Mosti Mondiale Master Vintner Volcanic Reaction

[rustbucket]

I started a Master Vintner Pino Noir 10L kit on August 5th with a SG of 1.092 and the using Lalvin EC-1118 yeast that came in the kit. Mosti Mondiale yeast nutrient from the kit was added when the SG got down to 1.050 per the instructions. I was supposed to rack the wine at between SG=1.020 and 1.010 but missed that window so I racked it at SG=1.004.

Using a wide mouth secondary fermenter, the wine came up just to the bottom of the neck. That is when I realized that I forgot to add the oak chips that came with the kit to the bottom of the carboy prior to racking, as per the instructions, so I poured it in after the racking. Thus started a volcanic action that I could not stop. Wine just kept foaming up getting all over the floor and the wall. Ten minutes later, the foaming slowed down enough that it no longer spilled over.

It appeared that the wine rapidly degassed as a result of the oak chip addition. A day later, it is still degassing with bubbles rising up the sides of the carboy creating a foam layer over the wine. The air lock is working feverishly to keep up with the expelling CO2 .

I'm not sure what is happening. Its as if I added potassium carbonate to a highly acidic wine. Any ideas as to what could be causing this reaction to the added oak chips?

Incidentally, based on the branding of the yeast nutrient, I posted this in the Mosti Mondiale kit forum as I'm assuming that the kit was manufactured by them for Master Vintner. I hesitated adding this as the controversy around this assumption may deviate discussion away from my primary concern.

 

[crushday]

I’m certain every wine maker on this forum has experienced the volcanic syndrome. I know I have, twice. You keep learning...

 

[sour_grapes]

I'm not sure what is happening. ... Any ideas as to what could be causing this reaction to the added oak chips?

You had a solution that was supersaturated with CO2. That is, the CO2 would "prefer" to come out of solution, but it is inhibited from doing so. Then, you added oak chips, which have a large number of nucleation sites; these foster the formation of bubbles. (Details available upon request.) The bubbling will continue until the solution is NOT supersaturated.

 

[rustbucket]

You had a solution that was supersaturated with CO2. That is, the CO2 would "prefer" to come out of solution, but it is inhibited from doing so. Then, you added oak chips, which have a large number of nucleation sites; these foster the formation of bubbles. (Details available upon request.) The bubbling will continue until the solution is NOT supersaturated.

Thanks for your response, Paul. Your explanation make a lot of sense based on my observations when it happened.

 

[beano]

One bubble begets another, and so on. It has happened to me and boy, what a mess. And my wife say's what??? Did you do...

 

[dmguptill]

I have had this problem with every 10L Master Vintner kit I've done by the directions. Whether putting the oak chips in the bottom of the secondary or putting them in after racking. Doesn't matter. Wine all over. I've tried all sorts of things to mitigate it. Only one thing works, I've found: ferment those kits in a 6.5-7gal bucket, and when the directions call to rack to secondary at 1.020-1.010, don't. Just leave it in the bucket and add the oak at that point. Seal it up and wait until fermentation is over. Then rack to a carboy and continue as directed.

 

[rustbucket]

The instructions that came with the Master Vintner kit seemed antiquated to me when I started this kit but I decided to follow them figuring that the wine kit manufacturer knows what their best practices are. WineExpert and Spagnols used to suggest a racking at the 110 SG point as well but they don't do so now. Current instructions for these manufacturers recommend that you keep the wine in the primary fermenter until it finishes fermenting and then rack it into a carboy for stabilization. Those instructions most likely would have worked better for me with the Master Vintner kit.

Thinking about it further, is there any reason to not add the oak chips when I first started this kit; again, like WineExpert kit recommendations.

 

[dmguptill]

The only reason I can think is the earlier you put the oak in, the less oak flavor you get in the finished wine. I sort of suspect the chips go in at 1.020 because you get a little bit of the benefit of having the tannins there for fermentation but also a little oak flavor that you wouldn't get if you put them in at the start.

This is only speculation, however. I do know I waited to add the chips until fermentation was almost complete once (accidentally), and the extra oak flavor was apparent. But it was a harsher oak flavor, not like the smoother flavor you get with cubes.

 

[Johnd]

@rustbucket , why do you suspect that MM is making the kit for MV? Is it just the nutrient labeling?

 

[rustbucket]

@rustbucket , why do you suspect that MM is making the kit for MV? Is it just the nutrient labeling?

@Johnd, Yes because of the yeast nutrient packaging. It seems unlikely to me that MM would use a competitor's product in their kits unless they were closely related, or the same, company.