Wine Volcano

[proman]

Hey all, I need a tip for the next time this happens. I started a wine kit this weekend and was doing the first racking tonight. The SG was down to the levels per the instructions to do this racking. After adding the yeast nutrients and oak chips, we started transferring the wine to the carboy. We completed the racking and had enough room left in the carboy that I was not to concerned. It was about half way up the curve.

After about 15 minutes in the carboy, just enough time for me to clean all my equipment and put it away, we look over and we have foam coming out of the top of the airlock. uggg. Now what I said.

We quickly moved the carboy over the sink and watched the foam overflow while we frantically got the bucket and hose out so we could bring the level of the wine down to stop the volcano.

Anyone have any tips on what we might have done wrong or how we should handle this next time?

Thanks!

Kevin

 

[Goodfella]

I usually add the nutrients in the morning, but leave it in the primary. Then I rack that night. Just give it a little bit to tone down. (it might not make a difference) But it seems to work for me.


I will watch it for a little bit after racking, If the foam starts climbing... I remove the airlock for a little while. It will not hurt you wine.... just make sure nothing nasty can get in....

 

[AlFulchino]

too early to rack....its only 4-5 days based on your timetable described.....use your sg readings to dictate when to rack to carboy/secondary vessel....your yeast is still doing its job and needed to stay in the primary

 

[proman]

The instructions said I should rack when the SG was 1.04-1.05. Tonight's reading was 1.03 so I figured it was ready...

 

[Goodfella]

What wine are you making Kevin?




P.S. Welcome to the forum

 

[proman]

It is a Mosti Mondiale All Juice Shiraz. I'm rather new, this is my 4th kit to make. The other three have turned out great!

 

[Goodfella]

Good....


Keep us posted.

 

[ibglowin]

Do a search on "wine volcano" and you will see that you are not alone. Everyone of us who has followed the directions to the letter on a Mosti kit has experienced the same problem. You only make it once!

The oak reacts with the ammonia being released in the yeast nutrient and causes the volcano.

So going forward what do you do? Don't follow the directions to the letter. Add the nutrient and oak as instructed but do not transfer to the Carboy. Keep it all in the Primary for a few more days until close to ~1.000. Make sure you have the lid snapped and an airlock. There is plenty of CO2 in the wine to protect it until you transfer to glass.

You will still get the reaction in the Primary but because you have so much more head space for the gas to escape you won't have a problem with the volcano formation.

When you do rack over at ~1.000 just make it a quick and dirty rack and transfer everything (including the oak) and fill up the carboy to within a few inches from the top and keep it warm for another 12 days.

Then do a good clean rack and add the clarifying and stabilizing agents like normal.

 

[AlFulchino]

ugh...i dont know what the reason for them telling you to rack at 104-105 would be, but then again i dont know everything....but at those numbers the wine is still actively fermenting...just too much going on to limit the space it is housed in...i would not consider racking to a carboy until its at minimum 1.02 or less and less being 1.00

its not the end of the world....the wine just demonstrated to you that it was done too fast,......wine never lies and its a good lesson that we all have been thru

 

[ibglowin]

Forgot to mention you will have to top off with more wine than normal to replace the lost "volcano volume".

 

[proman]

Thanks everyone for the input. Since I started this wine making adventure a few months ago, I've had many of those "You only make it once" mistakes. Still learning and having a blast.

After all was said and done, my wife and I looked back and laughed at the events of the evening over a bottle of wine.

Live and learn!

Thanks again,
Kevin

 

[Wade E]

I freakin hate the Mosti instructions as I dont think they state to either do this in a much larger carboy or to put 5 1/2 gallons in a 6 gallon carboy and the other 1/2 in a 1. I sort of agree with the instructions as they want you to rack it before it settles much so that you dont leave behind too much viable yeast as can happen when racking at 1.015 sometimes resulting in a winethat struggles to finish. I actually prefer to let it ferment out in the bucket myself and not worry about either of those problems.

 

[AlFulchino]

Mike you said...."The oak reacts with the ammonia being released in the yeast nutrient and causes the volcano."

i never ever use yeast nutrient...never a need really....so when i see anything resembling a volcano it is not from the nutrient specifically, if the starter of this topic still had his wine at 1.04...*that* is the problem...not the nutrient interacting w oak, that would be a side issue....when it is still at 1.04 and you get the batch all stirred up w a racking then you have introduced a lot of O2 and it doesnt take long for things to blow

also i read

"

<div style="overflow: auto;">
I freakin hate the Mosti instructions as I dont think they state to
either do this in a much larger carboy or to put 5 1/2 gallons in a 6
gallon carboy and the other 1/2 in a 1. I sort of agree with the
instructions as they want you to rack it before it settles much so that
you dont leave behind too much viable yeast as can happen when racking
at 1.015 sometimes resulting in a winethat struggles to finish. I
actually prefer to let it ferment out in the bucket myself and not worry
about either of those problems."

i think your kit is a 23 liter batch so you are 6 gallons plus...so using anything less than a six gallon container is just wrong....get an italian carboy and whne you get to 1.00 or 1.02 you wont have any issues...remember this...time and patience..if you would just rack when you have it lower and wait a day or two or three before applying ok, you will have a chance to see what kind of effect the racking had....your wine wont die for lack of oak for a couple of days and its a good insurance policy to be patient with it

additionally, i would add...i think there is an effort on the behalf of many and not just in wine....but there is an effort to over engineer things..wine included...to do too much....let the wine be the wine...its been made fabulously for thousands of years w very little coaxing....you want a wonderful smooth wine or wines? then do little to them except guide what they already want to be

 

[ibglowin]

You know me Al, Chemist by trade and I like to understand why things happen when they do and try and understand them.

If you add just the yeast nutrient all by itself there is no volcanic activity. It is only when you add the oak into the mix after the nutrient that you get the massive release of gas.

If you add the oak first and stir in into the mix for a few minutes and then add the yeast nutrient you still get the volcano, just not as bad. I would say its cut in half but still pretty reactive and you still have a pretty good LOW (loss of wine) out the top of the carboy.......

 

[AlFulchino]

"If you add just the yeast nutrient all by itself there is no volcanic
activity. It is only when you add the oak into the mix after the
nutrient that you get the massive release of gas."

i can tell you this..i use no nutrient *ever* .....if i rack a wine into a carboy and add oak immediately then i run the risk of a volcano.....no nutrient involved...so something else is at play

let me add this in..if i use a carboy then i choose to add the oak in before the racked wine as the racking process dissipates the gasses......if you add the oak last then get ready for a volcano

by the way..and i have never ever had a stuck fermentation or other issue in thirty years..

 

[ibglowin]

Perhaps your seeing a RXn of sorts with CO2 then.

 

[AlFulchino]

yes...that is what i believe that it is....because as i added in my edited post above...i see dont see an issue when i oak first and then rack.....racking first and then oaking is always reason for concern

 

[ibglowin]

You must have lots of fiber and vegetables in your diet.

and i have never ever had a stuck fermentation or other issue in thirty years..

 

[AlFulchino]

that is another issue

 

[CoachPieps]

I think this is a fantasitc statement by Al and just need to thank you and repeat it:


additionally, i would add...i think there is an effort on the behalf of many and not just in wine....but there is an effort to over engineer things..wine included...to do too much....let the wine be the wine...its been made fabulously for thousands of years w very little coaxing....you want a wonderful smooth wine or wines? then do little to them except guide what they already want to be