18 February 2008
[Epi 20] TintoTV - making malbec continued...
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We’re back and the Winexpert Selection International Argentine Malbec is tasting GOOD!!! In the episode above, we go through step 3 of the Winexpert instructions for our 6-gallon wine kit. These are the main steps:
- Add metabisulphite and sorbate
- Stir like crazy
- Add chitosan (clarifier)
- Stir like crazy
- Top up
The nice convenience of these wine kits is that a lot of these additions are pre-measured and leave small room for error. The potassium metabisulphite and the potassium sorbate are meant to stabilize and protect the wine for the long-run, and we did this with our fruit wine batches as well. Then the chitosan is added to bind to the remaining lees, dead yeast and other loose particles, add to their mass, and weigh them down. Over the next few days we should expect to see the wine clear.
With all the additions we had to take some of the wine out. With some of it, we took another specific gravity reading, it read at about 0.991. This leaves our alcohol by volume to be somewhere between 12.5 and 13%, a perfect and balanced amount for this wine!
With the rest of the wine, as is the winemaker’s privilege, we took a nice taste! While the wine is certainly still evolving (and has a long way to go), it was a GREAT glass of wine. What I think overwhelmed me the most was how wonderfully full-bodied the wine was, a lot of layers of flavor, nice strong alcohol structure, and good acidity. The wine still has some of the carbon dioxide “flavor” that should dissipate with time, though all the stirring should help with the degassing of the wine. Share any degassing tips you might have for your batches!
Thanks for visiting!
Nice vid guys. As far a degassing goes, you’re doing fine…the biggest thing you want to achieve at this point was getting all those additives mixed in really well which it looks like you did. We don’t use the drill and utilize the paddle handle technique for stirring….we get a good whirlpool going and then reverse direction. You’ll soon see the lees dropping.
The real degassing comes later before you bottle.
Would love to see another short segment soon when you start seeing good clearing.
Keep up the good work.
— Darren and Laura Feb 19 #
Good video. Thanks. In my little 1 gallon winemaking, I just pour out a quart and add the Potassium Sorbate and Camden tablet to it. Then I stir both it and the remainder in the jug like Darren and Laura do, and afterwards pour the quart back in while the jug still has stirred up wine. This way, if there is a volcano of foam, there is plenty of room for it. I always look forward to your videos. Thanks.
— Harry Hebert Feb 19 #
Love Steph’s laugh … First show with the new haircut, nice!
— Juan Carlos Apr 20 #