Sediment in bottles!

[Stevelaz]

Dam! I bottled my almost a year old Chilean Merlot 2 weeks ago. It looked very clear and i even filtered it a week before with the all in one and whole house filter. I laid them in my wine rack about a week ago. This morning i started to label and shrink wrap the bottles when i saw a line of sediment that dropped in the bottles on the side that was laying downward that seems to be stuck to the bottle. ( if i move the wine around it does not seem to move) Is this something i should be concerned with?

 

[Floandgary]

So,,, 1. Are you sure it wasn't there before filling?
2. Do ALL of the bottles in that batch show the same signs??
3. How many rackovers did you do in that year???
4. Was there sediment in the carboy when you bottled????
I've also had some sediments in bottles after a year of clearing (I thot). Just poured a little slower and made up some excuses.
1. Supposed to be like that
2. Sign of a really hearty grape
3. Conversation starter
4. Bother you?? Go get some Welches

 

[Johnd]

Dam! I bottled my almost a year old Chilean Merlot 2 weeks ago. It looked very clear and i even filtered it a week before with the all in one and whole house filter. I laid them in my wine rack about a week ago. This morning i started to label and shrink wrap the bottles when i saw a line of sediment that dropped in the bottles on the side that was laying downward that seems to be stuck to the bottle. ( if i move the wine around it does not seem to move) Is this something i should be concerned with?

Is the temperature of the environment that you laid the bottles down in different than the temperature of the environment it was bulk stored in for a year?

 

[Stevelaz]

Sure, it could have been there before but didn't look like.
Yes looks like most of the bottles have it.
Several rack overs, prob at least 5. plus filtering.

Good thing: I just went down and opened a 375 bottle of the same batch ( I bottled about 50 of them for my own consumption) It tasted pretty darn good!

After about 2 days after bottling i opened a bottle and was a bit disappointed! Didn't taste quite the same before bottling. I asked about that and bottle shock and most said it needs to rest at least a month after bottling. Guess so...

No, the temp is the same.

 

[Larryh86GT]

I see a little sediment in my wine sometimes. The first time I saw it on the side of the bottle I was opening I thought it was mold and semi panicked for a moment. It does not appear to hurt the wine other than appearance.

Larry

 

[roger80465]

So,,, 1. Are you sure it wasn't there before filling?
2. Do ALL of the bottles in that batch show the same signs??
3. How many rackovers did you do in that year???
4. Was there sediment in the carboy when you bottled????
I've also had some sediments in bottles after a year of clearing (I thot). Just poured a little slower and made up some excuses.
1. Supposed to be like that
2. Sign of a really hearty grape
3. Conversation starter
4. Bother you?? Go get some Welches

I always remind my guests that this is a homemade, unfiltered wine. The sediment you see is unfermentable solids and part of the flavor profile of the wine and is often an indication of high quality ingredients.. Commercial wineries filter it out - I don't. It is nothing but flavor and nothing to be concerned about.

 

[Johny99]

Decant or pour carefully and don't worry. A year is not very long for sediments to settle so some is to be expected.

 

[JohnT]

Do not panic.
Decant and carry on..


What does the sediment look like? does it look crystalline? Black? Chalky-brown? Light tan? how thick of a layer are you getting?

Was there any residual sugar in the wine (or did you ferment to dry)?

I age my wines for 2 years, do not filter, and the wine seems to stay clear. No problem.

 

[bkisel]

I'll sometimes get some in some of the wines I've bottled. If its for myself I pay little attention to the sediment. If it is a wine I've made for my wife she will pour it through a coffee filter and then back into the bottle.

 

[Stevelaz]

Do not panic.
Decant and carry on..


What does the sediment look like? does it look crystalline? Black? Chalky-brown? Light tan? how thick of a layer are you getting?

Was there any residual sugar in the wine (or did you ferment to dry)?

I age my wines for 2 years, do not filter, and the wine seems to stay clear. No problem.

It seems it is light tan, and chalky, Not to thick and not wide maybe 1/8 to 1/4 wide. But like i said it only been a couple weeks. Hoping it doesn't get worse. Fermented to dry.

It seemed to be sticking to the side of the bottle but after a while standing up as i was getting ready to label it was mostly gone, so must have dropped to the bottom.

