I think I want to give wine a shot...

[Walker]

caplan...

should I soak my corks or not? The guys at the LHBS said to do it, but you eluded to this being a point of contention to wine makers. It it one of those differences that causes a big holy war?

-walker

 

[Caplan]

caplan...

should I soak my corks or not? The guys at the LHBS said to do it, but you eluded to this being a point of contention to wine makers. It it one of those differences that causes a big holy war?

-walker

I did miss your post - I've not been on the forum much as the weather is fantastic in England this last week or so - Thanks for the PM nudge.

I soak mine by pouring them with freshly boiled hot water in a clean SS pan (adding a ceramic plate weighted with other clean kitchen items to stop them floating) for about 30min to loosen them slightly on the outside, drain and then give them 15 minutes weighted again in a strong solution of campden - say 1 tablet per litre (1.75 pints) just to ward off anything in the air when i cork them. I then apply the plastic bottle 'heat seal' top straight away.

It's worked for me - I've never had a 'corked' home made bottle of wine but i've had loads of commercial ones that i've had to take back or just pour away in the past.

 

[Lounge Lizard]

BrewStef keep your eye on both LL and Walker. Strange men obsessed with
wine kits and women for some reason........

Silly boy, what's wrong with wine and women?

Ohh, Walker??? Did you bottle your wine yet? How did your corker work? Did you soak the corks?

 

[Walker]

Ohh, Walker??? Did you bottle your wine yet? How did your corker work? Did you soak the corks?

I think I'm bottling it tonight. I tested the corker out on a couple of empty bottles (dry corks) a few weeks ago just to see how it worked. Seemed to be ok. I'm going to try on one full of water to see if it makes any difference.

The only (minor) complaint I have about the thing is that the piston that drives the cork down doesn't seem to drive STRAIGHT down. It veers off to the side as it decends. The corks go in fine, but the divot that the piston leaves is not centered on the cork. Minor issue, I'd say.

I do plan to soak the corks before using them. Both Caplan and the guy at the LHBS suggested it, and that's enough for me.

-walker

 

[Lounge Lizard]

I think I'm bottling it tonight. I tested the corker out on a couple of empty bottles (dry corks) a few weeks ago just to see how it worked. Seemed to be ok. I'm going to try on one full of water to see if it makes any difference.

The only (minor) complaint I have about the thing is that the piston that drives the cork down doesn't seem to drive STRAIGHT down. It veers off to the side as it decends. The corks go in fine, but the divot that the piston leaves is not centered on the cork. Minor issue, I'd say.

I do plan to soak the corks before using them. Both Caplan and the guy at the LHBS suggested it, and that's enough for me.

-walker

Ah, I see. My Merlot is still bulk aging. I think I may hold off on bottling 'til mid September. That way it can age a bit more and be over the bottle shock by the holidays. Plus, I will be on vacation then.

We shall see. Looking forward to hearing how your bottling session goes. I'll probably buy a corker like yours, if you don't have any major problems. The dimples don't sound like much of an issue...

 

[madrean]

hey guys,

my pinotage (whatever that is) has been in the secondary for about a month, maybe month and a half. i've been pulling wine off it every few days so i have something to drink

i think the taste is GREAT-- nice and smooth. BUT it seems kinda thin and weak. is this the way young wines taste? do they build up flavor in the upcoming months? i love how smooth it is, but there's just not a lot of body to it.

even though the kit cost a hundred bucks, it has already been worth it.

thx for any input.

 

[Walker]

hey guys,

my pinotage (whatever that is) has been in the secondary for about a month, maybe month and a half. i've been pulling wine off it every few days so i have something to drink

i think the taste is GREAT-- nice and smooth. BUT it seems kinda thin and weak. is this the way young wines taste? do they build up flavor in the upcoming months? i love how smooth it is, but there's just not a lot of body to it.

I don't think you are going to get any more body out of it as time goes on. Perhaps you added too much water to the kit when you mixed it all together, and that's the reason it's thin?

I know that when I had to top-off my fermeter for bulk aging, I was already happy with the body of the wine, so instead of topping off with water, I topped off with a few bottles of store-bought merlot; minimal impact on flavor and no affect on body.

