First batch is really dark

[Arkansan07]

Ok guys this is my first batch. Johannesberg Riesling from concentrate. I am nearing the end of secondary fermentation. It is very clear but dark. Is this common? Will it clear up after racking and stabilizing?

 

[ibglowin]

The color will stay the same it will just become clear with fining agents. You also need to top up ASAP.

 

[TonyP]

You seem to be a gallon or more short. What happened? I wonder if part of your problem is the amount of water you added.

 

[Arkansan07]

The color will stay the same it will just become clear with fining agents. You also need to top up ASAP.

Should I top up after I rack again or is anytime ok? What causes the dark color? The concentrate looked like sorghum molasses when I opened it.

 

[Arkansan07]

You seem to be a gallon or more short. What happened? I wonder if part of your problem is the amount of water you added.

I don't know, it was a 5 gal recipe and I followed it to the letter. Am I in trouble????

 

[TonyP]

In answer to your first question on topping up, you have a potentially fatal issue in that oxidation will begin when air (oxygen) comes in contact with the wine. It's not urgent in that the wine is protected as long as fermentation continues and CO2 is being produced. In fact you're best served by leaving it alone. (Adding a gallon of wine will increase the alcohol and possibly stall fermentation.) Don't open the carboy and when fermentation ends top-up with similar wine as part of your process. When you top-up that much volume, do it when you siphon rather than pouring it into the carboy, which will introduce air.

On the second issue (wine shortage) is your carboy 5 gallons or 6? Also, it's a silly question, but how do you know you made 5 gallons? (For example, some wine makers mark their primary fermenter at the 5 gallon line.)

 

[Arkansan07]

In answer to your first question on topping up, you have a potentially fatal issue in that oxidation will begin when air (oxygen) comes in contact with the wine. It's not urgent in that the wine is protected as long as fermentation continues and CO2 is being produced. In fact you're best served by leaving it alone. (Adding a gallon of wine will increase the alcohol and possibly stall fermentation.) Don't open the carboy and when fermentation ends top-up with similar wine as part of your process. When you top-up that much volume, do it when you siphon rather than pouring it into the carboy, which will introduce air.

On the second issue (wine shortage) is your carboy 5 gallons or 6? Also, it's a silly question, but how do you know you made 5 gallons? (For example, some wine makers mark their primary fermenter at the 5 gallon line.)

Well I'm an idiot.....I found a pic from primary and I'm well below the 5 gal mark.

 

[ibglowin]

Are you sure, that is normally the 6 gallon mark (inner rim).

 

[Arkansan07]

Well yea your right......hell I have no idea what went wrong. When I racked to secondary I barely left anything in the bucket.

 

[TonyP]

There's some precision needed in wine making and it's particularly true at the beginning of the process. It's more like baking a cake then grilling a burger.

Put the primary on a level surface; check to make certain it's level. Using the largest container you have with an accurate measurement, fill the primary to 6 gallons. Then, place a few pieces of tape at the edge of the water in different spots. Empty the water, dry it and mark the water level with something like a ultra-thin permanent marker - just a few dots.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Is that a 6 gallon better bottle? WVMJ

 

[TonyP]

One last point. Use your mark I described in my previous post and the picture to check your initial measure because I'm not certain whether you under-filled the primary or the carboy is 6 gallons.

When you figure out what you've done, put it all together with an additional post on your problem so you can get good suggestions on a remedy. If you choose to start a new topic include your photos and all the information. Some of us read the string, others don't.

Your basic problem is probably that your wine is too concentrated - under-filled the carboy. One solution (if that's the case) is to correct it by adding water instead of wine, but I don't know if that will work at this stage. I suspect the water and wine will not stay in solution, but you'll probably end up trying it.

 

[Arkansan07]

ok ill figure it out and holler back

 

[jswordy]

WVMJ

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Thanks Sweetpea. I have seen the 5 gallon ones for sale, his pic is not sharp enough to read the print, if its a 6 gallon one easy solve, if its a fiver our new friend is worse at math then me, and that is pretty bad Be carefull with that betterbottle, if you squeeze them they burp and then can suck the fliud out of the airlock back into your wine, I always gently remove the airlock before I do anything in a better bottle. WVMJ