Is it weird to really like your raw wine?

[cottonwoodks]

I'm completely new to wine-making (and cider-making), but have I have three batches going, and the last one--pineapple/cherry (with frozen pineapple from the grocery store and some frozen cherry puree from my own pie cherry tree from last year), and when I poured it out of the primary into a gallon jug for secondary, I had about a 16 oz bottle left over, and I've been really enjoying drinking it. I don't think I'm supposed to, but it's super-dry, and tasty.....

 

[RolandD]

New to it as well, but I think that's one of the perks. I always drink, at least, my test sample. I keep some simple syrup on hand to back-sweeten it.

 

[Miraculix]

If it tastes good to you, enjoy it!

 

[madscientist451]

The wine snobs will say yes, you're weird.
Since you poured it from primary to secondary, you have a greater chance of the wine oxidizing, so perhaps it would be better to drink the whole batch before that happens.
An auto siphon costs about $10.

 

[bernardsmith]

The wine snobs will say yes, you're weird.
Since you poured it from primary to secondary, you have a greater chance of the wine oxidizing, so perhaps it would be better to drink the whole batch before that happens.
An auto siphon costs about $10.

This fear of oxidation fascinates me. If you, as a home wine maker make a red wine from fresh grapes after active fermentation has ended (or has just about ended) you press the grapes and so you are pouring a significant amount of the wine through the press and it flows from the press into your secondary and THEN you press and collect that "second run" either to blend with the first running or to keep as a separate, perhaps less quality wine (more tannins from the crushed pits). BUT there is no anxiety about oxidation. Is the home wine maker's anxiety acquired from cousin brewers rather than from the experience of fellow wine-makers? Is our anxiety and concern about oxidation caused by pouring based on objective reality when we may be pouring a gallon or three of wine (and that takes - what less than 60 seconds?- whereas the wine maker with a press may find it takes hours to collect all the wine ) as opposed to pouring 5000 gallons?
Apologies if cottonwoodks thinks that I have hijacked his post. Not my intention.

 

[cottonwoodks]

This fear of oxidation fascinates me....

I certainly don't mind at all. I really appreciate the perspective, and was wondering about this.

 

[madscientist451]

Is the home wine maker's anxiety acquired from cousin brewers rather than from the experience of fellow wine-makers? Is our anxiety and concern about oxidation caused by pouring based on objective reality when we may be pouring a gallon or three of wine (and that takes - what less than 60 seconds?- whereas the wine maker with a press may find it takes hours to collect all the wine ) as opposed to pouring 5000 gallons?

The OP's fruit wine, red grape wines and white grape wines all have different reactions to exposure to oxygen. If you go by the book, red wines should be pressed before fermentation is complete, and the the fermentation is then completed in a relatively oxygen free environment.
But the OP was transferring from a primary vessel to a secondary vessel, which is usually done after fermentation is complete and the wine has settled somewhat. At that point unnecessary exposure to oxygen could cause some oxidation issues if the wine is held for aging, that's why I recommended consumption now if the wine tastes OK.
My personal concerns about oxidized wine comes from the fact that over the years I've accidentally oxidized many gallons of wine and although I ended up drinking it all, the wine could have been better if I'd been more careful.
Here's a more scientific and thorough explanation of the oxidation issues winemakers face:

Oxidation in wine

 

[cottonwoodks]

Honestly, I don't see how I could do anything BUT pour the wine out of the bucket it was fermenting in. It hadn't completely stopped, but it had slowed down, and there were all kinds of chunks of fruit that I wanted to squeeze the juice out of. I just funneled it into the gallon jug, and, as bernardsmith said, it took less than 60 seconds, and as soon as I put an airlock in, it was bubbling faster than once a second. So yes, still actively fermenting. No oxygen now.....

 

[bernardsmith]

Right, but cottonwoodks, the standard practice is to siphon the wine from the primary to the secondary. Presumably, one can do that an press the fruit to extract the wine trapped in the fruit but as you suggest, many people rack from the primary while there is still sugar left for the yeast and the yeast continue to ferment in the secondary. I disagree with madscientist451 that most people wait until fermentation has ceased before the rack. I know I don't. I rack with perhaps 5 or 10 points of sugar above 1.000 to ensure that the wine is still blanketed with CO2 after it enters the secondary.
The article cited and linked by madscientisr does suggest that red grape wines might be treated differently because they benefit from oxygen but does that apply only to red grapes? It's true that white grape wines are treated differently... I will need to think about this and do some more research.

 

[cottonwoodks]

Right, but cottonwoodks, the standard practice is to siphon the wine from the primary to the secondary. Presumably, one can do that an press the fruit to extract the wine trapped in the fruit but as you suggest, many people rack from the primary while there is still sugar left for the yeast and the yeast continue to ferment in the secondary. I disagree with madscientist451 that most people wait until fermentation has ceased before the rack. I know I don't. I rack with perhaps 5 or 10 points of sugar above 1.000 to ensure that the wine is still blanketed with CO2 after it enters the secondary.
The article cited and linked by madscientisr does suggest that red grape wines might be treated differently because they benefit from oxygen but does that apply only to red grapes? It's true that white grape wines are treated differently... I will need to think about this and do some more research.

I really don't know anything about any of this. This fall is my first foray into winemaking.....

 

[madscientist451]

Honestly, I don't see how I could do anything BUT pour the wine out of the bucket it was fermenting in. It hadn't completely stopped, but it had slowed down, and there were all kinds of chunks of fruit that I wanted to squeeze the juice out of.

A good practice with fruit wines is to use a mesh bag for your fruit, you can then pull the bag and place it in a colander to drain. If your wine wasn't done fermenting, as bernardsmith indicated, pouring your wine to the next vessel won't cause any problems.