My first go...

[doc294]

Just to let you know, the quantity of topping wine necessary to fill up your carboy to the correct level shouldn't be more than a few hundred milliliters provided you've got an assortment of different sized carboys and jugs to store your wine in. If you do the math, one liter accounts for about 4.3% of 23 liters. So let's say you use a full 750ml bottle to top up a 23L carboy, the wine you have added will now make up approximately 3.3% of the total volume. Provided you used a fault-free wine, the chance of being able to perceive any difference in aroma or taste from such a small amount is virtually nil. I understand the desire to keep your wine 100% homemade, but until you have a little stash of homemade wine built up that you can use for topping, I wouldn't be overly concerned about using a small amount of wine from the liquor store to keep your batch properly topped up.

I topped up with approximately 50 mL of sutter home white zin. I'm not really concerned about that. Just really did NOT want to use water.

 

[doc294]

Doc, make sure you keep notes on everything! !!Everything, temp SG, etc. And every batch. It helps to decipher problems and successes. It may be several months before you know the true results of your efforts. You will need to know what you did wrong or right. And along the way some of the more experienced makers will have an easier time helping with your questions and comments.

Troy

I'm using a planner calendar and writing down temps, color, activity, SGs (when measured), etc. I'm really just leaving it alone because tinkering is usually what causes someone to come on here with a panic question.

 

[doc294]

Well, here is what I did. It's not that I got impatient, I was concerned that because my SG was stable over the past four days (1.000 +/- 0.001) that I was going to leave it on the lees too long and it would mess it up. So I racked it and added 5 tabs k-meta. I have no sorbate, however, my instructions never called for it (SUNCAL White Zin). It's back in the carboy now. I used some old "GOMCO" supplies (google it) and used a vacuum machine. Degassed it AWESOME. Beautiful color to the wine. Snuck a sip...and it is already fairly sweet but I'm not a Zin drinker much as I like drier wines. So I think I might pass on any sweetener. Not 100% sure on that yet. I kept out 50 mL to check clarity...blah. It needs stabilized and cleared. Fortunately, I have a garage that keeps in the high 20'sF at night and 30'sF during the day (until spring shows up) so I should have some good temps to clear it. I've been trying to make this detailed so any comments are more than welcome.

 

[arcticsid]

Hey Doc, I am not very familiar with kits, but if you just tranfered it off the primary you may want it to set in the secondary for a little while longer at "room" temerature before you expose it to those low of temperatures. My opinion, and just that, bring it back in the house and set it where it went through the primary stage with an airlock attached. Hopefully Steve or someone else familiar with kits can tell you different. The instructions may have said something different, but from my limited understanding, stabilizing is still a couple weeks off. I have heard that some of those kits could be ready to bottle in as little as 28 days. Those low of temps will definitely stop the fermentation, but you may not be ready for that yet. PATIENCE. Bring it back in the house till someone more qualified can give you a better opinion/instruction.
Troy
Your first attempt looks great, no sense to jump the gun. We all want it to turn out great for you.
I stand corrected Doc, I had forgot you are in the secondary now, but even after two weeks it may not be ready to be stabilized yet, I hope one of the others tells you something more qualified. I still say get another one going right away, just because, if you cant afford to, don't want, to or whatever, you can always get another batch going using frozen concentrate, you can't never have too many going at one time. I think it was Luc who said he has like 20 going at one time.

 

[doc294]

Hey Doc, I am not very familiar with kits, but if you just tranfered it off the primary you may want it to set in the secondary for a little while longer at "room" temerature before you expose it to those low of temperatures. My opinion, and just that, bring it back in the house and set it where it went through the primary stage with an airlock attached. Hopefully Steve or someone else familiar with kits can tell you different. The instructions may have said something different, but from my limited understanding, stabilizing is still a couple weeks off. I have heard that some of those kits could be ready to bottle in as little as 28 days. Those low of temps will definitely stop the fermentation, but you may not be ready for that yet. PATIENCE. Bring it back in the house till someone more qualified can give you a better opinion/instruction.
Troy
Your first attempt looks great, no sense to jump the gun. We all want it to turn out great for you.
I stand corrected Doc, I had forgot you are in the secondary now, but even after two weeks it may not be ready to be stabilized yet, I hope one of the others tells you something more qualified. I still say get another one going right away, just because, if you cant afford to, don't want, to or whatever, you can always get another batch going using frozen concentrate, you can't never have too many going at one time. I think it was Luc who said he has like 20 going at one time.

I have it in the secondary in the basement (where it has been all along). I agree, clarifying and stabilizing is still probably a little while in the future.

My only MAJOR problem with starting another is I have only 12 bottles AND I have only 1-5 gallon carboy...so I need to get some more stuff. I'm going to progressively buy more stuff as I go along.

edit: I am currently trying to empty a 1 gallon bottle I have now to start a small batch. I need another air lock however. I'm the only wine drinker in the house right now (My wife LOVES wine but she is pregnant and seeing me drink wine in front of her...ehh...well...it pisses her off. LOL!)

 

[Wade E]

Doc, I also have the aspirator, mine is not a Gomco but basically the same thing, do you rack with yours also, it works great for that and youll never have to pick up another full carboy off the floor again. It will rack horizontally and vertically defying gravity. If you go to Walmart or any home improvement place you can get a Whole house water filter and use that in between with a 5 micron filter to filter your wine too, just dont get a carbon filter as it is made to take all taste away which is great for water but not wine!

 

[doc294]

Doc, I also have the aspirator, mine is not a Gomco but basically the same thing, do you rack with yours also, it works great for that and youll never have to pick up another full carboy off the floor again. It will rack horizontally and vertically defying gravity. If you go to Walmart or any home improvement place you can get a Whole house water filter and use that in between with a 5 micron filter to filter your wine too, just dont get a carbon filter as it is made to take all taste away which is great for water but not wine!

It works awesome!!! I DID have to use gravity to get it out of the carboy and I put it in my primary bucket. Then, I used the aspirator to get the wine back into the carboy. It was fast and the tubes cause turbulant flow so it worked AWESOME to degas. The filter is an awesome idea...I didn't think about that. Where did you get the orange caps?

Also, did I screw up by putting the 5 tabs of k-meta?

 

[Wade E]

I got the Orange caps at a wine supply store and just about any of them would have them. As for the k-meta, as long as its done fementing then you did what needed to be done to protect it from oxidation. If you do the filter system eventually just invert it at the end to get the last bit out. I dont even use gravity anymore as the pump works in every situation.

 

[doc294]

side bar: My 50 mL sample that I took off when I racked it is clearing nicely in the refrigerator. This is the sample that I had my father-in-law and mother-in-law taste. I assume the carboy will do the same when it is ready.