Making from Juice - do I still need to kill "native yeast"?

[winemaker81]

Should I add the oak cubes right after I rack it this weekend? What else could I add or modify over the next 48 hours?

Do nothing. You have nearly reached the end of the exciting part, and are moving into the "watch grass growing" part.

Your wine will not taste like "wine" for months. At this point it's full of CO2 (which adds to the sharp taste), and checking pH is a waste of time.

The wine needs to complete fermentation, then drop gross lees, which is fruit particles. I'd rack into carboys, put it under airlock, and let it set a week. Fermentation should complete and a lot of sediment will drop.

I don't recommend adding oak until after this -- you'll have heavy sediment and if it's cubes or chips, they will be buried in muck. While it doesn't hurt anything, the wine is not as exposed to the wood.

Are you going to manually degas or add fining agents?

 

[Siwash]

Do nothing. You have nearly reached the end of the exciting part, and are moving into the "watch grass growing" part.

Your wine will not taste like "wine" for months. At this point it's full of CO2 (which adds to the sharp taste), and checking pH is a waste of time.

The wine needs to complete fermentation, then drop gross lees, which is fruit particles. I'd rack into carboys, put it under airlock, and let it set a week. Fermentation should complete and a lot of sediment will drop.

I don't recommend adding oak until after this -- you'll have heavy sediment and if it's cubes or chips, they will be buried in muck. While it doesn't hurt anything, the wine is not as exposed to the wood.

Are you going to manually degas or add fining agents?

So no so2 until I rack 2nd time? When I'd do this with fresh grapes I racked within 48 hours. With fresh grapes a lot more gross lees, I guess.

Some activity is still occurring. I want to wait at least til tomorrow. Maybe Monday. I'll check sg again - probably tomorrow.

I'll rack tomorrow then again next Sunday. After I rack should I let it sit in the 70 F room I have it in now or can I transfer them to a cooler room where I store my bulk wine for aging? This room is mid to upper 50s at this time of the year. Or, is that too cold for a secondary fermentation?

As for finishing, I'll add the oak but beyond this, I don't know what else I could add to enhance the wine? I've added tannin in the past 6 weeks before bottling. Couldn't tell if that did much tbh. I am open to trying new products though... what do y'all suggest?

Thanks!

 

[winemaker81]

So no so2 until I rack 2nd time? When I'd do this with fresh grapes I racked within 48 hours. With fresh grapes a lot more gross lees, I guess.

I don't add SO2 until I'm 100% sure fermentation is complete. If you think it is, then do it.

I put off the 2nd racking until I see the lees starting to compact, as it saves wine.

Oak is a personal preference -- I like it as a seasoning, not a flavoring, so I go lighter. If you like heavier, my advice isn't as useful.

It's too late for this batch, but sacrificial oak (added before fermentation) preserves natural grape tannin, and helps stabilize color. If making grape or using skin packs, extraction enzymes such as ScottZyme ColorPro make a huge difference.

At bottling time I've started adding 1/2 to 1 oz glycerin per gallon. At bottling time, segregate a pair of gallons, add 1/2 oz to one, 1 oz to the other, then compare both to the base wine. You'll not believe the difference.

 

[Siwash]

At bottling time I've started adding 1/2 to 1 oz glycerin per gallon. At bottling time, segregate a pair of gallons, add 1/2 oz to one, 1 oz to the other, then compare both to the base wine. You'll not believe the difference.

Interesting... I've heard of some adding this. I think I'll give it a try. I'll try the bench test you suggest. So when you say "at bottling time.." do you mean you add the glycerin to the carboy, stir it it and let it sit for some more time? Like a week or two for it to absorb fully into the wine, or are we talking about adding to the carboy then bottling same day?

Is there a glycerin brand you'd recommend for a red?

Thanks or the tips folks!

 

[Ohio Bob]

I add glycerin at bottling. I’ve not heard of any stories where it’s done during bulk storage.

 

[winemaker81]

So when you say "at bottling time.." do you mean you add the glycerin to the carboy, stir it it and let it sit for some more time?

Nope. Like with backsweetening, I make the addition and immediately bottle. I've been doing this long enough that I'm confident of my additions, adding incrementally and stopping when it needs just a bit more.

I purchase food grade glycerin off Amazon in gallon jugs. I use more in liqueurs (1 oz/liter) than in wines, and it takes me about 1.5 to 2 years to go through a gallon.

My 2019 2nd run blend spent 10 months in a 54 liter barrel (14.25 US gallons) with 6 oz medium toast French oak cubes. At bottling time I set aside a bottle and added glycerin to the remainder. At the 2 year mark, I found the no-glycerin bottle and had to compare -- it was undrinkable. The oak was tremendously overpowering. That same wine, with 1 oz glycerin/gallon, was (and still is) delicious. That sold me on using glycerin to round the rough corners.

 

[Siwash]

For secondary temps, is a room at 65 or so warm enough?

 

[winemaker81]

For secondary temps, is a room at 65 or so warm enough?

Yup. My cellar is 58 F in the winter, and last November's wines were fermented at 63-66 F. Any storage above 50 F is good.

 

[Siwash]

What do you think? Damn foam makes is hard to say for certain! I say around .996 maybe 997

 

[cmason1957]

What do you think? Damn foam makes is hard to say for certain! I say around .996 maybe 997

At this angle, it's hard to tell for certain, my guessed is 0.996 maybe 0.995. Let it sit for a couple of days to see if it is stable.

 

[Siwash]

I racked it a couple of hours ago.. air locked it and going to let it sit for a week to settle. Then I'll rack again and so2 and oak for a few weeks before racking it again.