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After 45 days or so at 40 degrees or less, the wine will be less acidic (dropping out 'wine diamonds') and smoother and then it will be totally clear
Hi Yooper, I was thinking about cold stabilization. Does it relate also to skin bitterness? Another question is what would be bad effect of over-aging in a cold temperature? If there is no bad effect then why not to keep it in refrigerator from the very beginning for a long time. Right now, my "wine" is standing at 75F and I will see if it will drop any sediment in a couple of months?
 
I do not understand this.
I wanted to ask-should I measure the sulfide level before adding new one. I read that concentration must be around 30-35ppm and this is ok for bacteria and anti-oxidation. I think overdose will not be ok? Isn't it?
 
Hi Yooper, I was thinking about cold stabilization. Does it relate also to skin bitterness? Another question is what would be bad effect of over-aging in a cold temperature? If there is no bad effect then why not to keep it in refrigerator from the very beginning for a long time. Right now, my "wine" is standing at 75F and I will see if it will drop any sediment in a couple of months?

Wine ages faster at warmer temperatures, that's why cellars are cool. It may or may not drop a lot of sediment at 75 degrees. Once it's done, and no longer dropping any lees at all in a new carboy after at least 60 days, it's ready to package (if not doing any bulk aging or cold stabilization) or cold stabilize. Keeping it cold long term would affect the aging and the fermentation, so you don't want to do that until it's time. Many commercial white wines are fermented in the 50s, and I've seen a few reds under 60 degrees as well. I'd say it's less likely that it's held at 75 degrees at all for any length of time, but I don't know that many commercial vintners to give a broader statement.

Cold stabilization has many benefits, especially for white wines and country wines. You'd be surprised at how much improved the wine will be.

I wanted to ask-should I measure the sulfide level before adding new one. I read that concentration must be around 30-35ppm and this is ok for bacteria and anti-oxidation. I think overdose will not be ok? Isn't it?

It's sulfites that you're discussing. I don't have an SO2 meter, so I guess at the approximation of the sulfites. It's not accurate, but it's as good as I can do. It's pH dependent and things, but a good guess is 1 campden tablet (crushed and dissolved) per gallon at every other racking and at bottling or 1/4 tsp of the k-meta powder (again, dissolve it) in a 6 gallon batch at every other racking and at bottling. It's much less than commercial winemakers use, but does inhibit oxidation and wild yeast/bacteria contamination. Overdose will leave a flavor impact possibly, although sulfites do dissipate with time.
 
Once it's done, and no longer dropping any lees at all in a new carboy after at least 60 days, it's ready to package
So now should I continue to age it at room temperature 75F for two months and see if it will "clarify" or I should lower my temperature? I assume that all fermentation is done and hydrometer shows real value 0.990.
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If you can do it in the 60s, that'd be better but it's fine where it is for now. It will drop lees for quite a while, and you can rack whenever you have lees 1/4" thick or more, or any lees at all after 60 days. Once it's not dropping any lees at all, you can cold stabilize it and it'll drop out the excess acid as crystals, as well as possible some other things that cause haze (like tannins), and it will clear up completely and be ready to bottle after that.
 
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After about 1 month my wine became very clear so I can read book through my carboy. I will wait another month but next time - can I rack my wine through the buno vino filter into anonother carboy? It should help to remove particles from wine in addition to gravity method. Isn't it?
 
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If you can do it in the 60s, that'd be better but it's fine where it is for now. It will drop lees for quite a while, and you can rack whenever you have lees 1/4" thick or more, or any lees at all after 60 days. Once it's not dropping any lees at all, you can cold stabilize it and it'll drop out the excess acid as crystals, as well as possible some other things that cause haze (like tannins), and it will clear up completely and be ready to bottle after that.
Hey Yoooper, do you know if it's a good idea to rack wine through the filter (buon vino) or this filter must be used at the very end before bottling? I'm thinking if it will filter out "good" particles too during aging or not.
 
Hey Yoooper, do you know if it's a good idea to rack wine through the filter (buon vino) or this filter must be used at the very end before bottling? I'm thinking if it will filter out "good" particles too during aging or not.

It's a very bad idea. You'll clog the pads instantly. You can only filter a clear wine, which will take it from clear to brilliant.
 
@Yooper @Blacksmith1 70+ days have passed since my secondary fermentation. My wine became very clear and tastes excellent with no sign of calcium that I added at the beginning. Anyway it is very sour (like from store) and hard to drink.
The bottom of wine is covered with lees about 1/4 inch thickness and it's not settling down anymore lees. During last month the whole surface of the bottom starts sparkling like there are a thousands of tiny diamonds over there. The temperature of my wine is about 75F. At this point I decided to add 1 oz of french oak (per my 7.5 gallons of wine). I will wait another 2 month or more to age it and see what will be. At this point I'm very happy that my wine is on the right way except high acidity.
 
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If it’s crystal clear, rack it off the lees. Put the oak back in after though
Sorry if I'm wrong but I'm trying to act in a reasonable way. This thin sheet of lees at the bottom seems so negligible that I don't want to bother myself rack it one more time because it will not heart. I will wait another couple of months for oak aging and and watching the "diamond" growth on the lees. Then I will rack it for final cold stabilization. Correct me If I'm wrong.
 
Kinda depends on the yeast your using. I let mine sit on the gross lees in the first carboy (after bucket but still part of primary) until it’s clear, then rack to another carboy to sweeten/age before bottling.
 
I did the second racking of my wine through the buon vino filter. The 1/4" lees at the bottom was mixed with a good amount of sand (tiny stones). I also put 3oz of Hungarian oak medium toast (per 7.5 gal of wine) into it and I want to age it about 6 month.
What would be the best temperature to do it?
I want also to get more wine "diamonds" together with oak aging because wine is perfect but still little bit too acidic.
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My wine is aged for 6 month now and the oak smelts like caramel. Anyway every week my wine makes a layer of "white powder" at the top of the bottle (surface of wine) and finally it settles down to the bottom after I shake it little bit. What would it be?
 
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