-walker

PS: never got my wine bottled this weekend. I was ready to do it Friday, but SWMBO was too tired. She was ready to do it Saturday, but I was too tired. I had to work Sunday night. I guess it'll happen sometime this week or next weekend.

 

[Caplan]

I know that when I had to top-off my fermeter for bulk aging, I was already happy with the body of the wine, so instead of topping off with water, I topped off with a few bottles of store-bought merlot; minimal impact on flavor and no affect on body.

Who recommended the topping off with wine? The kit instructions?

Silly boy, what's wrong with wine and women?

Very true! but sometimes LL you are a worry.....

'I can always serve it to my special lady friends'

?????????? What do the 'non special' lady friends get? NO! Don't answer, i'm worrying again!

 

[Walker]

Who recommended the topping off with wine? The kit instructions?

Yes... the instructions and the LHBS guy.

This was done in the tertiary. About a week after stabilizing and fining, I racked to a tertiary (6 gallon) and lost some volume to sediment. The instructions and LHBS guy said to taste it and see what I thought of the body of the wine and then decide whether to top off the tertiary (right up to the airlock) with wine, water, or a combination. Since I lost more than I should have (siphon issue) I was not comfortable adding the top-off as only water. That would have duluted things too much. I used a small amount of water, and the rest commercial merlot.

-walker

 

[madrean]

why do you have to top off?

 

[Walker]

why do you have to top off?

To reduce airspace in the carboy.

I finally got the wine bottled.

LESSONS LEARNED
(1) the "minor issue" with the piston going down at a slight angle became a HUGE issue when combined with the fact that I soaked the corks. The piston would actually tear up the top of the cork at the very end of the corking-step. No cork was getting into the wine, but the inside of the corker had little chunks of cork in it. I had to dunk the corker in a bucket of sanitizer between each corking, so it took a long time. I found that going slower with the corker helped a lot, but not completely. I have no idea if things would have been different if I had NOT soaked the corks.

(2) get a piece of string to help relieve the pressure in the bottles. that little bit of advice is a real gem. Just soak it in sanitizer and drop it through the neck of the bottle. Then jam a cork in. Slooooooooooowly pull the string around and out, and the air that you compressed with the cork going in will come hissing out. If you do NOT do this, the corks will push themselves back out of the bottle about 1/3 of the way.

-walker

 

[Caplan]

(1) the "minor issue" with the piston going down at a slight angle became a HUGE issue when combined with the fact that I soaked the corks. The piston would actually tear up the top of the cork at the very end of the corking-step. No cork was getting into the wine, but the inside of the corker had little chunks of cork in it. I had to dunk the corker in a bucket of sanitizer between each corking, so it took a long time. I found that going slower with the corker helped a lot, but not completely. I have no idea if things would have been different if I had NOT soaked the corks.

(2) get a piece of string to help relieve the pressure in the bottles. that little bit of advice is a real gem. Just soak it in sanitizer and drop it through the neck of the bottle. Then jam a cork in. Slooooooooooowly pull the string around and out, and the air that you compressed with the cork going in will come hissing out. If you do NOT do this, the corks will push themselves back out of the bottle about 1/3 of the way.

-walker

1 - Assuming a 'standard cork' (which we all know don't exist!) I reckon you soaked the corks too long for your corker. Too soggy, to much mashing around under the pressure of your lever. I soak quickly and use an old 'flogger' wine corker - the one you need a hammer for. Tap tap smack. String out next.
2 - I told you about the string!!
3 - Get the plastic shrink wrap covers on your bottle tops when bottled. They don't just look pretty but actually help keep the cork from external exposures in a home brew environment.

 

[Walker]

1 - Assuming a 'standard cork' (which we all know don't exist!) I reckon you soaked the corks too long for your corker. Too soggy, to much mashing around under the pressure of your lever. I soak quickly and use an old 'flogger' wine corker - the one you need a hammer for. Tap tap smack. String out next.

I soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, and the sanitizer for 15 minutes, but it did seem that the corks were too wet. Just the dunking in the sanitizer would probably have been enough.

2 - I told you about the string!!

