WineXpert Help! When to stop secondary/start stabilizing and clearing

[Philfrey81]

Greetings all,

I have started 4 world vineyards kits (new to the obsession) and have found that my merlot is moving full speed ahead, which brings me to my scenario and question:

After 5 days in primary fermentation, my hydrometer reading was at .0996. I have moved to secondary carboy and started that process. In looking ahead in my instructions, I noticed that I should be stabilizing and clearing after 10 days in the secondary and a specific gravity of .996 or less. Definitely not impatient here, more asking to ensure I don't foul up the batch: should I still wait the 10 days in the secondary or move forward with stabilizing based on the hydrometer reading?

Again, not impatient but everything I've read online says that the instructions are basically a guide (and every batch different based on conditions) and that I should let the hydrometer be my guide. If that is the case, at what SG should I stabilize? How long should I wait before there is a possibility of something negative affecting the batch?

Thanks in advance!

 

[David219]

I am not as experienced as many on this forum, but I have made a number of WineXpert kits. Your kit might ferment down to 0.990.

Is it still "perking"? Usually the instructions say to check the SG, then re-check in two days. If it hasn't changed, you may go on to the next step. While this may not be critical, I want to limit the exposure to oxygen after the racking to secondary. CO2 is heavier than air and blankets the wine if left still. If the wine fermented to the point yours did in the primary, there is likely a thinner blanket of CO2.

I don't like opening the carboy until I am confident the fermentation has stopped, so I tend to wait until there seems to be no fermentation "action" in the carboy (effectively skipping the re-checking step so that the carboy is not opened a second time), which usually takes close to the time in the instructions. In my opinion, erring on the side of waiting longer to assure complete fermentation is better. I don't believe there are really any significant downside risks to being patient, especially since we are talking days here, not weeks or months.

Just my $0.02. Hope this helps.

 

[Philfrey81]

Thank you for your input, David.

I had a typo in my original post. I'm actually currently at 0.096, not 0.996.

Thoughts?

 

[DoctorCAD]

With the "less-than-premium" kits, days or SG will work perfectly. See, the really good thing about winemaking is that you can delay any step for a while and not hurt a thing!

 

[Rocky]

Thank you for your input, David.

I had a typo in my original post. I'm actually currently at 0.096, not 0.996.

Thoughts?

Phil, I think you were right the first time. The SG is more likely 0.996. Ethyl alcohol is about 0.789 and since wine is composed of 10-15% alcohol and a lot of water (SG 1.000), the SG of the wine would have to be between those SGs.

 

[Philfrey81]

Grr! Third times a charm. I'm at .960! Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Philfrey81]

Bump! Please help!

 

[Boatboy24]

Is your carboy topped up and closed with an airlock? If so, relax. Waiting a few extra days, or even a week is fine. If you're at 0.996, you want to be sure the SG doesn't go any lower for at least three days. Take a measurement today. If at .996, go back in a couple days and check again. If you're still there, you can safely move to the next step.

Welcome to the obsession.

 

[roger80465]

As long as you have sanitized everything coming in contact with the wine and your fermentation lock is sealed, you will be fine. Many times my wines have gone a couple weeks or more in secondary before clearing and stabilizing. As long as they are well sealed and clean, you will be fine. It is doubtful you will foul it up. Basically, you want the wine dry before stabilizing and clearing. Dry is considered essentially anything below .998 for most wines. I like to see .994 or lower but if it refuses to go that low after a couple weeks, I move on. Some bigger red wines may end slightly higher since there are more solids influencing the SG.

The times in the instructions are a basic guideline. New wine makers aren't very proficient with a hydrometer or aren't terribly confident in their interpretation of it. As a result, kit manufacturers give basic guidelines regarding time that will give a general timeline for activity. You can work from the hydrometer or by time or by some combination of the two. Generally, the hydrometer is the more scientific of the two and will deliver better results long term.

Hope this helps. My advice, keep on keeping on and have a glass of wine and relax. All is right with the world.

 

[chrisjw]

Several years ago, I rushed my first kit, stabilized at .996, and it did not turn out well. There is NO need to rush your wine making. Be patient. Do not rush to stabilize. I believe that your the kit instructions say to wait 10 days in the secondary and then check to see if the SG is .996 or less. Do what it says. As someone said, it could go lower and your probably do not want a sweet Merlot.