Almost done my first batch

[Zach]

I'm making a pinot noir from a wine expert kit and it should be ready for bottling on Monday. I followed the directions perfectly but when I opened the carboy to smell the wine earlier it had a strong yeast smell and didn't smell like wine at all.. I don't know if this is normal or if I did something wrong I'm trying to give this wine out for Christmas so I'm worried I may have messed it up.

 

[olusteebus]

What is the specific gravity. How long has it been in the carboy.

 

[Zach]

Last i checked the gravity was .9666 and its been in the carboy for 2 weeks

 

[JohnT]

I would age it a WHOLE lot longer than 2 weeks.

Let the wine sit for, say 6 months, then bottle.

 

[tanddc]

Zach,

Is this a 10L kit? If so, you might want to rack it one more time prior to bottling. I know the instructions don't call for that in the 10L kits but I have found it to be helpful in getting rid of the yeast taste/smell earlier. Also, did you taste it? Do is taste gassy (feels like soda on your tongue)? It could be the CO2 you are picking up. It is really hard to degas the kits manually. I know they say it is ready to bottle in 4 to 6 weeks but the truth is, even a month in the carboy can make a big difference.

Tim

 

[Zach]

They say if you keep it longer than a month in the carboy you have to top it off with a similar wine, i dont like the idea of adding a wine to mine

 

[olusteebus]

They say if you keep it longer than a month in the carboy you have to top it off with a similar wine, i dont like the idea of adding a wine to mine

I do it all the time as many here do,.

 

[sour_grapes]

I'm trying to give this wine out for Christmas so I'm worried I may have messed it up.

I would like to gently suggest that you may wish to reconsider giving this wine out for Christmas. It really won't be very nice at that point. If you give it, and your audience tries it right away, they will forever be convinced your wine is inferior. (First impressions and all that...)

They say if you keep it longer than a month in the carboy you have to top it off with a similar wine, i dont like the idea of adding a wine to mine

I can understand that, but it is not as if you picked the grapes or anything. As far as taste is concerned, you would never be able to tell. If you had to add, say, 2 bottles to your 30-bottle kit, the blend would be 6.7% "other wine." Try this experiment. Have a friend pour you two glasses of wine: one that is 100% your wine, and another that is 7% another wine. (In a 4 oz. glass, add 1.5 teaspoons.) See if you can tell the difference. I have tried this while adding WATER, fer cryin' out loud, and could not tell.

 

[Zach]

Whats a decent wine to mix with it? And also is there any way i can tell if its ageing alright i dont want to waste alot of time on it and it not turn out right

 

[DoctorCAD]

Wine kits are really hard to wreck. Give it some time and it will be fine.

As far as toping off, I buy either 1 gallon Carlo Rossi wines (you get a free 1 gallon carboy) or a Bota Box wine. Get a Pinot Noir in either of those and you will be unable to tell its in there.

 

[sour_grapes]

You can find a number of Pinot Noirs for about $5 where I live. For example, Rex Goliath is about that. If you have a Trader Joe's, you can find something cheap.

If you cannot find a Pinot Noir that suits your criteria, my next choice would be Merlot. Or hell, in Burgundy they add up to 15% of Chardonnay to Pinot Noir!

 

[LoneStarLori]

Whats a decent wine to mix with it? And also is there any way i can tell if its ageing alright i dont want to waste alot of time on it and it not turn out right

One of the hardest things to adjust to when starting to make wine is that it takes time. At 8 weeks, it's barely walking, much less aging.
I would suggest racking it one more time. I rack mine at least three times after clearing and prior to bottling to be sure there is no sediment. It also helps degass. You will most likely have a little less wine because you are surely going to have some sediment. If you don't want to add a commercial Pinot Noir to top up, you can rack down to a 5 gallon carboy and then also have probably a couple of 750ml bottles left to keep in your stash. I have never ended up with 6 gal after a kit was ready to bottle. But I DO end up with about 25 bottles of crystal clear wine.

 

[Zach]

One last question i just added a bottle to my carboy, its almost to the top maybe 3 or 4 inches off, would it be ok to top the rest with water or should i get another bottle

 

[RegarRenill]

I'd get another bottle, rather than adding water.


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[Zach]

I added the bottles, the stopper is a little too big and popped out last night, its been in there for about a week, i want to rack it to the primary and order the right size bung, is it ok to rack already? Also i left my siphon tube in a mixture of water star san and soap and now its milky instead of clear, should i buy a new tube or is it ok to use?

 

[sour_grapes]

Sorry, I am a little confused. Why do you want to rack to your primary vessel?

I think your cloudy siphon tube should be okay.

 

[Zach]

I was told to rack it a few times to help clearing, i only have 1 carboy and i want to avoid the bung popping out again so i have to wait until i can get a new one

 

[heatherd]

It is good to have an extra carboy (or several) so that you can rack to that instead of your primary. Get a few bungs as well.

Topping off with commercial wine is common practice. The kit instructions don't tell you how much you need and it will vary from batch to batch.

I was hellbent on having my first wine ready for a specific event and I was really stressed out about it. It was a Cranberry Malbec and I wanted to have it for my book club. I hustled and rushed to get it ready but my guests didn't really like sweet wine, so were mostly unimpressed. Me too - I still have a bunch of that one left over as it wasn't my best work or even what I like to drink.

Anyway, don't put too much pressure on yourself in terms of a holiday deadline, as wine has a way of misbehaving in many unpredictable ways.

Heather


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[Zach]

Is it okay to rack to my primary for a week or so and seal it with an airlock? Ill look into more carboys but i dont have the money right now

 

[Treeman]

The primary with a lid is likely to have an air leak and result in oxidized wine. Leave it in the carboy and find a way to secure the bung until you can get a smaller one. Better to duct tape this one down so it doesn't pop out then to go back to primary. Also, be sure to dry the inside neck of the carboy and bung before inserting. It will be less likely to pop out.

Look into getting some french oak Stavin medium toast cubes when you get the smaller bung. Add a cup of these for 2 months and wait for some nice oak accents to infuse into your wine. Waiting for the oak to infuse can also be reminder not to rack it until jan or feb of 2015. If you don't have another carboy, you can rack to your primary, but then immediately clean your carboy and rack back.


Cheers!