New Wine Maker

[cmason1957]

Bleach in any, form should not be part of your wine cleaning equipment. Bleach can interact with a bacteria (I think, maybe a chemical) in corks and cause cork taint. A musty, wet dish rag taste that cannot be removed. I clean with Oxyclean Free or PBW or any of the other Percarbonate cleaners. I sanitize with either meta bi sulphite solution or star San. Some folks don't like the foam of star San and use Idophor. Any one of those can be mixed in gallon sized batches, kept, covered for about a month.

 

[sour_grapes]

Bleach in any, form should not be part of your wine cleaning equipment. Bleach can interact with a bacteria (I think, maybe a chemical) in corks and cause cork taint.

Close. A fungus.

 

[cmason1957]

Close. A fungus.

So close, but no cigar. I will blame it on the wine. Probably should blame it on the nearness of the anniversary of my birth,again. And how many of those there have been.

 

[sour_grapes]

So close, but no cigar. I will blame it on the wine. Probably should blame it on the nearness of the anniversary of my birth,again. And how many of those there have been.

Congrats on another successful (?) trip around the nearest star!

 

[cmason1957]

Congrats on another successful (?) trip around the nearest star!

They are all successful, as long as you can look up and see it.

 

[Scott Harbison]

Welcome to the forum @Tony_Tiz You will find lots of information on this forum and plenty of folks willing to help you at every step! Keep asking your questions! You'll get the answers you need.

 

[Keith5]

Hi I’m new as well. Is there a reliable resource/book on the winemaking process, clearly and accurately stating steps of process? That would help avoid a lot of 1 off key points I’m learning, but also missing.

I would like a resource for charts showing good pH ranges, TA , SO2, yeast profiles, chart explaining ratios of tartaric acid to add to 1 gallon to adjust ph by xxx amount, how much kmeta to add per gallon and when, etc.

Is there such a Unicorn?

 

[masic2000]

@Tony_Tiz You should, after fermentation, degas, stablize, clarify, filter, bottle. In that order.

 

[mainshipfred]

Hi I’m new as well. Is there a reliable resource/book on the winemaking process, clearly and accurately stating steps of process? That would help avoid a lot of 1 off key points I’m learning, but also missing.

I would like a resource for charts showing good pH ranges, TA , SO2, yeast profiles, chart explaining ratios of tartaric acid to add to 1 gallon to adjust ph by xxx amount, how much kmeta to add per gallon and when, etc.

Is there such a Unicorn?

Oh they're there Keith but unfortunately not in one resource. I would try searching Scott's Labs Handbook. But keep in mind everyone doesn't have the same approach and most have good reason for theirs.

 

[Tony_Tiz]

Welcome to the forum @Tony_Tiz You will find lots of information on this forum and plenty of folks willing to help you at every step! Keep asking your questions! You'll get the answers you need.

I've already found that out...lol Thank you...this forum is fantastic!!

 

[Tony_Tiz]

@Tony_Tiz You should, after fermentation, degas, stablize, clarify, filter, bottle. In that order.

Thank you...I still have about an inch of sediment in my carboys. Should I rack a couple of times before I degas to get as much of that sediment out?

 

[masic2000]

Rack again, then de-gas. The other option is if you bulk age for a year or so, then no need to de-gas as it will happen on its own.

 

[winemaker81]

You can degas at any time after fermentation is complete. The dissolved CO2 will hold some sediment in suspension, so degassing will help the wine clear. If you are using a post-fermentation fining agent, degas first or it may not be fully effective.

As masic2000 said, there is no need to degas. Time will do it. However, I prefer to degas and clear the wine sooner than later.

If you're bulk aging, eliminating the sediment means you have less need to rack. Every time you touch the wine you risk infection. If practicing good hygiene, the risk is low, but it's never zero.

 

[Tony_Tiz]

ok so I degassed today. But to give some history, after I racked the first time, I didnt have enough to fill up a second carboy so I had to fill up four 1 gallon jugs. So, after degassing today, I didnt have enough to fill up my last gallon (picture included), so there is quite a bit of space.

1. Is having a 3/4 full jug going to be a problem?
2. I also clarified today using kieselsol and chitosan, should have I waited to clarify?

 

[Scooter68]

One interesting point regarding Chlorine that one person mentions is that the bleaches the the color of a stain out but does not necessarily really remove the stain. Further I find that whenever I use chlorine bleach to clean things (not my wine equipment or containers) I find it hard to rinse it off.

Keep in mind that it's very easy to over-do it with concentrations of Chlorine as well. So be careful before just tossing it in some water to clean things. One poster on another site uses 2 1/2 tablespoons in 5 gallons of water - that seems pretty thin but keep in mind that the smell of Chlorine bleach alone is not particularly pleasing when you are trying to work with the delicate aromas of various wine fruits.

Here's a link to an article from Perdue University regarding Chlorine around wine making: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FS/FS-50-W.pdf

 

[winemaker81]

Tony,

1. Yes, that is a potential problem. When you have active fermentation, the produced CO2 blankets the wine to protect it from air. But post-fermentation wine is not so protected. You want a tiny air space -- I like to fill the jug to within an inch of the stopper, although several inches is typically ok.

Use any decent tasting cab or merlot to fill the jug. Or Zin or any red of similar tone and body. Honestly, if it's a choice between topping with white wine vs leaving a large air space, use the white wine.

2. You can clarify any time after fermentation is complete. There is no reason to wait until sediment drops ... since that is what a fining agent does. You should be fine.

 

[Tony_Tiz]

Tony,

1. Yes, that is a potential problem. When you have active fermentation, the produced CO2 blankets the wine to protect it from air. But post-fermentation wine is not so protected. You want a tiny air space -- I like to fill the jug to within an inch of the stopper, although several inches is typically ok.

Use any decent tasting cab or merlot to fill the jug. Or Zin or any red of similar tone and body. Honestly, if it's a choice between topping with white wine vs leaving a large air space, use the white wine.

2. You can clarify any time after fermentation is complete. There is no reason to wait until sediment drops ... since that is what a fining agent does. You should be fine.

Thanks Buddy, its less then a gallon so if I lose it, I lose it. But for the future its good to know.

 

[wpt-me]

Could also use 1.5 / .750 liter bottles to siphon down to.

Bill

 

[Tony_Tiz]

Could also use 1.5 / .750 liter bottles to siphon down to.

Bill

Da*n....good idea...thanks bro

 

[Scooter68]

If you have a recycling center nearby I would suggest you visit and try collecting a variety of glass bottles in sizes starting at 16oz up to 1.5 or 1.2 gallon. Take a screw on cap and a drilled bung with you so you can check the fit. It makes life a lot easier when you have those odd sized containers to use for temporary storage.
In some cases you can take the bottom 1/3 or less of a gallon on the 2nd racking (When fermentation has finished and you are racking & adding K-Meta for the first time. That bottom liquid can be cold crashed in a fridge and you might recover almost a quart at times. Then you have some topping off wine that matches what you are making. Just don't leave on the lees/sediment for more than a couple of days - even in the fridge.