WineXpert kit goof?

[Robert R]

I am using a Speidel 30L fermenter for only the second time, and my goof was not marking a gradation line for 23L ahead of time, resulting in me losing track of how much water I was adding to the 14L WineXpert kit (Double Noir LE20, Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir, supposed to make 6 gal.), and underfilling by over 2 liters. Ferment completed several days ago, and today I racked to a 5-gal carboy, and had enough left to fill two 750ml bottles (with some lees coming up with the siphon). If I had racked to a 6-gal carboy, I would have needed probably 3 bottles to top off with, hence the 5-gal. My question is have I goofed too badly? The wine tastes pretty good, but hard to really tell at this stage for me. What do I do with the 2 bottles in the fridge, keep to top off with? Will the sediment drop out soon? I'm about to start another WE (Private Reserve Nebbiolo) kit, so what about adding the bottles to it? I don't have anything to airlock them with, so I've got tapered corks in for now. SG is about .992, so I'm not worried about exploding bottles.
I was going to bulk age for 6-8 months before bottling but may not now.

 

[Brian55]

You most likely made the wine better by shorting the water. I usually need 2-3 bottles to top off a 6-gal carboy. On 30L Speidels the 23L mark is at the bottom of the ring that bulges out, just above the label.

 

[Robert R]

@Brian55 Well, before I started the next batch (just pitched), I added 23L water 1L at a time and marked levels with a sharpie starting at 14L. Just under that ring is where I hit 23L.
Still not sure what to do with those two extra bottles, other than leave in the fridge as reserve.

 

[Brian55]

@Brian55 Well, before I started the next batch (just pitched), I added 23L water 1L at a time and marked levels with a sharpie starting at 14L. Just under that ring is where I hit 23L.
Still not sure what to do with those two extra bottles, other than leave in the fridge as reserve.

Save them for topping up.

 

[ratflinger]

You sure? Mine shows about 3/4 inch below the bottom of the ring. I measured 6 gallons there by dumping 6 one gallon bottles of water in.

 

[Brian55]

You sure? Mine shows about 3/4 inch below the bottom of the ring. I measured 6 gallons there by dumping 6 one gallon bottles of water in.

Yep. I own three of them. German engineering, accurate to within a 16th of an inch between all three.

 

[StreetGlide]

Yep. I own three of them. German engineering, accurate to within a 16th of an inch between all three.

Yup exact same spot on my 2.

 

[Swedeman]

German engineering, accurate to within a 16th of an inch between all three.

I wish I could say the same about all the PET carboys I have from the Vintage shop. Surprisingly inaccurate (the total volume that is).

 

[ratflinger]

Yep. I own three of them. German engineering, accurate to within a 16th of an inch between all three.

LOL - My wife is German, I know all about German Engineering

 

[Robert R]

My WE Nebbiolo kit is going great! When I went to punch the bag of skins this morning, it was still submerged, and there was probably an inch of foam on the juice. The yeasties are happy happy. That kit came with oak sawdust for primary and cubes for later. I put the sawdust in a small mesh bag (ok, a rinsed and sanitized knee-high stocking) to keep from clogging the racking cane later, but still get the benefit of the oak.

 

[szap]

My WE Nebbiolo kit is going great! When I went to punch the bag of skins this morning, it was still submerged, and there was probably an inch of foam on the juice. The yeasties are happy happy. That kit came with oak sawdust for primary and cubes for later. I put the sawdust in a small mesh bag (ok, a rinsed and sanitized knee-high stocking) to keep from clogging the racking cane later, but still get the benefit of the oak.

I don't know if it's from the initial addition of bentonite but I find that the sawdust as well as the cubes adhere to the bottom of the fermenting bucket or carboy well enough that clogging the siphon has never been an issue. BTW the wife loves the Nebbiolo wine I have made from kits. With the skins and cubes you are apparently doing one of the top end kits. Which brand are you doing?

 

[Robert R]

@szap I'm doing the WineXpert Private Reserve Piedmont Nebbiolo. First time I've tried that grape. I'm not practiced enough to keep from sucking up some sediment when I rack from primary.

 

[szap]

I try to limit the amount of sediment transfered from the primary but with the high dollar kits I always do an additional racking.

 

[Robert R]

I try to limit the amount of sediment transfered from the primary but with the high dollar kits I always do an additional racking.

Oh, I'll rack it again, maybe twice over the next month.

 

[szap]

I do the first rack after the initial 2 weeks, then again with a week or two to go and then I rack to a bottling bucket for bottling. Doing this I am able to get every drop without sediment.

 

[Carrie Smith]

Yep. I own three of them. German engineering, accurate to within a 16th of an inch between all three.

I am using a Speidel for the first time. I couldn’t find any directions anywhere. I am using it for white wine kits. Can you give me any guidance? Does the wine stay in it from start to finish? Do you de-gas it per the kit instructions and stir all the lees back into the wine? How long would you recommend bulking aging in it - or would you want to remove the wine at the 4 week mark to get it off the lees? What kind of wine do you make in yours?

Yep. I own three of them. German engineering, accurate to within a 16th of an inch between all three.

 

[Robert R]

I rack mine off the lees into a carboy when primary ferment is done. There's too much headspace in the Speidel.

 

[Brian55]

I am using a Speidel for the first time. I couldn’t find any directions anywhere. I am using it for white wine kits. Can you give me any guidance? Does the wine stay in it from start to finish? Do you de-gas it per the kit instructions and stir all the lees back into the wine? How long would you recommend bulking aging in it - or would you want to remove the wine at the 4 week mark to get it off the lees? What kind of wine do you make in yours?

For whites, I rack into a carboy as soon as fermentation starts to slow, which is typically within 5-7 days. You can rack back into it later for bottling day as an option, if it's empty at that time.

 

[Brian55]

I rack mine off the lees into a carboy when primary ferment is done. There's too much headspace in the Speidel.

I do this for white, and red without skins. Reds with skins stay in the Speidel for at least 4 weeks for an EM. Head space is a non issue if you put it under airlock prior to fermentation being complete.

 

[Robert R]

@Brian55 I've got a red with skins in mine now, 4 days in. What does the EM accomplish? Skins are in a mesh bag, it's a WE kit. Wouldn't the bag still need to be turned daily, or does it sink when ferment is done?