a piece for people and use it for store fermentations.



Once I saw your post - I actually found all my caps and installed them on the air locks. It is amazing on how much tartaric acid has dropped out already in a week, I will be doing this more often on fresh young wines.


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## terroirdejeroir (Oct 31, 2013)

I have seven carboys of reds that I am thinking about cold stabilizing, but I have never done it before. How critical is it to have a steady temperature when you do it? I have always heard it is important during bulk aging to keep a constant temperature. I don't have access to a spare fridge and it isn't cold enough here yet.


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## Elmer (Oct 31, 2013)

I am racking out of secondary this weekend. I am then putting my Super Tuscan right into the garage until turkey day.
This will be my 1st attempt at cold stabilizing.

But as far as caps with the S air-lock, is there a reason to use them?
I think I have taken them off and tossed them as soon as I got them home.
I was under the assumption that it prevented gas from escaping. There is no hole in them.


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## vacuumpumpman (Oct 31, 2013)

Elmer said:


> I am racking out of secondary this weekend. I am then putting my Super Tuscan right into the garage until turkey day.
> This will be my 1st attempt at cold stabilizing.
> 
> But as far as caps with the S air-lock, is there a reason to use them?
> ...



I think the caps are to keep fruit flies out of there and possibly slow down the evaporation. I use vodka in the air locks when I cold stabilize.

The wine does not fluctuate that much in temperature - its not exposed to sun and it takes a bit to change 6 gallons of liquid. If you are concerned - you can always insulate them ?


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## Elmer (Nov 1, 2013)

....And just as I am ready to move to the garage to cold stabilize we get 70 degree weather.
it is supposed to be 40 on sunday, back in the 50's by the end of next weekend.

nothing like a lack of consistency to hinder my wine making!


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## winemaker_3352 (Nov 3, 2013)

vacuumpumpman said:


> Once I saw your post - I actually found all my caps and installed them on the air locks. It is amazing on how much tartaric acid has dropped out already in a week, I will be doing this more often on fresh young wines.



What is the temp where you are CS the wine??

I tend to CS mine for about 4-5 weeks at 22*


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## vacuumpumpman (Nov 3, 2013)

I tend to stabilize my wine around 28 F when I use my chest freezer. I just had too many carboys to get done this time - 
I just checked right now and its between 38-40 f - it was colder last week.

I have alot of tartaric fall out already


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## Pumpkinman (Nov 4, 2013)

One big reason to keep the caps on, if you are in a country setting where mice can access the wine, such as a garage, if you have a blow back where wine fills the airlock, mice actually use their tails to eat, dipping them in what ever liquid they want and licking it off their tails....I spent too many years in restaurants, those nasty bastards will do pretty much anything to eat.


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## winemaker_3352 (Nov 4, 2013)

vacuumpumpman said:


> I tend to stabilize my wine around 28 F when I use my chest freezer. I just had too many carboys to get done this time -
> I just checked right now and its between 38-40 f - it was colder last week.
> 
> I have alot of tartaric fall out already



At that temp i would let it go for about 6-8 weeks...


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## vacuumpumpman (Nov 4, 2013)

Yes the original plan was to bottle Thanksgiving weekend - that would be 6 weeks 

If the temp warms up / I guess it stays out there a bit longer

Thanks


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## terroirdejeroir (Nov 5, 2013)

Does anyone have numbers for pH/TA pre- and post-cold stabilization? Just curious how much it affects the wine.


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