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Paddy-O
 
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Default Weak Cab Needs A Lift


Hi Ray...

I agree... I don't like blending good wine with bad wine. It just makes
for a lot of 'tolerable' wine. My preference would be to add a little
concentrate and put it more SO2 (2-3 Campden tablets per 23L Carboy ) to
prevent further fermentation. I fully realize that regardless of how
much 'doctoring', this Cab is never going to be something I will serve
to my friends. I have 8 other carboys of very good wine (2 are
exceptional) that is bulk aging as well.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Pat (Paddy-O)


Ray wrote:
> If you add concentrate without restarting fermentation you are going to end
> up with a low alcohol sweet wine. If this is what you want, fine. If you
> try to restart fermentation you are going back to time zero as far as bulk
> aging and with low SO2 this may not be good as it will be a long time before
> it is aged again.
>
> You could make another wine and blend it but again it would be a long time
> before it is ready and if you make a good wine, it is never a good idea to
> blend a good wine with a bad. You just end up with more bad.
>
> If it is not too bad you might blend it with some fruit juice and make
> something of the fruit cooler type like the Island Mist wines. If you do
> this and bottle it you are going to have trouble with protecting against
> restarting fermentation without SO2. You could just do it at the time you
> drink it.
>
> I do not filter my wines but if you are no using SO2 you may want to get a
> good filter that will remove all the yeast and then adjust what I have said
> above accordingly.
>
> Ray
>
> "Paddy-O" > wrote in message
> news:wDXac.5871$Pk3.1360@pd7tw1no...
>
>>Hi... I just subscribed to this newsgroup today. Many posts are very
>>interesting.
>>
>>QUICK BACKGROUND
>>I have about 50 gallons of Red Cabernet wine that is bulk aging.
>>Several of the grapes that this wine was made from were not fully
>>rippened. It fact, several were downright 'green' At the time of the
>>crushing/destemming, my winegroup buddies and I were not versed in how
>>you can extract more color, tanning, et al, during primary fermentation.
>> As a result, the extraction colour was very poor. In fact, the cab
>>has the color, consistency and flavour of a very pale blush. My wife
>>makes stronger fruit juice for our kids from frozen concentrate than
>>this years batch of Cab.
>>
>>In addition to this, I tend to keep my SO2 levels, in all of my wines.
>>I do this because my wife is quite allergic to any sulfa medications.
>>Yes... I KNOW the consequences of not using sufficient Campden tablets!
>>
>>Question:
>>
>>Another winemaking buddy suggested that I purchase some grape
>>concentrate in a commercial wine kit and add it to my pathetically weak
>>Cab. In theory this sounds fine but my Cab has already been oaked for
>>several months, undergone Melolactic fermentation, finned, and cold
>>stabilized. It is now just bulk aging. By adding this new concentrate
>>into my Cab, am I not risking that fermentation will once again occur?
>>While I have not tested my SO2 levels, I know that they would be low.
>>
>>Can anyone tell me what the possible benefits as well as risks are?
>>Remember, I tend to underuse sulfite because of my wife's allergies, but
>>I am extremely conscious about equipment sterilization/contaminants.
>>
>>If I do introduce the concentrate, what would be the recommended amounts?
>>
>>All thoughts are welcome.
>>
>>Paddy-O
>>(great newsgroup!)
>>

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