Aging

Dear unknown:

Maybe.

What kit? Did you follow the instructions with regard to minimum timing, clearing agents, etc? Did you rack off sediment prior to bottling?

I don't really care that your name is unknown, but it's hard to answer queries when everything else is also unknown.

Steve

It's young, it wil probably go away. There are not enough details on what it is and how you made it to really answer the question. Wines evolve, always; so just give it time.

Joe

Unknown wrote:

Thanx for the reply Joe. Its a Vineco 4 week dry red wine kit and I followed the instructions to the letter. I sterilized the equipment with the potassium metabisulphite mixed with water in a spray bottle and I made sure that everything was cleaned prior to use. The starting specific gravity was 1.08 and in 8 days it came down to .095 and I left lots of sediment behind when I put it in the carboy. At the degassing stage I got lots of gas every time I stirred it up, less as much after the second day but there still seemed to be some present. Stabilizing and clarification seemed to work exactly as I've read it should. When it came time to bottle the wine the specific gravity was .09 and stable like it's suppose to be.

What I'm wondering is if kits are really drinkable (acceptable taste and smell and I suppose that it different for each of us) once bottled? What should it taste/smell like at bottling time? They say on the instructions that it will improve over time, does it change a lot or can I expect a similar taste/odor in six months from now?

To me (and I'm no expert) it tastes harsh at this point.

Thanx again

Mark

Vineco 4 week dry red wine kit.

Followed the instructions to the letter.

Lots of sediment was left behind when the wine was done fermenting. There was about 1/4 to 1/2 and inch of sediment if I remember correctly after bottling was done. I don't recall fully but I believe it was a yellowy sediment but for sure not like it was when it came out of the primary fermenter.

The starting specific gravity was 1.08 and then .095 when it went into the carboy and .09 when it was bottled. Like I said everything went as it should except for the degassing stage when it seemed every time I stirred up the wine it gave off some gas (less as much at the end).

I suppose the question is what should it taste like at this stage? I would say its drinkable as the kit states but taste/smell good, not really. Its rather strong to my untrained nose.

As for the unknown, I remember setting this up a long time ago and I cant find the window where you change that. The name is Mark and I do appreciate your reply. Thanx Steve

Mark

Mark, I really don't understand why the kit manufacturer's don't explain that a little better, 4 weeks is not a lot of time. Harsh is a good description of young wines, especially reds. I would expect it will improve substantially with time. In 3 months it will be better, probably by 6 months much better.

Kit dry red wines my go downhill quicker that others made from juice or grapes but it will probably be much better at a year. I can't say it will last 3 years but red wine made from inexpensive juice such as Regina get better by the year for around 3 years, after that they are about as good as they get.

I'm helping some people start out here and a few nights ago we sampled some young Merlot and one from last year. They liked the younger until they tasted the older, they noticed the difference. It's the same wine for the most part made the same way, just a year older. The younger was not bad, just different.

Your process seems good, I would not worry. I don't make kit wines but don't think you have an issue.

The hydrometer readings were probably misstated as a heads up. I think you meant 0.995 and 0.990 when you were talking about the ending values.

Joe

If a wine tastes yeasty, it is probably because it still has yeast in it. It has not totally cleared even if you think it looks clear. It is really not ready for bottling. Kits usually come out exactly like they say they will.

Not coming down on you but it is standard procedure that SG is reported in 3 significant figure accuracy. your starting SG would be 1.080, not 1.08 and when it falls below 1.000 you indicate it at 0.990 rather than .99 This will cut down on confusion. Also, you cannot ferment down to 0.090. You probably got it down to 0.990 which would be very dry and indicate the kit went well.

The one aspect of your procedure I would question is the fining or the use of the clearing agents. They should have clear the yeast out of the wine. If it tastes yeasty, they did not. The instructions may have been a little unclear or maybe you did something wrong without realizing it but kits usually clear better than that. Maybe you stirred a little sediment up when you racked it. It does not take much and racking is a technique that throws many. Get a racking clip to help you here. It is a clip that goes on the racking cane that clips to the side of the carboy to prevent movement of the cane that can stir up sediment. Keep the cane off the bottom. I keep it several inches above the bottom until the surface drops to near the tip, then I carefully move it down to near the bottom. The clip will help with this. It will cost about a dollar.

If you have not bottled yet, give it another month or two in bulk. Just remember to keep it topped up correctly (the carboy must be filled to within

Not coming down on you as I know you are new to all this. Just commenting on some pitfalls. Also remember that your wine is not intelligent enough to know how to follow the kits description of what it is suppose to do so things never come out exactly as they say.

Ray

I've had this happen to me with wine from a kit. I had thought I left the wine on the trub for too long, and it picked up the yeasty flavor. What I read now in homebrewing is this flavor is more apparant if you rack too early, not too late. That's within reasonable bounds; racking waaay too late off of primary is supposed to have off flavors too.

I'll reassure you that the flavor was gone in a little over a month after bottling.

Mark:

Vineco recommends two months minimum in bottle for their 4-week red wines. I suspect that you have NOT been tasting yeast but rather a young wine. Personally I try to give all red wines (even 4-week ones) at least 6 months from start to drinking.

I make Vineco 4-week kits in the Brew on Premise that I run. Which specific kit? I may be able to give some better aging guidelines. EG Ken Ridge Classic Merlot is ready to drink younger than Ken Ridge Classic Vieux Chateau du Roi.

I'm not certain from your description but it sounds like you bottled from a carboy containing sediment from the clearing agent. I much prefer one last racking immediately before bottling. This can be into a primary or carboy.

BTW...it sometimes helps us to answer your questions if your are specific about the kit name & variety.

Steve

On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 08:16:28 -0400, Unknown

If you wish to drink it a little young I would recommend decanting it (pouring it in to a pitcher and letting it sit for at least a half hour before you drink it). That will greatly improve the flavor plus you will separate the yeast sediment on the bottom of the bottle from the wine itself.