Mosti Mondiale Is cold stabilizing a Riesling necessary?

[Bartman]

I'm one day into fermenting a Riserva Mondiale Riesling, and I have read (mainly in Wikipedia) that Rieslings are typically cold stabilized as they tend to precipitate wine diamonds. Although I have read other posts about cold stabilizing, I have never worried about wine diamonds and when I have (very rarely) seen them, I just kind of noted it as an interesting phenomenon.

Since this is a white, however, I am more concerned that they will be more obvious. This is my first white wine kit, although I have a Gewurtztraminer from Brehms Vineyards grapes bulk aging now, so I am a little anxious about the finished product looking good.

I believe I know how to do the cold stabilizing but it would be a pain being as I'm in Texas and don't have a chilly basement or other ready-made facility to cold stabilize. I have time to make arrangements for cold stabilizing since I am just now starting the wine. How can I tell if it is necessary? Is there a certain phase when wine diamonds form, if they are going to in a particular wine? Once they appear, does cold stabilizing eliminate them, or is it strictly a preventative measure rather than curative?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Wade E]

Cold stabilizing needs to be done in temps around 40* or colder prefereably and I dont think you have to worry about it with the Riserva kit but the Brehms might be a different story. It will drop out all or almost all that will need to be dropped out and after that I dought it will drop any more unless you store your wine in colder conditions then where you cold stabilized. it will need to be there for at least 3 weeks so youll basically need a freezer with a temp control unit to turn it down enough or a fridge that gets pretty cold and enough room in there for the carboy.

 

[Bartman]

So, Wade, you're saying you don't think I will need to cld stabilize the Riesling, but I should consider it for the Gewurtztaminer? Because it's from the grapes/juice rather than a kit?

Colder conditions than where it is cold stabilized? That almost sounds like an oxymoron.

 

[grapeman]

You can get a few crystals from the Riesling, but it isn't too likely unless you store it where it is very cool- not likely in Texas. The more acids in a wine, the more likely it is to drop crystals.


The Gewurtz is more likely to drop crystals being from grapes, but being grown in a warmer climate, it shouldn't be bad. Unless you have the proper place to do it, don't worry about it.

 

[Bartman]

A new idea occurred to me last night when I realized I have 2 3-gal. carboys sitting empty. I want to split my 6 gal. of Riesling into one 3-gal without modification, and one 3-gal. to have apple flavor added. The question is, how can I best achieve that flavoring with fermented wine - add apple juice, apple slices, applesauce, some combination thereof, something else? I'm not looking to sweeten it significantly, although a little sweeter would be ok, but I want to add a subtle apple flavor to the Riesling. I want to stay away from the chemical additives as I have heard and tasted to many horror stories. I am happy to bulk age with the apple flavoring vehicle for several months, but I don't know how long it takes to impart the desired flavoring.

The most direct (and most controllable, I think) method of adding this flavor would be sliced or cubed pieces of a tart green apples(s), so I am leaning towards that. Juice would add to much sugar, I think, and applesauce might just make a mess, although it might add some substance to the finished wine?

I am excited by the possibilities for experimentation, but I don't want to re-invent the wheel, if this has already been done successfully (or if other methods have proven disastrous). So I came to the place where I knew experimentation was encouraged and bad experiences would be shared as cautionary tales, without fear of ridicule. Thanks,

Bart

 

[Wade E]

I would do the Green Delicious or Granny Smith ad cube or 1/4 them like you said. I would think that colder temps would be better for this process also unless you can keep them submerged and I would also use ascorbic acid to prevent them them browning and turning your wine darker.

 

[Goodfella]

What about doing a stove top style f-pack?

 

[Bartman]

Wade,
Should the ascorbic acid be added to the carboy at the same time I put the apples in, or wait until it is bulk aging? The FVW listing for ascorbic acid says "not effective for bulk aging." Thanks for your help,
Bart

 

[Wade E]

I use it right when Im cutting them up and right before racking off sediment. It is not a replacement for sulfite just an extra precaution and can be added before fermentation as it does not hinder fermentation. I use it in the bucket when Im cutting them up or in a baggie if slicing them to freeze. I use sulfite also right before fermentation as always to stun the wild yeast and after fermentation for storage reasons. Sulfite is much better for aging so when fermentation is done I stick with sulfites at that point.

 

[Tom]

What about doing a stove top style f-pack?

Most are done on top of the stove

 

[Bartman]

I added the cubed Granny Smith apples (2 large) to the 3 gal. carboy of Riesling back on Sept. 17, when I racked the first time. They all calmly floated at the top despite my shaking them up and trying to get them to settle downward. Added the ascorbic acid at that time and have seen no browning or discoloration compared to the "unadulterated" Riesling, so that's good. This morning I noticed that about 1/2 to 2/3 of the apple pieces have sunk to the bottom of the carboy (within the last day or so). Is that a sign that they need to be removed? Should I wait for them all to sink? I haven't noticed any more fermentation since first racking, as it had reached about 0.996 SG, no sugar was added and the apples were not very sweet.

Do I leave the apples in the carboy a while longer, or treat them like an oak spiral that has served its purpose and should be removed?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Bart