Demijohn not full - bulk storage question.

[omdaddi]

I am very new to this.

Here's my rather green looking wine after carefully following instructions from my local brew shop. These included potassium sorbate and I degassed pretty carefully so I am optimistic that the air gap is a carbon dioxide gap. I put the bung in after putting in finings and the bung has not popped off yet. I worked out the alcohol as 11% after fermentation (1080>>>995). It has been in the cellar for two weeks but sat around for at least two weeks before that to make sure that it was not giving off CO2.

My question is this: if a rack off (there is a fair bit of sediment and I can't tell if it is clear or not) then the gap will be air and I will be stuffed by oxidation. What do I do?

• Just leave it for 2-3 months and then bottle?[/*:m:ghoe5ak8]
• Rack off and top up with water which will lower the alcohol content[/*:m:ghoe5ak8]
• Rack off and top up with wine (that is a whole bottle I reckon and would be disappointing to do for my first effort (it is somewhat of a challenge by a friend)[/*:m:ghoe5ak8]
• Bottle (I have read in about six places that bottling too early is a classic beginner's mistake)[/*:m:ghoe5ak8]

Thanks :)

 

[bobsbeer]

Option A. Leave it alone and let it clear. For the future I would top up again with white grape juice after you rack into secondary fermentation, That way you will have less loss when you stabilise later, and less of an air gap.

 

[omdaddi]

Thanks - PATIENCE is a real problem for me - not sure I am in the right game...

The wine was made with a neighbour's grapes so topping up wasn't an option, but I will know next time.

 

[Robbo]

You can top up with a sugar syrup solution to maintain a good alcohol level.

 

[omdaddi]

Forgive the dumb question, but wouldn't that need to ferment? I thought that the potassium sorbate was supposed to knock that on the head permanently?

 

[Robbo]

Sorry for my badly worded post, Yes you are correct about fermentation and sorbate, i was referring to further brews as it is important to reduce the head space in a DJ. Usually after a couple of days of vigorous fermenting you should top up to around 1 inch from the top of your Demi.

 

[omdaddi]

I wonder if you mean that I should have done that earlier, before the potassium sorbate...

Sorry, we cross posted. Looks like I got it right though. Maybe I'm learning! I'll definitely remember that for next time. I guess you stick it in at the same OG as the juice was first time around? I'll work that out when the time comes.

 

[omdaddi]

I thought of another option. I have a half demi-john with some Christmas Ale (kit) clarifying at the moment. Maybe rack off in to that and then there would be about 1/4 left (about 1 litre) which I could put in one bottle and drink the rest - I've got to drink something some time, this is killing me!

Patience you see. Major issue.

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

Just bear in mind when you drink what's left over that it's very young, so will probably be quite rough. This varies from wine to wine, of course - anyone foolish enough to drink a month old sloe, elderberry or rosehip deserves the pain IMO - but even a quick-maturing wine like a WOW or a kit will be harsh at first.

 

[omdaddi]

Another option... Store in a 3l PET coke bottle?

http://www.habitat21.co.uk/plastics-3.html

 

[omdaddi]

Just to tidy this up, I racked it off in to a 1/2 demijohn and screw lid bottle today. It looks very clear. Quite happy with the taste for a random first go too. :

http://thomas.w-p.me.uk/blog/2013/11/racking-off-millers-gate-elderberry/

 

[tonyhibbett]

I too have a neighbour with white grape variety. In 2011 there was a huge crop, so I still have some bottles in the shed. The wine has definitely improved considerably. So I opened the last bottle of the 2010 vintage to find that it is somewhat over the hill. I pretty sure the vine is chardonnay.