Question:
I make my wine from grapes at the end of september and i’m only bottle it in may.I dont add any chemicals in it. I use to clarify it white of eggs.But some of my bottles have a tiny amount of co2.I dont put campden cause i heard that is sulfite and my wife is allergic to it. My question is:IS there someting like campden that does the job and that is natural? thanks Francois
Read about ascorbic acid, it is supposed to be an antioxidant, one of the jobs of camden. I dont know though, if it would do anything for your bubbles. Jack
Response:
=
<snip My question is:IS there someting like campden that does the job and tha= t is natural?
Unfortunately, no. I also try to avoid the use of sulfites since some people are allergic to them and I don’t want to limit who can drink my wines. If you are only getting a _small_ amount of CO2 (crackling wine, not fully carbonated like champagne) and that does not bother you or your drinking buddies then don’t worry about it. The only way other than sulfites and sorbate to prevent refermentation in the bottle (that I know of) are: 1) Ferment to _total_ dryness so that there is nothing left to referment. Obviously, if you like sweeter wines then this is not a vaible option. 2) Fine and rack until clear and then filter to _at least_ 1 micron absolute (0.45 micron nominal). 3) Fine and rack until clear, then bottle and pasturize. Three minutes at 150F and up to twenty-two minutes ate 140F should be sufficient according to my sources. NOTE: In addition to preventing refermentation, sulfites also are used to prevent oxidation. None of the above techniques will help with oxidation, although small amounts of citric acid (and also ascobic acid – vitamin C) will. HTH Wassail! — = Visit ‘The Meadery’ at: http://www.mindspring.com/~mn.shapiro1/index.html = http://www.geocities.com/Paris/1265/index.html "If you drink melomel every day, you will live to be 150 years old, unless your wife shoots you." –Dr. Ferenc Androczi, Winemaker of the Little Hungary Winery
Response:
I make my wine from grapes at the end of september and i’m only bottle it in may.I dont add any chemicals in it. I use to clarify it white of eggs.But some of my bottles have a tiny amount of co2.I dont put campden cause i heard that is sulfite and my wife is allergic to it. My question is:IS there someting like campden that does the job and that is natural? thanks Francois
Response:
If there is no need to remove the CO2 from the wine, why do all wine kit company say to remove it?
I think I will put in on the other side of this topic, just to keep it interesting. I personally do not feel the need to remove all CO2 from the wine. CO2 will help protect wine from oxidation which is known to harm wine. CO2 is not harmful to the wine. Why take out what doesn’t hurt and possibly introduce something that may? A) Safety. If you have a LOT of cabonation, corks will pop or bottles will explode.
The only way this will be a problem is if the wine is producing carbon dioxide after corking. If you are bottling wine while it is still fermenting then you are going to have a problem. If the wine is finished fermenting, you should not have this problem. B) Protection of the product once in the bottle. This may happen weeks before you realize it if you aren’t paying attention and end up with spoiled wine. Keeps the companies free of "you didn’t tell us" complaints.
I got totally lost on this one. What do you mean protection of the product in the bottle? Protection of the wine is better with CO2. Again, less chance of oxidation, and a better tasting wine. C) Many people expect a still wine.
Still wine is still possible in a wine that hasn’t had CO2 forcibly removed. I have never removed CO2 from my wine. I have made very good wines. Only one was a kit wine, the others have been fruit or grape wine. I did not remove CO2 from any of them. Let your wine clear, sweeten and stablize if you choose, bottle it and enjoy. Don’t worry about driving out the CO2. Don Winemaker, Landlord, Adventurer
Response:
I personally do not feel the need to remove all CO2 from the wine. CO2 will help protect wine from oxidation which is known to harm wine. CO2 is not harmful to the wine. Why take out what doesn’t hurt and possibly introduce something that may?
Well. You and I sit on the same side of the fence on this one. I prefer slightly carbonated wines, something I haven’t made since a little after I started when I started filtering too, using a vacuum. A) Safety. If you have a LOT of cabonation, corks will pop or bottles will explode. The only way this will be a problem is if the wine is producing carbon dioxide after corking. If you are bottling wine while it is still fermenting then you are going to have a problem. If the wine is finished fermenting, you should not have this problem.
My experience too … but, YMMV. I have no doubt that someone can have the problem. Further, what if someone bottles a carbonated and still fermenting wine? B) Protection of the product once in the bottle. This may happen weeks before you realize it if you aren’t paying attention and end up with spoiled wine. Keeps the companies free of "you didn’t tell us" complaints. I got totally lost on this one. What do you mean protection of the product in the bottle? Protection of the wine is better with CO2. Again, less chance of oxidation, and a better tasting wine.
