Mosti Mondiale Very First Attempt

[Wade E]

It let it age about 2 months myself.

 

[gdaustin]

Well I put the K-Med in and degassed for a while. I will let it sit for about two months then put the clarifier in. If it was not fully degassed will bulk aging a few months degass it the rest of the way? By the way I spent about 20 minutes with a drill degassing it and then did the vacuvin trick but could not get a real good seal with the carboy handles on. I even think my wife started to drool a little bit in anticipation

 

[ibglowin]

You should really try and get a good seal using the vacuvin. The CO2 will escape over time if you have an airlock (with solution) on top and not a solid stopper but it could take longer than you want to wait to bottle.

The best seal I ever got using a vacuvin was not using an orange carboy cap but using one of the S shaped airlocks (no solution) inserted into one of the Buon Vino carboy tops. The vacuvin just fit perfectly into the top of the S shaped airlock. Man you could pump 10-15 times on that setup and just watch gas explode from the bowels of your carboy up to the neck.

 

[gdaustin]

I have one of those ailocks and I will try it tonight and see what I can get. I am asuming we do this till no foamy bubbles come up. By the way to all who have helped me here I really do appreciate it and by the way I went with the Meglioli Amarone for the next kit. Hope I do this right as the wife has fallin in love with the amarone wines I have bought her.

 

[gdaustin]

Wow thanks a bunch ibglowin that was the trick. I just knew I ordered that extra S airlock instead of the three piece ones that came with the starter kit and the extra carboy setup I bought for a reason. That made it so easy. I guess I did a real good job with the drill as I got some but not a lot with the vacuvin just now. Mostly bigger bubbles from the center. Nothing like when I was degassing with the drill. Maybe I got most of it out. Well I hope my other kit comes soon as I am beginning to think a primary fermenting bucket that is empty is a waist of a bucket.

 

[ibglowin]

Good to hear! At least now you can rest assured that when you are ready to bottle your wine will be in good shape.

Make sure you follow the modified Mosti Mondial instructions or you will end up with a wine volcano. Leave it in Primary for 7 days and add the yeast nutrient @ 1.04 SG. Add the airlock and snap the lid after it settles down.

 

[uavwmn]

gdaustin, just think of all the money you will save when your wife falls in love with your amaronne??

 

[gdaustin]

I have been reading a few other posts and I ran across a few that talked about cold stabilizing. I do have a freezer in the garage that does not have much in it so I was wondering if I should cold stabilize my wine. If it won't hurt can I do this in a freezer and if so for how long? Thanks and you folks have been great.

 

[vcasey]

Based on the kit I see no need to cold stabilize or bulk age this one. It will not hurt to bulk age it but this one is an early drinker so I would get it in the bottle once clear and get the next one going so it can age a bit longer (since you'll be busy drinking this one).

 

[gdaustin]

OK this kit has been in the carboy almost a month. I plan on leaving it in another month then clear then bottle. From what I have read I would expect to put the clarifiying gels in without racking again.Then when completely clear rack to the fermenting bucket then filter to bottles. I do not have any SO2 testing kits to determine if I need to addanymore K-med before I bottle. I will add the sorbate but do I still need k-med? If it is best to get the test kits which ones should I get? I believe some kitshave expiration dates. I do not plan on doing more than about 5 kits a year so what testing kit would be best for freeSO2? Thanks a bunch. Also I have started the Meglioli Amarone kit and I have some questions but that is another post.

 

[Goodfella]

I would add k-meta with the sorbate.


Genral rule of thumb is 1/4 tsp. every 3 months.

 

[gdaustin]

Ok, quick question. I just got back from vacation and I have my White Zin looking to be bottled. It has been sitting for three months and need to know if I should add more k-med and then the clarifier(siligel and liquigel)then wait till clear before rack, Pot. Sorbate and bottling. Or should I rack then k-med then clarifier, wait till clear before rack, Pot. Sorbate and bottling. I would like to start tonight so if you folks canhelp me get the steps right I would appreciate it a bunch. Thanks.

 

[Wade E]

I would rack onto the dissolved k-meta and then add the fining agent and sorbate this way everything is mixed in now and when clear you can genly rack to clean vessel and bottle from there.

 

[gdaustin]

Ok everything looked great thru bottling the other day. Wife tasted and said it was very good. Got 31 bottles. One thing that was interesting that you folks might be able to help me with is this. When the wine is at room temperature, or close to it, it has a very good color and clarity but when you chill it it gets a little cloudy. Let it warm up and boom clear again. any thoughts?

 

[PeterZ]

Could be wine diamonds - potassium bitartrate. It is a precipitate that forms when wine is chilled. Commercial wineries avoid the problem by chilling the wine before bottling and filtering it out. I don't have room in the fridge for a 6 gallon carboy, so I just live with it.

 

[gdaustin]

Well, I must say things must have went well cause the wife keeps opening bottle after bottle. Onelast thing before closing this topic out. I have a freezer in the garage that only has a few items in it. Plenty of room for a carboy. Should I be practicing the cold stabilization since i have the room. PeterZ mentioned chilling the wine before filtering and bottling. I was thinking of putting the wine in the freezer during the clearing phase then when I take it out I can filter to a new carboy. If This is a good idea then how long in the freezer? I know I will have to change the liquid in the airstopper. I am not sure what the temp in the freezer is at the moment, but I will check this weekend. Thanks

 

[PeterZ]

A freezer is not a good idea. Precipitating wine diamonds takes time, and in a freezer the wine will likely freeze before the precipitation is complete. Normal procedure is to hold the wine at about 35F for a couple of weeks.

 

[Wade E]

The only way to use a freezer for this would be to get a Ranco or Johnson temp control and use that to bring the temp up above freezing for a few weeks thus not being able to keep frozen foods in there. Here is a link to this unit that George sells if you are interested. By the way I dont think youll need to cold stabilize these cheaper kits as they usually dont drop wine diamonds unlike a Meglioli or Masters or RJS En Primuer or fresh juice.
http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=FE600