WE New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

[Cellar Vader]

I have a WE Eclipse New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ready to go, but I plan to “tweak” this kit. I’m looking for suggestions from anyone who has successfully done this. I’m not looking for an “early drinker” (even though WE claims this to be that) and am fine with bulk aging this. I believe that the kit instructions call for a fermentation temp of between 68 and 72 degrees. However, I have read that the best temps for whites are much lower, even into the 40’s. I can maintain 62 in my basement, and if I had to I could ferment this in my garage using my Inkbird temp controller in my fermentation chamber (cardboard box!) I WOULD like to acquire some fruit aromas/flavors, but know that there is not typically much anyway from this SB. I’m looking for suggestions on yeast as well. The kit came with 2 packs of Lalvin: a K1-V1116 and a EC-1118, but these may not be the best for lower-temp ferms?. Thoughts?

I’m certain I’ll have more questions depending on the input I receive, so thank you ALL for your patience. Still learning here!

P.S – I do have a filter (5 micron) which I can use to polish this before I bottle, fyi.

 

[salcoco]

cooler temps around 60deg f will keep in aromas. I have found that Red Star Cotes des Blancs yeast also assist in aromatics. I would ferment in a carboy and fashion a bug with paper towels that will also prevent blow off.

One tweak possible post fermentation is to add lemon and lime zest to the wine . you will need to stir each day and taste as well to insure taste level stays right. You might what to do a bench trial on about a liter to see where this goes if satisfactory go with the larger batch.

 

[Cellar Vader]

cooler temps around 60deg f will keep in aromas. I have found that Red Star Cotes des Blancs yeast also assist in aromatics. I would ferment in a carboy and fashion a bug with paper towels that will also prevent blow off.

One tweak possible post fermentation is to add lemon and lime zest to the wine . you will need to stir each day and taste as well to insure taste level stays right. You might what to do a bench trial on about a liter to see where this goes if satisfactory go with the larger batch.

Hmmm. I DO like the idea of a citrus-y addition! Question: Why would you recommend to ferment in a carboy as opposed to a bucket? I could do either, actually.

 

[Johnd]

In addition to what @salcoco suggests (all of which are good tweaks), and if you like a little extra zing in your whites, do some bench trials with the finished wine and experiment with adding some tartaric acid to suit your taste.

 

[Cellar Vader]

In addition to what @salcoco suggests (all of which are good tweaks), and if you like a little extra zing in your whites, do some bench trials with the finished wine and experiment with adding some tartaric acid to suit your taste.

Good to hear. I'll do some reading-up on TA additions. Thx!

 

[salcoco]

fermentation in a carboy for aromatic whites is recommended to keep from having aromatics vent out. you can still stir every day . co2 can be vented by using a paper towel fashioned bung.

 

[Cellar Vader]

fermentation in a carboy for aromatic whites is recommended to keep from having aromatics vent out. you can still stir every day . co2 can be vented by using a paper towel fashioned bung.

Oh, I hadn't heard that about aromatics venting out. So I can see where a carboy would provide much less surface area for the aromatics to escape than would a plastic bucket. Good to know, thx!
Any need to spray that paper towel with Kmeta at all?

 

[salcoco]

no need to spay the towel. co2 density enough to take care of bad guys entering.

 

[Cellar Vader]

no need to spay the towel. co2 density enough to take care of bad guys entering.

 

[Swedeman]

fermentation in a carboy for aromatic whites is recommended to keep from having aromatics vent out.

Huh, I don't doubt that it's recommended but with all due respect, is this statement really true? I would have guessed that the main cause of flavor loss would be due to the rapid production of carbon dioxide and not the size of the fermentation vessel itself (we are not comparing loss post fermentation). You could even say that more carbon dioxide would be released per surface area in the vessel with the smallest diameter (hence, making it more "rapid"). I will do this kit in a couple of week and I will ferment it in bucket but will keep the temperature below 18 C

 

[pillswoj]

In the winter I start my whites at 72F then ~ 24 hrs after pitching yeast I transfer to a carboy and allow ferment to finish in my cellar which is 50F or lower, the carboy is more to prevent oxidation as the ferment takea at least month and often 2 months.

 

[Cellar Vader]

In the winter I start my whites at 72F then ~ 24 hrs after pitching yeast I transfer to a carboy and allow ferment to finish in my cellar which is 50F or lower, the carboy is more to prevent oxidation as the ferment takea at least month and often 2 months.

You just answered a question that I was about to ask: I "presumed" it would be easier to start the fermentation at a warmer temp, and then when it got underway I would bring the temp down gradually to about 60. I can't get lower than that unless I move it to the garage, though.

 

[Stressbaby]

QA 23 for the yeast for sure. Brings out the passion fruit character of a NZ SB.

Then grapefruit instead of lemon or lime. Grapefruit adds generic "citrus" without coming across as specifically lemon or lime.

 

[Cellar Vader]

QA 23 for the yeast for sure. Brings out the passion fruit character of a NZ SB.

Then grapefruit instead of lemon or lime. Grapefruit adds generic "citrus" without coming across as specifically lemon or lime.

Great, thx. Gonna pick up the QA23 today at my LHBS.

 

[Cellar Vader]

QA 23 for the yeast for sure. Brings out the passion fruit character of a NZ SB.

Then grapefruit instead of lemon or lime. Grapefruit adds generic "citrus" without coming across as specifically lemon or lime.

Oh! Sorry, but would the grapefruit zest go into the Primary? And for how long?

 

[Stressbaby]

Oh! Sorry, but would the grapefruit zest go into the Primary? And for how long?

Secondary, and depends how much you use. I used an entire grapefruit once on a 3 gallon batch and it was done in a couple of days.

 

[Cellar Vader]

Secondary, and depends how much you use. I used an entire grapefruit once on a 3 gallon batch and it was done in a couple of days.

Good, cuz I started Primary on Friday night. Did you use only the outer peel portion (zest)? Or the entire rhind?

 

[Stressbaby]

Zest only. No pith. I use a potato peeler to get big wide strips as it makes it easier to get out/rack off.

 

[Cellar Vader]

Zest only. No pith. I use a potato peeler to get big wide strips as it makes it easier to get out/rack off.

Thank you Stressbaby!