finishing a cellar classic cab sauv kit - question

Nov 29, 2005 2 Replies

I received a cellar classic cab sauv kit from someone who bought it with great intentions, but it never got made. I fermented it, and let it bulk age for a while (6 months or so). I have kept the airlocks topped up, and am now going to finish the kit. Considering it's going to be a dry wine, and it's been sitting for a while, my question is: does it really need the addition of the sorbate, bentonite slurry, and the gelatin in addition to the potass. met? It seems to me to add sorbate is necessary only if you are going to sweeten it, bentonite and gelatin are fining agents only if you want to get your kit going and bottle it quickly. It seems to me that the addition of the potassium metabisulfite would be sufficient to finish and bottle this cellar classic cab sauv kit.



Any advice? would you concur? Thanks. Rick Fremont, Michigan



Do you know what your beginning and ending SG was? Darlene

Rick I would have put the pot-meta in prior to the long-term aging.

You're right, leave the sorbate out if not sweetening.

Re the gelatin & bentonite...although I usually add the clearing agents...take a good look at the wine, perhaps take a sample , and decide yourself if it needs the clearing agents. Each wine may be different. Based on comments from others, the bentonite may be necessary due to haze in wine.

Steve

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