First time winemaking (with a kit), small whiteish floaters?

[RocksenWines]

Hello fellow winemakers, happy to be joining you all! I am in the process of making my first wine using a kit (RJS En Primeur Winery Series, Australian Cabernet Sauvignon) and have been following the instructions as closely as I can. I completed the "primary" fermentation 2 days ago and as per instructions has been racked into a carboy after SG fell below 1.020. I was worried about the headspace, but after reading online it sounds like the space is okay while active fermentation is still happening. I plan on topping up with wine after it is racked a second time and fermentation is completely finished.
My questions...

• I noticed today a 'fog'/grime building up in the headspace area (image 1), is this anything to worry about? What is this?
• I noticed today some small white floaters in the wine, are these anything to worry about? What could these be? (image 2)

Still lots of small bubbles towards the end of this fermentation you can see too.

Looking forward to future wine adventures, thanks for the help.

 

[ChuckD]

It looks like foam and flotsam from fermentation. The rising CO2 bubbles keep stuff in suspension. At this stage (slower fermentation and off gassing) I would top up… nothing is gained by waiting.

 

[RocksenWines]

Okay great, thanks for the response! I take it since I'm late in the fermentation, there is little worry about creating a 'wine volcano'? It's clearly not foaming up aggressively anymore.

 

[ChuckD]

Okay great, thanks for the response! I take it since I'm late in the fermentation, there is little worry about creating a 'wine volcano'? It's clearly not foaming up aggressively anymore.

Correct. Unless you stir it vigorously. That sometimes unleashes the purple volcano . Pouring in some top-up wine should be safe.

I typically don’t stir to degas. I age my wines in secondary for several months and let them slowly degas.

 

[winemaker81]

Okay great, thanks for the response! I take it since I'm late in the fermentation, there is little worry about creating a 'wine volcano'? It's clearly not foaming up aggressively anymore.

If you have active fermentation, the potential for a purple volcano exists. When activity is low, the potential is low, but it's not zero. As @ChuckD advised, do not stir vigorously in a closed container.

I degas all wines as they clear sooner, but this doesn't require a lot of effort. I use a drill-mounted stirring rod, stirring for 1 minute, changing directions after 30 seconds. This jump starts the process, expelling a lot of CO2, and the process completes during the following weeks.

 

[RocksenWines]

If I want to extend the aging of this kit wine (instructions only go out to 48 days), I will most likely need some additional sulfites right? If I’m extending the bulk age of a kit wine, should I wait to put in some of the provided fining/clearing agents or just do those at day 48 like it says and then continue aging?

 

[ChuckD]

I haven’t done kits but I assume it’s the same as fruit. I would top up and let it finish fermenting… then maybe give it an extra week or two. If you are going to use a clearing agent you should degas first. Pour it all into an open bucket and stir to degas as @winemaker81 said then add your clearing agents and pour back into a carboy with 1/4t of k-meta for five or six gallons. After it’s clear I would rack into a clean carboy with another k-meta dose and let it ride. With two k-meta doses so close, and topped up well, you should be good to age for four or five months.

 

[winemaker81]

If I want to extend the aging of this kit wine (instructions only go out to 48 days), I will most likely need some additional sulfites right? If I’m extending the bulk age of a kit wine, should I wait to put in some of the provided fining/clearing agents or just do those at day 48 like it says and then continue aging?

Yes, you'll need additional K-meta, and you can add the fining agents at any time.

My general process is to ferment dry, degas, and add fining agents. Let clear for ~2 weeks, rack, add 1/4 tsp K-meta per 19-23 liters. Rack back into the carboy and top up with a compatible wine. If I'm fining a wine, I do it early to remove sediment. Once that is done, I won't rack again until bottling.

Conventional wisdom is to add K-meta every 3 months, but I may go as long as 6 months if I'm not opening the carboy.

Currently I bulk age a minimum of 3 months (+1 month to ferment + clear). So fruits, whites, and light reds are bottled at the 4 to 6 month mark, and heavy reds up to 12 months. There's no hard-n-fast rule here -- real life and other things will affect bottling times. Going long is not something to be concerned about, but I recommend not bottling before 4 months -- this helps ensure the wine is degassed, clear, and has had time to meld.

Conventional wisdom is to rack every 3 months. I no longer do that. For any action you are performing, ask what you are gaining from it? If the answer is "nothing", don't do it. If a wine is clear or has light sediment (fine lees), it does not need racking. Search on "fine lees" and "sur lie".

 

[ChuckD]

real life and other things will affect bottling times

Quoted for truth!

I was so busy with my building project this summer that my 2021 wines (wild grape, elderberry, and beet) that I was going to bottle in august are still sitting in the cellar. I’m actually glad I waited, as a year in the carboy did really good things for the grape.