RJ Spagnols I Gotta Question?

[Stillthe1]

I'm new here to this forum and have a question: OK, This is what I currently have in carboys: Cellar Classic Rosso Grande, Cellar Craft Showcase Red Mountain Cab, Winery Series Super Tuscan and Winexpert African Shiraz Cabernet with Grape Skins Wine, so on my way

I just made a Winery Series Rosso Grande Eccelente, but this time with grape skins and after 7 days in the primary I transferred to the secondary and already have a SG of 1.000 . My question is do you still take it the full amount of days before clearing or can this be shortened? Your Thoughts

 

[terroirdejeroir]

I can tell you what I do: I ferment to around 1.000 then I squeeze the living h*ll out of the grape pack, wait a couple of hours and rack to a carboy. Then I wait for all signs of fermentation to complete, hopefully with an SG approaching .990 (anywhere from 1-3 weeks from the initial racking). At that time I sulfite and degas. Since I bulk age my kits for ~6 months, I don't add any clearing agents. After 4-6 months of aging I will slide the carboy into my cold stabilization rotation and then bottle a week or so after CS is finished. Usually try to age another six months in the bottle - I will "hide" two cases and keep the other six bottles in my drinking stock to monitor progress.

Many use sorbate and fining agents, but a lot don't. I think my wines taste better without the sorbate. With the nice kits you are making there is no point in rushing it.

 

[sour_grapes]

If I am not mistaken, your next step is clearing. However, you are not ready for that stage yet, given that your SG is only down to 1.000. (It probably will go below 0.996 or 0.995.) How do you know it won't take the full time to do this? And why rush anyway?

 

[bkisel]

Welcome to WMT!

I would take it to the full amount of days to see if the SG didn't go a little lower.

 

[Stillthe1]

Thanks to all that replied so far, I did plan on letting it sit until it reaches the SG of.996, its just the rate in which it has dropped to 1.000, it will not take the full 28 days is all to reach a SG of .996 is all

 

[sour_grapes]

I would say that there is nothing magic about 0.996. The standard advice here is to wait until it is at the same SG, which is 0.996 or so or below, for at least three days. Then you can call it done and move on. But really, no need to rush.

 

[kmarvel]

I can tell you what I do: I ferment to around 1.000 then I squeeze the living h*ll out of the grape pack, wait a couple of hours and rack to a carboy. Then I wait for all signs of fermentation to complete, hopefully with an SG approaching .990 (anywhere from 1-3 weeks from the initial racking). At that time I sulfite and degas. Since I bulk age my kits for ~6 months, I don't add any clearing agents. After 4-6 months of aging I will slide the carboy into my cold stabilization rotation and then bottle a week or so after CS is finished. Usually try to age another six months in the bottle - I will "hide" two cases and keep the other six bottles in my drinking stock to monitor progress.

Many use sorbate and fining agents, but a lot don't. I think my wines taste better without the sorbate. With the nice kits you are making there is no point in rushing it.

Terro, I usually bulk age my wines for 6 months also. You don't have any problem with your wines not adding the clearing agents?? I am curious..

Kathie

 

[kmarvel]

Thanks to all that replied so far, I did plan on letting it sit until it reaches the SG of.996, its just the rate in which it has dropped to 1.000, it will not take the full 28 days is all to reach a SG of .996 is all

Don't stress too much on number of days. Wines have a mind of their own at times.
My rule of thumb for my wines I usually have the SG at .994 or lower, than rack.
Seems to work for me.

Kathie

 

[jamesngalveston]

unless you have a pectin haze,are starch haze most wines will clear without fining, giving enough time....I usually do not give mine time.
I use super kleer for all wines except blackberry, which i clear with egg whites.

 

[terroirdejeroir]

Terro, I usually bulk age my wines for 6 months also. You don't have any problem with your wines not adding the clearing agents?? I am curious..

Kathie

No problems. I mostly do CC Showcase, WE Eclipse, and RJS Winery Series kits and I still use the Bentonite up front. I usually cold stabilize at 4-6 months and get some sludgy/crystally stuff from that, but no problems with any sediment. Note that I only do reds, so I can't speak to any issues that may happen with this approach on whites.

I think there are a number of folks here who omit the Chitosan/Keiselsol, anybody else want to chime in?