Sediment in my wine

[turkeyhunr]

After bottling my first batch of wine, I have noticed sediment in my wine. I tried to keep the siphon off the bottom and actually threw out sediment after the first racking. I ran it through a paint funnel from Sherwin Williams and a coffee filter into a bucket before I bottled it. When you pick up a bottle and hold it up to the light, you can see sediment floating around in my bottles. Hmmmm?? Wonder what I did or didn't do?

 

[Tom]

need more info,
what is it
when did you start it and what gravity
how many X did you rack
finning agents
when did you bottle ( time wise)

 

[GreginND]

How long did you let it age? My wines never get bottled before at least 6 months and sometimes not for two years. And they get racked several times. Paint funnels and coffee filters will not remove all the sediments and particles can continue to form and drop out of wine for quite a while. There are methods for clarification if you are in a hurry. Personally I tend to use time rather than additives for clearing. Many of us use filters in the end to really get the wine sparkling clear. There are plate filters available for home winemakers. With a vacuum pump some of us use a whole house water filter setup to filter wine.

 

[JohnT]

I agree with Greg.

If you need to use filters at the time of bottling, then you are bottling too soon. The wine should be dead clear before it goes into the bottle. You can achieve this with 2 or 3 racking and lots of time.

If the wine was clear at the time of bottling, then there are a whole host of other issues to address (PH? Active Yeast? Residual Sugar? Storage Conditions?)

 

[turkeyhunr]

It was a wine kit that we used and we went by the instructions and bottled it on day 30 like it said. SG readings were right where they said they were suppose to be. Wine wasn't perfectly clear I didn't think but it was a 30 day kit. It was the first one we tried so now I'll know to just let it clear for longer next time.

 

[GreginND]

In my opinion kit instructions tend to rush the process too much.

 

[Simpsini]

I agree with Greg. I like to do kit wines and they produce very good wine, but sometimes you have to use your observations and taste buds to finish with a good wine. Try and let your wine rest in the carboy for a month or two and let gravity take over. I believe that after your 10th or 11th kit you'll not be in a rush to bottle. This is a great hobby.

 

[turkeyhunr]

That's good advice!! I've filtered a couple of times before I bottled and filters were clear and no debre in them but the bottles show it in the bottom. Kinda embarrassing when you give bottles to your friends to try your wine and if looks like you gave them pond water. Hmmm, my next batch will definately stay in clearing for additional weeks. One question, when you think it's ready to bottle, rack it to another carboy or bucket and then bottle?

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I agree with everyone on this topic - let it stay in the carboy longer till it clears on its own. Then once you can see thru it - you can filter it, not before.
Remember those are only suggested guidelines -

 

[wineforfun]

That's good advice!! I've filtered a couple of times before I bottled and filters were clear and no debre in them but the bottles show it in the bottom. Kinda embarrassing when you give bottles to your friends to try your wine and if looks like you gave them pond water. Hmmm, my next batch will definately stay in clearing for additional weeks. One question, when you think it's ready to bottle, rack it to another carboy or bucket and then bottle?

Just remember, assuming it is just some very fine sediment, that it isn't going to hurt the wine. I have had this happen too, and it has been from bottling it early on, like others have said. You can also just let the bottle sit upright prior to drinking and alot of the sediment will fall to the bottom. In the end, unless you are making competition wine, a little sediment will be just fine.

 

[jswordy]

Just remember, assuming it is just some very fine sediment, that it isn't going to hurt the wine. I have had this happen too, and it has been from bottling it early on, like others have said. You can also just let the bottle sit upright prior to drinking and alot of the sediment will fall to the bottom. In the end, unless you are making competition wine, a little sediment will be just fine.

This is very good advice, I think, because wine that looks crystal clear in the carboy can actually form sediment in the bottle. After the sediment falls in the bottle, either drink the wine down to about an inch left or else decant it after opening. No biggie.

As a matter of fact, I have seen interviews with vintners who are marketing their wines with sediment in the bottles as proof of a "living wine," as opposed to one where chemicals and filters have killed off or strained out anything and everything. Who knows, as the world turns it may come to a day when it is chic to have a bottle with sediment in it.

I do personally feel like the whole filtering aspect has been taken too far, almost to the point where people feel they MUST filter. There are wine critics who are of the opinion that filtering strips the wine of essential characteristics. So it's an interesting debate.

 

[FABulousWines]

Isn't it true that many European wines (I want to say France in particular) make it a practice to leave some sediment in the bottle? If you want to "save face" with your gifts, why not just rack to a new bottle after it has settled?

 

[robie]

Isn't it true that many European wines (I want to say France in particular) make it a practice to leave some sediment in the bottle? If you want to "save face" with your gifts, why not just rack to a new bottle after it has settled?

I don't believe the French bottle with sediment present. Rather, their wine sometimes ages for longer periods, so sediment develops; most of their wine is never filtered. As a result, the French don't get too nervous about sediment, but most Americans do, so if you are going to gift the wine, rebottle the wine just before you gift it.

 

[Elmer]

I give out 20 bottles a year for holiday.
My wine always has sediment.
I tell people sediment just give personality to the wine!