Cellar Craft Bottled: Showcase WA Merlot

[ShepherdQ]

So, after three (more) months away I came home and promptly bottled the CC Showcase WA Merlot that I had started back in August. Wow, what a difference three months makes. All the other wines I've made I usually start drinking after a month or two (not enough inventory built up to keep me out of them) and this wine is awesome by comparison. Going to get another of these kits right away.

One interesting thing: there were crystals in the fine lees in the carboy. I've never seen these before, but I've heard of tartrate crystals (wine crystals) but always heard they were less common in reds. See attached photo. Anyone figure these are tartrate crystals or something else?

 

[GreginND]

Looks like tartrates to me. They can precipitate in all wines with tartaric acid in them. Each wine is different as there are different amounts of potassium in each batch. The buffering of the acid has a lot to do with how much potassium bitartrate might come out.

 

[Simpsini]

Shep - I made a CC Red Mt Cab 2 years ago & had the same thing. Looked just like your picture. I opened a bottle after about 6 months and the crystals were in the bottom. It didn't affect the taste, but it looked bad. I should have poured it through a filter or decanted, but didn't. I recently tried another and it had no crystals. I checked the other bottles & couldn't see any in them. BTW, that Red Mt Cab is excellant.

 

[SouthernChemist]

The appearance definitely looks like bitartrate crystals. Pretty much every wine has the potential to precipitate bitartrate crystals because tartaric acid is the primary grape acid, but whether it does or not depends on a lot of factors. If you happen to need any cream of tartar anytime soon, you can save the crystals, too!

 

[ShepherdQ]

Thanks guys. Simpsini, I was a little worried that I'd end up with some in a few bottles, so good to know they don't affect taste. I read that they're a sign of a wine that has gone through minimal processing, and are desirable in some cases.

Pity I rinsed them all out, I do love me some tartar sauce now and then...

 

[SouthernChemist]

Thanks guys. Simpsini, I was a little worried that I'd end up with some in a few bottles, so good to know they don't affect taste. I read that they're a sign of a wine that has gone through minimal processing, and are desirable in some cases.

Pity I rinsed them all out, I do love me some tartar sauce now and then...

I think most cream of tarter used to (maybe still does) come from straight from wine barrels when they were emptied and cleaned out. Tartaric acid is a pretty interesting molecule with a lot of history.

 

[ShepherdQ]

Heheh, Chemist, I'm getting a sense of your preferred dinner party conversation
I find chemistry fascinating but have to admit I didn't pay nearly enough attention to the subject in highschool.

 

[SouthernChemist]

Heheh, Chemist, I'm getting a sense of your preferred dinner party conversation I find chemistry fascinating but have to admit I didn't pay nearly enough attention to the subject in highschool.

I usually have a rule about no science talk at dinner! In a way, though, you're doing chemistry just by making wine. Those wine bottles are basically sealed reaction vessels. As we'd say in my field, you're "running a really long reaction."

 

[ShepherdQ]

Good point, never thought of it that way!

 

[sour_grapes]

In fact, even in primary, you are just using a very complicated enzyme! (S. cerevisiae.)

 

[SouthernChemist]

In fact, even in primary, you are just using a very complicated enzyme! (S. cerevisiae.)

We have a pact with the yeast. We give them a very nice, warm place to live stocked with food/nutrients and pretty much ensure they will never die out. In return, they make us alcohol. It's sort of like the pact we have with pigeons (Seinfeld reference).