On Feb 10, 12:05*pm, "Paul E. Lehmann" >
wrote:
> jim c wrote:
> > On Feb 10, 4:11*am, Steve > wrote:
> >> Jim:
>
> >> I'm a kit kind of guy, and I tend to use the additives included in the
> >> kits, and that includes clearing agents. *The popular one in Canada is
> >> Kieselsol-Chitosan. *Good grades of gelatin were apparently difficult
> >> to source during the Mad Cow thing. *Don't know about now. *Don't know
> >> if K-C or K-G is better or if it depends on the circumstances.
>
> >> I tend to use a combination of gravity and clearing agents. *I bottled
> >> a kit today, so have the data in front of me.
>
> >> Nov 5 - started - sg 1.084
> >> Nov 16 - to carboy - sg .990 (ferment complete)
> >> Dec 13 - stabilizers and clearing (isinglass) added - .988
> >> Jan 24 - racked off sediment
> >> Feb 9 - filtered and bottled
>
> >> That was a six week kit, and it took me three months (13 *weeks or
> >> so). *That was actually quick for me, because we're low on wine.
>
> >> As you can see, I did not add the clearing agent as soon as the
> >> ferment was finished.
>
> >> Steve
>
> > I work on a 2 month
> > repeated racking schedule on average and then roughly a year in bulk
> > before bottling now. *
>
> IMHO, a 2 month repeated racking schedule is overkill in the extreme.

That's interesting, thanks for raising the point. I meant that I rack
after two months when they have finished fermenting and after two more
they have dropped a reasonable amount of sediment so I rack again.
Usually there has been no need to further rack until the point where I
consider the wine to be ready to bulk age.

Do you think I should use a longer period before first (secondary to
secondary container) rack and then before second rack or did you think
I meant I racked every two months before bottling? Sorry for the
confusion!