Racking schedule without clearing agents

[kuziwk]

Metabisulphite powder gets weighed and then poured onto the top of the wine, , after sampling for flavor or testing with a little sugar. If it is over 9. months I haven’t seen bubbles for 7 or 8 so a solid bung. Typical is wait 24 hours before moving the carboy and bottling or filter etc. I don’t really want to disturb much and I just added fresh oxygen, but only on the surface. Depending on sample size I will use a 50cc syringe with 1/8 tubing or plastic droppers.
View attachment 59153
Campden is a solid and would sink. It needs to be crushed or melted into the wine. I don’t use it.

From my history the oldest wine I have bottled was some of mom’s 1978 black raspberry which had a solid cap on it. It was good at 30 years. I have gained oxidation paranoia as I learned to taste wine and plan so that transfers are at a minimum or three

So In other words...no need to mix sulfite addition? Dissolving in some wine adding back to the top is good enough?

 

[crushday]

Here’s my experience and practice. Very similar to @Brian55 - I carboy bulk age for a minimum of 12 months with no racking. Wines going into the carboy get a one time dose of 1/2 tsp of Kmeta (suggested is 1/4 tsp every racking). When the wine goes into a barrel, I have been adding another 1/2 tsp of kmeta. Now that I have the ability to check the SO2 levels, that might change. I barrel age for a minimum of 6 months. My larger barrels get a minimum of 12 months. I do not add kmeta at bottling.

My winemaking journey has led me to the “less is more” adage. I don’t use bentonite, sorbate, or clearing agents. I’m learning how to more closely monitor my use of Kmeta. I simply want to less chemicals replaced with more time. Winemaking is teaching this impatient person how to be patient.

I’ll be performing a SO2 comparative test in the coming weeks. I’ll be bottling 150 bottles on or around May 1. I’ll test the SO2 levels of the wine going from the barrels to bottles and the replacement wine from the carboys into the barrels. I’ll also check the levels of a bottled wine that has been aging in bottles for six months and twelve months. And, I’ll compare all this to commercial wine. The point of the test is to ultimately use less kmeta. I’ll post the results on a new thread.

 

[Brian55]

Here’s my experience and practice. Very similar to @Brian55 - I carboy bulk age for a minimum of 12 months with no racking. Wines going into the carboy get a one time dose of 1/2 tsp of Kmeta (suggested is 1/4 tsp every racking). When the wine goes into a barrel, I have been adding another 1/2 tsp of kmeta. Now that I have the ability to check the SO2 levels, that might change. I barrel age for a minimum of 6 months. My larger barrels get a minimum of 12 months. I do not add kmeta at bottling.

My winemaking journey has led me to the “less is more” adage. I don’t use bentonite, sorbate, or clearing agents. I’m learning how to more closely monitor my use of Kmeta. I simply want to less chemicals replaced with more time. Winemaking is teaching this impatient person how to be patient.

I’ll be performing a SO2 comparative test in the coming weeks. I’ll be bottling 150 bottles on or around May 1. I’ll test the SO2 levels of the wine going from the barrels to bottles and the replacement wine from the carboys into the barrels. I’ll also check the levels of a bottled wine that has been aging in bottles for six months and twelve months. And, I’ll compare all this to commercial wine. The point of the test is to ultimately use less kmeta. I’ll post the results on a new thread.

Looking forward to seeing the results of these experiments.