From what i researched, it is very common in red wine, very harmless, will not effect the aging process and will not alter the taste. I also read somewhere that sediment is a sign of a good quality high end wine...lol.

 

[stickman]

Did you blend or make any last minute adjustments to the wine? Even blending the same wine that has been aged differently, say carboy vs. tank, can cause some sediment to drop. A late addition of tannin or oak, for example, may also cause sediment even after filtration.

 

[Stevelaz]

Did you blend or make any last minute adjustments to the wine? Even blending the same wine that has been aged differently, say carboy vs. tank, can cause some sediment to drop. A late addition of tannin or oak, for example, may also cause sediment even after filtration.

Nope..........................

 

[JohnT]

The light tan sediment sounds just like dead yeast. Does the wine taste fizzy or slightly carbonated?

 

[Stevelaz]

The light tan sediment sounds just like dead yeast. Does the wine taste fizzy or slightly carbonated?

Not at all! In fact it taste darn pretty good! I just had some the last two nights!

It really hard to tell exactly what the color of the sediment is because of the darker bottles, but it is a light color and looks fine, not clumps or chunks.

 

[Stevelaz]

I decided to uncork and re-carboy 5 gallons of the wine, 27 bottles. I used the all in one to suck the wine out of the bottles leaving most, not all, of the sediment behind. Here is a pic of what the sediment looks like. It is dark in color like the wine, but im not sure if the wine just mixed in with it. It looks very fine like a mist of muck i guess...It sticks temporarily but then will slide down to the bottom if the bottle stands upright. I also treated this batch with a bit of kmeta.

Any thoughts as if i should treat with a fining agent or just let sit for a few more week to a month?

I just want to see if i can get these bottles clearer to put aside as ones i give out.

 

[crcarey]

I've had the same thing in the past. This year I'm I'm adding one more vacuum racking (brought up to 70 degree from 52 and to rack and placing back to bulk age at 70degrees) and letting it sitting another 2 months.

 

[Putterrr]

I have been making the premium red grape skin kits for going on 4 years now (lower quality kits for many more years than that) and sediment seems normal with these kits. I use the chemicals supplied, I degas under vacuum @ temperature, rack numerous times, tried 5 and 1 micron filtering, and usually bottle after 8 to 12 months in the carboy. Still have sediment due to my cooler storage conditions. The fine sediment like your pictures show usually blends back into the wine and does not show in the glass. The wine diamonds can be eliminated by decanting but they will stay in the glass so I don't bother. Neither affect the taste which after 2 years, is quite enjoyable.

Winery Series kits seem more prone to it than Eclipse kits (especially wine diamonds) and the wet skins will give more than the dehydrated skins. I also once had a white kit give diamonds that looked like and were the size of split peas.

I used to worry about it but now I just enjoy every glass with my significant other.

cheers

 

[Merrywine]

Sediment in reds is pretty common, in established commercial wines as well. Isn't that why we give a stored wine bottle that quarter turn?

 

[Stevelaz]

I have been making the premium red grape skin kits for going on 4 years now (lower quality kits for many more years than that) and sediment seems normal with these kits. I use the chemicals supplied, I degas under vacuum @ temperature, rack numerous times, tried 5 and 1 micron filtering, and usually bottle after 8 to 12 months in the carboy. Still have sediment due to my cooler storage conditions. The fine sediment like your pictures show usually blends back into the wine and does not show in the glass. The wine diamonds can be eliminated by decanting but they will stay in the glass so I don't bother. Neither affect the taste which after 2 years, is quite enjoyable.

Winery Series kits seem more prone to it than Eclipse kits (especially wine diamonds) and the wet skins will give more than the dehydrated skins. I also once had a white kit give diamonds that looked like and were the size of split peas.



I used to worry about it but now I just enjoy every glass with my significant other.

cheers

Yes, you are right! The sediment does actually blend back into the wine if you leave the bottle upright and/or agitate it a bit. It was even blending back in as i was transferring back to the carboy if i wasn't quick enough. I was worried about it effecting the taste tho. I was even thinking of filtering that small batch with a 1 micron filter but will not now. Glad to see others experience the same thing with no ill effects...lol. I will probably not bother with the rest of the bottled wine..

Wish i could enjoy it with my significant other! My wife does not like red wine!...lol

 

[Putterrr]

There is always white wine.

cheers