tartrazine

Recipes 

I've had a crazy year with work, and have had several wine projects sit mostly neglected for the last 8-9 months in secondary. I have made sure there's water in the air locks and that they are topped up enough. They had all been racked once or twice before going neglected so they hopefully havent been sitting on too many lees.

I have some time now to get back to my wine making. Do I have anything to worry about? Will these have a bad taste due to sitting on lees too long or any other reason? Should I just rack them and age a little longer? Stir some co2 out?

Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks.

Yooper

Recipes 

I routinely leave my wines in the carboy for months and months. If the lees were under 1/4" thick, you probably will be perfectly fine. Taste it and see!

I assume it's clear now, and totally degassed after all this time. so if it tastes good, bottle it up!

__________________
Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006

tartrazine

Recipes 

What if there are more than 1/4" lees? I think I'm probably ok but it's hard to tell as I have glass beads in the carboys. If the wine picks up any bad flavor from the lees, should I rack it and age it in the carboy some more, or bottle it anyway then age it in the bottle a while?

While I'm on the subject, my first batch of bottled wine from last winter now has a thin coat of lees in the bottles. I aged it for several months before bottling so I thought it was totally done, but I guess not. Do most people consider this an issue? I'd rather not add nitrates or anything before bottling.

novalou

Recipes 

Sounds like the wine was not clear before you bottled. Your bottled wine will be fine, store upright before you pour and pour it slow.