Cold crashing

[Rice_Guy]

After cold crashing, is it best to rack and bottle immediately and not let the wine warm up?

If you look at the AWRI test methods they note that one can pull out bitartrate using a -4C salt ice bath and then have it disappear by warming the sample back up. The general recommendation has to be remove the crystals but to bottle is optional.

I haven’t been motivated to run the cold stability test so I haven’t measured/ experienced this. The redissolving should be slower with large crystals/ flakes on the carboy that happen in the put it in the garage for a month procedure.

 

[distancerunner]

Supposedly once the crystals form, they don't easily dissolve. However, my habit is to rack the wine before it warms up.

When moving the wine from a cold area to the cellar you might as well rack and clean the containers. You're already in the cellar.

Besides, do you really want to stand outside and rack in 35°F temperatures?

If you use a bottle washer attached to a faucet it is kind of satisfying to watch the crystals getting blown off the bottom of a carboy. When they come out as large flakes the drain will need to be cleared occasionally. A finger swirled at the bottom of the drain breaks up the flakes easily.

 

[Ajmassa]

. A finger swirled at the bottom of the drain breaks up the flakes easily.

Love those jet blasters. Seeing old Carboys stained and caked with sediment vanish so easily is certainly satisfying But get yourself some drain screens! In winemaking these are crucial especially during the ferment with all the skins that end up in the sink that otherwise end up at the bottom of your S trap

 

[wineview]

I have a wine that is 2 years old in a five gallon carboy. I want to move it to the garage to cold crash in one three gallon carboy and two gallon jugs. I will airlock the three gallon carboy. Can I use screw caps for the two gallon jugs or do I need to use airlocks? Why am I splitting you ask? Weight of the five gallon. The garage is 100 feet from the basement.

 

[winemaker81]

I have a wine that is 2 years old in a five gallon carboy. I want to move it to the garage to cold crash in one three gallon carboy and two gallon jugs. I will airlock the three gallon carboy. Can I use screw caps for the two gallon jugs or do I need to use airlocks? Why am I splitting you ask? Weight of the five gallon. The garage is 100 feet from the basement.

The wine is surely done fermenting and degassed, so screwcaps are fine.

Not carrying a carboy that distance is wise.

 

[wineview]

The wine is surely done fermenting and degassed, so screwcaps are fine.

Not carrying a carboy that distance is wise.

Yeah. The wine is crystal clear and zero sediment. I can carry the three gallon up the stairs and to the driveway. Then it goes on a dolly

 

[winemaker81]

Then it goes on a dolly

We have a dolly we use for moving things in and out of the cellar -- it's walk out. No point in carrying things when we can pull 'em!

 

[wineview]

I’ve got a walk out too. But the dolly would need 20” rims.

 

[ChuckD]

I’ve got a walk out too. But the dolly would need 20” rims.

They make dollies with outdoor tires!

 

[wineview]

I know. Not moving that much wine to the garage.

 

[Rice_Guy]

I have done in and back from the garage with six gallon PET. Would not use glass. Also cork needs to be solid when moving.

 

[winemaker81]

I know. Not moving that much wine to the garage.

When we did our last pressing, we got smart -- I backed the truck into the backyard (we press on the driveway), we loaded all primaries and equipment into the truck, and drove it.

Our land has a sharp slope and lugging things uphill is the biggest drag. By cutting out at least 1/3 the labor, we completed the pressing of 2 buckets + pomace from 20 lugs = 24 raw gallons in 2.5 hours, including clean up. It's by far the fastest job we've had.

 

[wineview]

I have done in and back from the garage with six gallon PET. Would not use glass. Also cork needs to be solid when moving.

My glass carboys are all in wooden crates that I built specifically for them.

 

[mbrssmd]

My glass carboys are all in wooden crates that I built specifically for them.

With apologies for steering a bit off topic -- I wonder if you might have a few do's-and-don'ts (or a particular favored design element) to share based on your experience, as I am planning to build crates (yet to be planned out) for my 5 gallon carboys this winter.

 

[wineview]

With apologies for steering a bit off topic -- I wonder if you might have a few do's-and-don'ts (or a particular favored design element) to share based on your experience, as I am planning to build crates (yet to be planned out) for my 5 gallon carboys this winter.

Carboy carriers are made from scrap wood ripped down to 1x1 or so. Cross bracing very important and use screws.

 

[mbrssmd]

That is very helpful. Thanks. This should do the trick for an easier post-cold stabilization transit (via a big-tire hand truck and some ratchet straps) from an outbuilding to the house. Just have to make sure I don't forget to replace the airlock with a solid bung like I did on my first attempt of the journey last year...

 

[winemanden]

Cold crashing outside. I did that last winter when the Pavement was icy. Ouch *^%"!.

 

[wineview]

Cold crashing outside. I did that last winter when the Pavement was icy. Ouch *^%"!.

Does that “ouch” mean you slipped and fell or your carboy froze and cracked?

 

[Bmd2k1]

I'm curious if/what % of commercial wineries cold crash their whites?

Hmmmmm......

 

[Jezroti]

I'm curious if/what % of commercial wineries cold crash their whites?

Hmmmmm......

I believe that percentage would be at 100% or very near it.