I'm thinking about blending some kit wines that I have made and already bottled. I want to blend flavors but also adjust PH and add some sugar (and add potassium sorbate). Is it a bad idea to un-bottle, blend/adjust then re-bottle? I'm looking at it as an experiment as much as anything but I'm wondering if I could get so much air exposure - or something else - that I might ruin everything. The kit wine I'm working with is at a year old and the PH has reduced along the way down to the 3.3/3.4 levels. Any thoughts and guidance would be appreciated.
Blending/adjusting after bottling
- Thread starter Main man
- Start date
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Unbottling introduces the danger of contamination and eventually oxidation, but you can minimize this. Make sure all equipment is clean and sanitized, and when you unbottle, minimize splashing. Add 1/4 tsp K-meta per 5 gallons immediately after unbottling. SO2 protects the wine by binding with O2 and other contaminants, so adding it immediately reduces the likelihood of a bad result.
I go a bit heavy on SO2, so I'd add more K-meta with the sorbate when re-botting.
When blending to correct defects, keep in mind that most of the time, the resulting wine will be the same quality as the lesser wine, e.g., you get a larger quantity of the quality of the lesser wine. I'm not saying this to scare you off, but it is something to keep in mind.
I go a bit heavy on SO2, so I'd add more K-meta with the sorbate when re-botting.
When blending to correct defects, keep in mind that most of the time, the resulting wine will be the same quality as the lesser wine, e.g., you get a larger quantity of the quality of the lesser wine. I'm not saying this to scare you off, but it is something to keep in mind.
