Never bottle too early

[Snafflebit]

This is what I found in the wine cellar this afternoon. Thanks to the record high temperatures my 2023 wine wants to keep on bubbling.

 

[MiBor]

Thanks to the record high temperatures my 2023 wine wants to keep on bubbling.

There must be a logical explanation for it. Incomplete AF, late MLF or addition of something with fermentable sugars in it. What's your guess?

 

[Snafflebit]

I am guessing MLF kicking in again, although it could be a little AF as well. Maybe even a little outgassing of CO2. The place I store this wine stays cold over the winter and likely MLF did not complete. I have seen it happen before, so I stay 2 years in bulk. At least it did not spill all over the floor this time.

 

[crushday]

I am guessing MLF kicking in again, although it could be a little AF as well. Maybe even a little outgassing of CO2. The place I store this wine stays cold over the winter and likely MLF did not complete. I have seen it happen before, so I stay 2 years in bulk. At least it did not spill all over the floor this time.

Close on #4... Glad you don't have a clean up.

 

[MiBor]

Makes sense. Have you added any SO2 to this wine yet?

 

[winemaker81]

How much has the temperature in that area increased? It's probably volume expansion with temperature. I've had it happen, which is among the reasons I leave at least 2" of space below the bung in carboys.

 

[Snafflebit]

Checking my notes, I have not added Kmeta after racking the gros lee. In the past I would add sulfite but for the last two years I stopped because there is so much trapped CO2, my wines remain protected. And, I have had spontaneous referments even after adding the sulfite. Seriously. Amazing amounts of CO2 come out of my wines when I whip them. So far I am not detecting any oxidation issues with my wine.

@winemaker81 Definitely some of this is expansion, but there is also bubbles rising to the neck and the airlock is bubbling. These bubbles are bigger than what I expect from MLF. The cellar is 76F, normally it is in the 60's

 

[winemaker81]

I would add sulfite but for the last two years I stopped because there is so much trapped CO2, my wines remain protected.

Sulfite protects from more than just O2. I allow extra headspace the first few weeks of heavy outgassing, but after that K-meta is a good idea.

 

[sour_grapes]

I agree with Bryan. It is probably just expansion of the volume. Renewed fermentation doesn't cause the must to EXPAND, just to bubble.

 

[Snafflebit]

Okay, I agree now that this looks like outgassing. The bubbles are more vigorous than MLF and also I made chromatography tests that confirmed MLF completion. I have given everything a 25 ppm dose of K meta, added oak to a few carboys, made tasting notes.

I am a little gunshy after bottling before MLF completion and also bottling with trapped CO2. Neither wines were good.

 

[winemaker81]

Okay, I agree now that this looks like outgassing.

This is probably another side effect of the temperature change -- with the increased temperature, the wine can hold less CO2 in suspension.

I agree, it's great that there's no real problem here.

 

[Sailor323]

This happened to me once. The temp in my cellar dropped lower than I wanted so I turned on some heat there. However, the tiny airspace in the carboys didn't account for expansion of the wine and pushed wine into the airlocks.

 

[mainshipfred]

I had the same issue with my 2023s since I didn't have enough room in the cooler. My warehouse gets to the 90s. I just kept reducing the volume. Once I made room in the cooler the volume dropped and I had to top it off.

 

[MiBor]

Okay, I agree now that this looks like outgassing. The bubbles are more vigorous than MLF and also I made chromatography tests that confirmed MLF completion.

I found that using a vacuum pump to rack the wine a couple of times after fermentation gets rid of most trapped CO2. I usually vacuum-rack once after AF is complete and then again in a month or so after MLF is done.

I built myself something like the all-in-one pump with Amazon bought parts to test the concept and kept using it because it works really well.

I barrel age all my reds and built an adapter so I can vacuum rack into the barrels as well. The only time I use a siphon or a transfer pump anymore is when the receiving vessel is not strong enough and may cave in from negative pressure. Vacuum transfer really helps with degassing wine.

 

[wineview]

View attachment 113875

This is what I found in the wine cellar this afternoon. Thanks to the record high temperatures my 2023 wine wants to keep on bubbling.

Are you ok with wine in your airlocks or is the point of the photo simply to show barometric pressure changes.

 

[Snafflebit]

Are you ok with wine in your airlocks or is the point of the photo simply to show barometric pressure changes.

It’s not an ideal situation . All airlocks were cleaned and filled with fresh Kmeta solution.

 

[TurkeyHollow]

Close on #4... Glad you don't have a clean up.

These are handy for overflows:
https://www.amazon.com/Multi-Functi...oot+trays+for+entryway&qid=1720609494&sr=8-36