For the first time, I'm fermenting several whites at a controlled cool temp of
55 degrees F. Obviously, the fermentation is much slower than it would be at room temperature. But how much slower? How long might I expect the primary fermentation to take? One batch is well over 3 weeks old, and at this rate, I can expect the fermentation to take 2 months. Is this anything to worry about? I'm tempted to just move the carboys into room temp.Lee
Lee, Do some searches on cool fermentations and I think it'll cure your desire to move them to room temperatures. It might take an extra few weeks or a couple of months but time should be put aside when making wine. I have wine still sitting in carboys from last christmas.
I've only done kits but the best white I've made was a Kendall Ridge Showcase Chardonnay that was cool fermented and it spent 6+ months in a carboy. I'm not sure that it had to take that long but I just let it ferment out, stabilized it, racked it a few times and then kept it topped up in a cool location and basically "forgot" about it.
Don
Lee,
I routinely ferment my wines at cool temperatures partly as a result of our geography and my basement winery and partly by design. We are located near Toronto, Ontario and depending on the outside temperature and the timing of the vintage, our basement temperature is somewhere around 60 F or even a little lower during fermentation. I am convinced the nose and fruitiness of the finished wine is preserved, particularly with aromatic styles like Gewurztraminer and Riesling.
I have a small batch of Gewurz that is still fermenting and was started about five weeks ago. One problem of course is knowing when/if the malo-lactic fermentation is going and the alcoholic fermentation has ceased although the SG reading is helpful. At the same time my Riesling and other whites are cold stabilizing on an unheated porch which ranges from 25 to 40 F or more depending on outside conditions.
Cheers,
Glen Duff
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LG1111 wrote:
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