Yup. Absolutely brilliant. Thanks a lot!

3 - Get the plastic shrink wrap covers on your bottle tops when bottled. They don't just look pretty but actually help keep the cork from external exposures in a home brew environment.

Ok. I already have the sleeves, but I just haven't put them on yet. I think we're going to put them on tonight.

-walker

 

[Lounge Lizard]

Walker,

How did your wine turn out??

I haven't been around here in a while, but I'm finally bottling my Stag's Leap Merlot tomorrow. I rented a big boy corker for five dollars. I hope everything works out well. I think my batch should be plenty aged by now... lol


Joe

 

[madscutter]

LL,

Is there something goofy with the dates on the posts? Or did you really make the same kit as Walker, starting before he did, and waited a full year longer before bottling? That's some serious bulk aging! I know SWMBO would never go for that (at least not on my first batch).

How did it come out?

Oh, and thanks for resurrecting this thread, it's got some great beginner info!

Cheers!

 

[Lounge Lizard]

LL,

Is there something goofy with the dates on the posts? Or did you really make the same kit as Walker, starting before he did, and waited a full year longer before bottling? That's some serious bulk aging! I know SWMBO would never go for that (at least not on my first batch).

How did it come out?

Oh, and thanks for resurrecting this thread, it's got some great beginner info!

Cheers!

LOL .... no, nothing goofy with the dates. Just goofy me. The year just flew by before I knew it. I got involved with other projects, so I kept the lock filled with cheap vodka and kept on truckin'. I never planned to bulk age for that long!

As far as I can tell, the batch is quite good. I haven't really had a decent sample yet, except for some warm sips while bottling. A friend of mine thinks it is really good, though.

The guy at the LHBS today was amazed at how long I let it bulk age, too. He felt sure the batch must have oxidized all to heck by now. He had to dump a batch one time.

He must have let his lock run dry or had a bung blow out of the carboy or something?? How else could it oxidize so badly with just a couple of inches of headspace? It doesn't make sense to me. Anyone know what he might be talking about?

Yes, this is a very good thread. I'm happy you found it useful. What kit are contemplating purchasing?

I guess Walker has probably drank all of his Merlot by now... lol


Joe

 

[madscutter]

Well, SWMBO is a big fan of Rieslings so I thought I'd start with one of the Winexpert - Vintners Reserve kits. I gather that these produce a really decent wine that is drinkable almost immediately. A very good thing given SWMBO's severe patience deficiency.

At $40 - $50 it's not too much of a risk. And if I can come up with enough bottles that I don't need to buy any, the only other investment (at least for the first batch) would be corks and a corker.

If things work out fairly well, I'll probably move up to a higher quality kit for the next round and let it age a bit more.

 

[emmab1896]

I found a book in my local library that helped me lots, told me everything that i needed to know. its called 'first steps in wine making' by C.J.J. Berry.

heres a link for it on amazon.

( http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1854861395/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 )

 

[T-rags]

I just read 11 pages of this old thread and I just presumed that Walker or Lounge Lizard might have told us how their wine finally came out. Guys??

 

[ArcaneXor]

I just read 11 pages of this old thread and I just presumed that Walker or Lounge Lizard might have told us how their wine finally came out. Guys??

LOL, I did the same thing. Updates, please!

 

[Glibbidy]

This is a great thread for a beginner. It's rather thorough. I book marked it ages ago for whenever I get around to making wine.

 

[T-rags]

Yup, all it needs now is THE HAPPY ENDING. So guys, how did your wine come out????

 

[Walker]

looking through some of my old threads (trying to recover recipes that I lost due to a recent harddrive death)...

The Merlot I made that started this thread is excellent. SWMBO and I had the cheesey romantic idea that we would keep all of the bottles, opening one one every year on our anniversary.

We opened a few along the way so far to monitor how it was progressing, and we decided that, though it was good, it was not going to be something that became magnicifent over time, so we started going through it faster (opening one here and there, giving some to friends, etc).

We opened one for our anniversary in September (after not opening any for 6 or 7 months) and found that it had changed a lot. It was really REALLY good.

Now we're wishing we hadn't given so much away.