WineXpert How long for lees to ruin wine

[tbayav8er]

Hi Everyone,

I've heard people say that leaving the wine on the lees too long can spoil the wine. My Barbera has been in Secondary now for 2 weeks (haven't had time to rack it off the lees). Instructions say rack after 10 days. Just wondering how long it takes before I should be concerned. Thanks!

 

[JohnT]

It is not so much as the gross lees spoiling your wine as the longer you leave the gross lees the more you wine is at risk (IMHO).

To top the list is the increased chance of H2S issues. I also believe that the gross lees will impart undesirable flavor characteristics to the win as well.

I advise that you remove the gross lees just as soon as the wine begins to clear (perhaps within a week of fermentation completing).

 

[cpfan]

Personally, I don't think a wine kit ever has gross lees (not even the ones with grape skins). However, you have already racked off the lees once to put it in a carboy. It can stay there quite a while. Not sure how long, but I expect a month is just fine.

Steve

 

[Dhaynes]

I agree with cpfan. Kits have far less bits and pieces of grape skins, stems, pulp, etc. than wine made from fresh grapes or juice buckets to begin with. These bits of organic stuff tend to settle out quickly in the primary as contributors to the gross lees. This is the stuff that you really need to worry about rotting and damaging the wine. This is also one of the reasons you want to rack the wine out of the primary bucket as soon as the SG drops low enough. When you leave the gross lees behind by racking into a carboy the fine lees that start to accumulate in the bottom are made up almost entirely of dead yeast hulls which are far less problematic. They take a lot longer to decay and can actually contribute subtle flavor enhancements. In fact some wines like Chardonnay benefit from prolonged exposure to the fine lees. Google sur-lie method for details. Leaving the wine on the fine lees for a few days or even a few weeks longer that 10 days shouldn't case any problem. Personally I wouldn't go longer than 30 days or so unless I was doing the sur-lie method.

 

[salcoco]

I follow the rule of threes especially from wines made from grapes but it works for kit wines also. rack 3 days after pressing or completion of fermentation. rack again in three weeks rack every three months there after while aging. add k meta each rack starting at three days.