stabilizing my wine

[perschml]

I have 2 - 5 gallon batches to bottle soon. They have both been racked off the lees and cleared naturally. My question is what to add to it at bottling to stabilize it? I typically add campdon and potassium sorbate at bottling but is there anything else I should/need to add for stabilizing?

Thanks for the in site!!!!!

 

[Yooper]

I have 2 - 5 gallon batches to bottle soon. They have both been racked off the lees and cleared naturally. My question is what to add to it at bottling to stabilize it? I typically add campdon and potassium sorbate at bottling but is there anything else I should/need to add for stabilizing?

Thanks for the in site!!!!!

No, that's it! Keep in mind that you don't need to add sorbate if you're not sweetening the wine. I don't like the taste of sorbate so I rarely use it. I always use campden/sulfite at bottling, though!

 

[perschml]

My plan was to not sweeten any of it till I open the bottles to drink. I like it dry but the GF likes it a little sweeter....

Is there anything I can add to give it some body? One batch is black cherry grape and the other is apple/cranberry/cherry/raspberry. Sounds like tons of flavors but it really taste good!

Now I'm trying to figure out what to do for my next brew! Probably be a white for summer or fall if its ready!

Thanks for the info yoop!!

 

[Yooper]

My plan was to not sweeten any of it till I open the bottles to drink. I like it dry but the GF likes it a little sweeter....

Is there anything I can add to give it some body? One batch is black cherry grape and the other is apple/cranberry/cherry/raspberry. Sounds like tons of flavors but it really taste good!

Now I'm trying to figure out what to do for my next brew! Probably be a white for summer or fall if its ready!

Thanks for the info yoop!!

Well, if it's ready to bottle there isn't much you can do about the body now. I've read of people adding glycerin, but that doesn't sound good to me.

Next time, while you're fermenting the wine, you can add a pound of golden raisins and that will give some body. Or bananas. Believe it or not, a couple of boiled bananas added to the fermenter will give no flavor, but will give some body to the wine. I'd boil up two-three bananas (skins and all- trust me on thsi!) in about a pint of water and just cool it and dump that right in with the must. To make removal easier, you could boil them in a little mesh bag, or dump them into a sanitized mesh bag over the fermenter to make sure you get all the liquid good stuff.

 

[mstef]

What exactly does campden do - what is meant by stabilized?

 

[Mike_Fox]

I also want to ask what is meant by stabilized?
Do I have to stabilize it if it's stopped fermenting and has been racked off the lees and cleared?

 

[Heineken_Draught]

I think cold crashing will stabilize it.

 

[guscampag]

Yooper,
Can you use the raisin/banana thing with grape or grape concentrate wines also or is it just for fruit wines?
Thanks