Other Time line benchmark

[msfgroup]

Hello Fellow Kit Wine Makers

I am looking for a "benchmark" for processing Kit Wines. I use all levels of kits even tho we are VERY NEW to this great hobby. The time line seems to be all over the place from Primary to Bottling. We would appreciate any and all comments on a TIME LINE BENCHMARK on the following:

Primary Fermentation
Secondary Fermentation
Stabilizing and Degassing (using a vacuum system for degassing)
Clearing
Bottling or is Bulk Aging recommended

Thanks in advance for any and all comments. My apologies if a Crazy request but would like to hear other peoples thoughts rather than just reading instructions in the kits.

Thanks Again
MSF Group

 

[DoctorCAD]

There is no benchmark in winemaking. Its a living, breathing thing that works or doesn't work at its own schedule.

My normal schedule is 2 weeks primary, 4 weeks to 6 months secondary (vacuum racking during that time does the degassing), 6 months rest time and then bottle.

All of that is dependent on the wine, not the calendar.

 

[BernardSmith]

Never made a kit but DoctorCad is right. You are not looking for a time line as much as looking to see when benchmarks have been reached. That means you want to know at what SG to rack from primary into a secondary, when the wine has sufficiently cleared to begin degassing (if that is something you want to do) ; when the wine has sufficiently aged to warrant bottling. Different fruits, different yeasts, different levels of sugar content, different target ABVs, different levels of acidity, different ambient temperatures, different fermenting temperatures all play significant roles in the length of time it takes to produce a wine from the fruit...

 

[bkisel]

I've got the following "system"... Follow the kit instructions to bottling then bulk age and bottle age in months 1/2 the kit week number. e.g. a 4-week kit gets 2 months of bulk aging and 2 months of bottle aging, a 6-week kit 3 and 3, etc..

 

[richmke]

For Red Wines that are not backsweetened:

Primary Fermentation - 1 week
Secondary Fermentation - 1 week

Stabilizing - at the end of Secondary Fermentation

Bulk Aging - 1 year with nature doing the clearing and degassing

Then in the bottle for another year.

 

[Johnd]

The first two steps are not time dated, and should be monitored by hydrometer readings.
Primary Fermentation - as long as it takes to get to 1.00 - 1.010

Secondary Fermentation - as long as it takes to get to the point where your SG is below 1.00 and doesn't change for several days running

Stabilizing and Degassing (using a vacuum system for degassing) - stabilizing I assume is adding your KMS and sorbate, which takes only a few minutes. Degassing is more controversial, I degas in a few minutes with my vacuum pump. If you adhere to the clearing and bulk aging suggestions below, degassing is a moot point.

Clearing - if you're using the kit supplied fining agents, your wine will be quite clear in 30-60 days, but will likely drop more sediment if bottled at this point, especially high quality kits and ones with skins.

Bottling or is Bulk Aging recommended - again, subject to much conjecture, but my whites are in carboys for 6 months minimum before bottling and will be kept in a 60 F environment. Reds, a bit longer, usually takes a few months and a couple rackings to be sediment free, then they hit the barrel. My current wines ride the barrels for 4 months and then back to carboys to settle down and have final taste adjustments. All told, I like a year for reds before bottling.

 

[TonyP]

I'd like to build on what others have said, particularly Johnd. The fact is that wine making is part science and part art. There are aspects of the process that call for steps to be taken at certain points for a reason. For example, primary fermentation requires oxygen for the yeast to thrive but wine will be ruined by oxygen so there's a point where protection (called secondary fermentation) becomes more important. At the other end of the process, wine improves by aging but not indefinitely, as the ideal aging is dependent on the wine.

In a nutshell, my suggestion is to find out why things happen rather than when. This will allow you to determine when for yourself.