That’s kind of a reference to exploding cork problems. If the corks explode and you only discover it weeks later, you may end up with a spoiled wine. I put it in mainly as a hypothesis as to why companies may state it so that irate customers don’t come back saying "But you didn’t tell us…" C) Many people expect a still wine. Still wine is still possible in a wine that hasn’t had CO2 forcibly removed. I have never removed CO2 from my wine. I have made very good wines. Only one was a kit wine, the others have been fruit or grape wine. I did not remove CO2 from any of them. Let your wine clear, sweeten and stablize if you choose, bottle it and enjoy. Don’t worry about driving out the CO2.
Yep … but how does the company keep its promise of "28 day wine kit" — that is still — without making the suggestion? (Ok … there’s theory #2.) Again, you and I sit on the same side of the fence. If you prefer, I hereby announce that I was allowing myself to theorize out loud on possible reasons why they say that. BTW, Don, how’s the shop going? Winemaking linx & FTP, rec.crafts.winemaking FAQ, Missing Link Rovers (Mtl Que Can), firstarter FAQ, Scouting FTP & Super Scout(er), Star Trek linx & FTP, Help Stop Spam, Zee Svedish Cheff, Summer Camp selection
Response:
Finally, some sensibility !!! CO2 is good stuff. Preserves wine. The 28 day wonders hate it though. It may slow up the clarification of wines. Wine may not be ready until 30, 35 days… horrors… Live with it, like it , it will help you in the long run
Response:
I agree totally, I see the bubbles fly to the top. If I am not careful the wine actually wants to get into the valve. Great advice. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My technique is as follows: after bottling but before corking, I use a "Vac-u-Vin" winekeeping device (a rubber stopper through which you can pull a vacuum) and totally degas my wine. Then I cork the wine. Works wonders!
Response:
I have bubles in my win?
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have bubles in my win? Et alors …? Comme tel vous avez du mousseux de petit prix. Degustez et amusez vous! Don Winemaking linx & FTP, rec.crafts.winemaking FAQ, Missing Link Rovers (Mtl Que Can), firstarter FAQ, Scouting FTP & Super Scout(er), Star Trek linx & FTP, Help Stop Spam, Zee Svedish Cheff, Summer Camp selection
Your wine has an excess of Co2 in it. Should have stiired it over a longer period of time. If you have bottled it already you can let it breath for about one half hour prior to serving. This will allow the Co2 to escape and your wine will not taste as sharp and the bubbles will be gone.
Response:
I have bubles in my win?
Et alors …? Comme tel vous avez du mousseux de petit prix. Degustez et amusez vous! Don Winemaking linx & FTP, rec.crafts.winemaking FAQ, Missing Link Rovers (Mtl Que Can), firstarter FAQ, Scouting FTP & Super Scout(er), Star Trek linx & FTP, Help Stop Spam, Zee Svedish Cheff, Summer Camp selection
Response:
My technique is as follows: after bottling but before corking, I use a "Vac-u-Vin" winekeeping device (a rubber stopper through which you can pull a vacuum) and totally degas my wine. Then I cork the wine. Works wonders!
Response:
My technique is as follows: after bottling but before corking, I use a "Vac-u-Vin" winekeeping device (a rubber stopper through which you can pull a vacuum) and totally degas my wine. Then I cork the wine. Works wonders!
I don’t understand why people want to pull the CO2 from the wine. It does not harm the wine, in fact it will protect it from O2. Unless it is bubbling out of the wine, there is no need to remove it. Don Winemaker, Landlord, Adventurer Flower shop owner
Response:
If there is no need to remove the CO2 from the wine, why do all wine kit company say to remove it? TIA Eric
Response:
If there is no need to remove the CO2 from the wine, why do all wine kit company say to remove it? TIA Eric
If you remove most of the co2 from the wine, you’ll find it clears much quicker, and most wine kits are sold on the *make today, drink tomorrow* premise. — dream about me baby!…wino luvs ya!
Response:
If there is no need to remove the CO2 from the wine, why do all wine kit company say to remove it?
A) Safety. If you have a LOT of cabonation, corks will pop or bottles will explode. B) Protection of the product once in the bottle. This may happen weeks before you realize it if you aren’t paying attention and end up with spoiled wine. Keeps the companies free of "you didn’t tell us" complaints. C) Many people expect a still wine. Winemaking linx & FTP, rec.crafts.winemaking FAQ, Missing Link Rovers (Mtl Que Can), firstarter FAQ, Scouting FTP & Super Scout(er), Star Trek linx & FTP, Help Stop Spam, Zee Svedish Cheff, Summer Camp selection
If you like this post and would like to receive updates from this blog, please subscribe our feed.