What's going on in your winery today..

[SiSandrine]

Cold Stabilisation!!!

[mark g]

started two gallons of orange,peach & passion fruit juice wine today
it's fermenting all ready

[Cellar_Rat]

Made another batch of Page 174 OSH. Interesting to make beer on a wood stove, I feel like a right pioneer!!

Then I couldn't walk past my enolmatic without bottling 20 merlot 2010.

[SiSandrine]

Yesterday spent several hours with GF2011 ferments which are coming along a treat despite some early issues. Needed all racking off the tartrate crystals following cold stabilistion - warming up here now. Blended some Merlot and Sangiovese to make my version of a "SuperTuscan". Really very good indeed at the moment and a lot of improvement still to do.

[robwrx]

Yesterday spent several hours with GF2011 ferments which are coming along a treat despite some early issues. Needed all racking off the tartrate crystals following cold stabilistion - warming up here now. Blended some Merlot and Sangiovese to make my version of a "SuperTuscan". Really very good indeed at the moment and a lot of improvement still to do.

Forgive my ignorance but I thought cold stabilisation was only for removing excess acid in a wine. If the wine has a reasonably good acid balance will the precipitation and removal of acid crystals leave it lacking in acid?

Also, if the wine is left to warm back up, will the crystals dissolve back into the wine?

As a relative newbie and a first time GF attendee I still like to ask stupid questions

Rob

[SiSandrine]

Forgive my ignorance but I thought cold stabilisation was only for removing excess acid in a wine. If the wine has a reasonably good acid balance will the precipitation and removal of acid crystals leave it lacking in acid?

Also, if the wine is left to warm back up, will the crystals dissolve back into the wine?

As a relative newbie and a first time GF attendee I still like to ask stupid questions

Rob

It is a control that the winemaker can exert. Some of us have to if the only place for storing wines is in a shed over winter. Its true it does have the effect of reducing (tartaric) acid levels in a wine but in effect it is to stabilise them to stop them precipitating out at a later stage i.e. when sold, if you were doing it commercially and yes it could leave the wine lacking in acid if the acid levels were on the low side originally. This is less a problem with red wine, particularly if you store it carefully and are not overly bothered about the tartrate crystals in the finished product.
You can of course add the acid back if needed - but in red wine use tartaric acid rather than citric (can causes issues in wine that has gone through MLF). I avoid Malic altogether due to the harsh flavour.

I have found that some of the crystals can dissolve back into the wine if the temperature rises, but certainly not all and I have not had any problems with precipitation once I have added back acid, probably due to the overall level being insufficient to cause the crystals to form, but it might just be a combination of luck and staorage conditions.

[robwrx]

Thanks for the explanation Simon, I think I need to read up a bit more on the subject. Most of my wine is bulk ageing in an unheated garage at present and nearly everything has signs of crystals at the bottom.

I am not planning on racking my red GF2011 wines for another couple of months when things should be a lot warmer. I have racked and bottled a gallon of the Trebbiano after Duffbeer said he had already started drinking his

Rob

[mark g]

Just started 2 gallons of cranberry&pomegranate juice wine,it's looking good

[Cellar_Rat]

Just bottled the latest batch of old speckled hen-a-like.
I have proved beyond doubt that a good siphon cane with a tap on the other end is far better for beer than setting up the Enolmatic.

[goldseal]

Just ticking over - cleaned bottles, stabilised a WE Ltd Ed kit, racked a Paklabs Pinot Grigio.

Things are mounting up due to lack of time - MUST get some oak in the GF2011 wines soon.

[Rich]

Not much has been going on wine related for me recently, but so far today I've racked a Mesa Luna kit, and started a cheapo Paklab Merlot. The sound of the airlock in the kitchen again

[ToulouseLePlot]

Blackberry, currant, red grape juice is wearing-off its campden hangover. Then I'll pitch R56 tonight. As frosts seem they maybe over, it's time for TC, so I can get the cider vinegar working its first batch in 10 days time... Spring!

[robwrx]

Racked the Selection Estate New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc as it was down to SG.999 and a little late to be getting under airlock.

Also tested the SG of a Beaverdale Merlot kit that I added some GF2011 grape skins to. I think 1kg of skins is way too much in a 6 bottle kit as although the flavour is great, the tannins and acid are very high. It should be good though.............in maybe a couple of years time

[fatbloke]

Well if I can get my finger out of my backside, I would like to be able to get round to firing up the 2 X chocolate raspberry port kits I got before crimbo....... Plus there's about 18 gallons of mead that needs sampling, ready for blending and any back sweetening/acid necessary.......

But I'll probably end up doing bog all and watching the rugby (hopefully, this time, without the bloody air ambulance landing in the school carpark behind us just after kick off - near neighbours sticking knives into each other again......)

[ToulouseLePlot]

Hi Rob, I'm a great fan of the Selection NZ, I have done 3 so far and there's another on the shelf for doing soon. I'm getting so possessive about it that I'm making sure I've got some, well quite a lot, of others getting to drinking stage at the same time. It's great to have chums, it's great to have chums to share your wine, it's great to have chums to share and appreciate your wine, but the really good stuff is wasted on them!

PS the three I did got down to 0.994