WineXpert Selection Riesling Icewine Style 12L

[scurry64]

Hi. This my first post and first visit to Wine Making Talk. I'm looking for a bit of reassurance and guidance regarding my next kit.

As the title says, I'm making the WineXpert Selection Riesling Icewine Style 12L kit. I've never made a 12L kit before. The instructions say to ensure that the vessel I use will hold at least 3 gallons.

I have several of each: 11.3L carboys, 5 gallon carboys (Better Bottle and glass), and 6.5 gallon buckets. I am concerned that the 11.3L carboys won't be sufficient, especially when it comes time to degass.

I think the best course of action would be to use the 5 gallon Better Bottle. I know that there will be a lot of head space, but I'm not overly concerned about that as long as there is enough CO2 being produced. There's the rub. After I degass, I don't think there will be enough CO2 to prevent oxidation.

I think that after I degass I should rack to the 11.3L carboy. My questions are:
(1) Will I have enough space in the 11.3L carboy to accommodate juice and the F pack?
(2) Is it safe to leave it in the 5 gallon Better Bottle the entire time?
(3) Is there a better option that I haven't considered?

I would appreciate any guidance you can provide.

 

[cmason1957]

I have made several of the 12 L kits before. Never this particular one. I always start then in a 6.9 (or maybe it's 6.5) gallon bucket. When they get down to 1.020 or lower there has been an addition of extra sugar. I put that sugar into my 3 gallon carboy and rack onto that. I generally let time and a few racks under vacuum take care of degassin, but I suppose you could take some out of your carboy and degas. Same thing when adding the fpac. Sanitize another container, thief or rack some wine into that. Add fpac to the original, then take some from container back to original, if needed.

 

[cpfan]

The 11.3 litre carboy is a 3 US gallon carboy. When I have made these kits in the past I have always started in a large primary (because that's what I own), and then moved to the 11.3 litre carboy.

Steve

 

[geek]

I made this kit and if you add the whole f-pack at the end it will be VERY sweet, like drinking honey.
If I ever make it again, personally I'd throw half the f-pack in primary.

 

[jsiddall]

I made this kit and if you add the whole f-pack at the end it will be VERY sweet, like drinking honey.
If I ever make it again, personally I'd throw half the f-pack in primary.

Yes, I am finding that everything with an F-pack ends up being sweeter than I prefer. Unless you drink a commercial offering and think to yourself "this is good but if it were only twice this sweet..." then half the F-pack in the primary is probably a safe bet.

 

[cpfan]

Ice Wines are supposed to be VERY SWEET. If you don't like that idea, I have to wonder why you are making an ice wine.

Steve

 

[jsiddall]

Ice Wines are supposed to be VERY SWEET. If you don't like that idea, I have to wonder why you are making an ice wine.

Steve

Yes, but my experience with an RJS Cru Specialty Cabernet Franc ice wine style is that it was significantly sweeter than commercial ice wines -- which are, as you point out, already very sweet.

Same experience with MM La Bodega port.

Same experience with Vineco "off-dry" Pinot Gris.

All are sweeter than their commercial counterparts, which makes them too sweet for my taste.

I have never made the WE ice wine style but from experience with three other manufacturers it seems to be an industry wide thing.

Ultimately if you are not entirely turned off by sweetness you can just make a batch by the manufacturer's instructions and then draw your own conclusions.

 

[scurry64]

Thanks for all the input. I appreciate your help.

I had to laugh when I read "this is good but if it were only twice this sweet . . ." because, believe it or not, that is actually my wife's middle name.

I think I have enough to go on. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[Dhaynes]

These desert wines form WE are notorious for getting stuck before the fermentation completes. I've done 5 different ones and 4 of the 5 got stuck. Alcohol and CO2 are poisonous to yeast so as the ABV and the CO2 go up the yeast has to struggle harder to survive. Little changes that would not be an issue at a lower alcohol level can have a much bigger impact when the yeast is struggling.

My guess is that temperature swings and shock of the sugar from the chapatization were the culprits in my case. I put the wine near a thermostat controlled room heater to keep it warm but I didn't think about the fact that the temp would fluctuate pretty quickly when the heater cycled on an off. Next time I do one of these I'll probably put it in a water bath with an aquarium heater to hold the temp more constant. I will also break the chapatization sugar into thirds and add it a third at a time with 1-2 days between to reduce the shock from the rapid increase in the sugar level. From what I've read this also suppose to help. Another benefit of this approach is that if it gets stuck after the first or second sugar addition, you can forgo adding the rest of the sugar which will help keep the wine from being too sweet.

If it does get stuck don't go to heroic measures to try to restart fermentation. We made the mistake of doing that with a chocolate raspberry port and all the extra yeast nurtiants, yeast packs, etc. never restarted the fermentation but they did hurt the taste of the wine. You can always fortify the wine with some Everclear or brandy if you want to raise the ABV.

 

[scurry64]

So far so good

Well, this kit is fermenting like a CHAMP! In 5 days the SG dropped from 1.162 (OG) to 1.076. These numbers are slightly lower than optimal, but they are proportionate.

I racked it to the secondary a few minutes ago. I need to top up, but I don't have any Riesling on hand, so I'm off to the the liquor store now.

Cheers.

 

[bakervinyard]

Scurry64, I don't think you need to top up when it's in secondary. you will need the room for the chapatization. Also the co2 will protect the wine. Bakervinyard

 

[scurry64]

Oh my stars and garters! You're right, of course. What was I thinking? I wasn't thinking. I hope I didn't ruin it.