Thanks for the input Mark . Im going to take your advice and start the
mlf .Its hard to find out here on Long Island (correction:
impossible)so i had to send away for it. My opinion is that a few more
days shouldnt matter since the numbers i have at the 1st racking(from
primary into carboy) are as follows:
PA 3%
SG 1.021
brix 7
...according to my reading (and confusion) I should have a few
days of play till i get a steady SG reading of .995. This is when I've
read ML bacteria should be started. Care to add anything? Is there
still a good chance that there'll be wine for Easter??

This 2nd question is a little harder to explain. I opened up a
Merlot that was started in March of this year. It was a kit wine from
Brew King and all instructions were followed to the letter. Its been
sitting in a carboy , sealed up since April. It was opened today for
the first time.It tastes very good except for a slight aroma that I
cant seem to place. I have a feeling that it should be sealed up again
and forgotten about till xmas 2004. Would that be too long for a kit
wine? It should be also duly noted that this wine has also discovered
a new shade of blue. While rinsing out the siphons and wine thiefs
theres a reaction with the sanitizer and wine that turns
everything a shade of navy blue that looks like it'd would be great
for tatooing. Any idea what this is a sign
of?????...................jb

(ineedabiggaboat) wrote in message . com>...
>>
> It should be also duly noted that this wine has also discovered
> a new shade of blue. While rinsing out the siphons and wine thiefs
> theres a reaction with the sanitizer and wine that turns
> everything a shade of navy blue that looks like it'd would be great
> for tatooing. Any idea what this is a sign
> of?????...................jb

Any chance you're using Iodophor as your sanitizer ?


Andy

(JEP) wrote in message . com>...
> (ineedabiggaboat) wrote in message . com>...
> >>
> > It should be also duly noted that this wine has also discovered
> > a new shade of blue. While rinsing out the siphons and wine thiefs
> > theres a reaction with the sanitizer and wine that turns
> > everything a shade of navy blue that looks like it'd would be great
> > for tatooing. Any idea what this is a sign
> > of?????...................jb
>
> Any chance you're using Iodophor as your sanitizer ?
>
>
> Andy

Iodophor?? Name brand ? Actually Im using Logic One Step that
cleans ans sanitizes with oxygen. It does contain percarbonates tho'.

(ineedabiggaboat) wrote in message . com>...
> Thanks for the input Mark . Im going to take your advice and start the
> mlf .Its hard to find out here on Long Island (correction:
> impossible)so i had to send away for it. My opinion is that a few more
> days shouldnt matter since the numbers i have at the 1st racking(from
> primary into carboy) are as follows:
> PA 3%
> SG 1.021
> brix 7
> ...according to my reading (and confusion) I should have a few
> days of play till i get a steady SG reading of .995. This is when I've
> read ML bacteria should be started. Care to add anything? Is there
> still a good chance that there'll be wine for Easter??

JB....

I think you'll be OK on the malo-lactic. Most of what I've heard is
that the higher alcohol at the end of fermentation is a shock to the
ML and that adding it earlier makes it easier to get it started. That
was the advice given to me...but I've read that it's still ok to add
at the end. The one thing you want to make sure of is keeping the
sulfite levels low, and the temp. in the mid 60's. So don't cold
stablize while you're trying to achieve malo-lactic.

Wine for Easter? Definitely possible. You'll have to cold stabilize,
and fine as soon as MLF is complete. The biggest problem I have
experienced when wanting to bottle sooner vs. later is getting all the
bubbles out, but it CAN be done. If I may suggest, I keep a variety
of 1, 2, 3, and 5 gal. carboys around. I would bottle what you need,
then rack the remainder into the smaller carboys and continue to bulk
age.



>
> This 2nd question is a little harder to explain. I opened up a
> Merlot that was started in March of this year. It was a kit wine from
> Brew King and all instructions were followed to the letter. Its been
> sitting in a carboy , sealed up since April. It was opened today for
> the first time.It tastes very good except for a slight aroma that I
> cant seem to place. I have a feeling that it should be sealed up again
> and forgotten about till xmas 2004. Would that be too long for a kit
> wine? It should be also duly noted that this wine has also discovered
> a new shade of blue. While rinsing out the siphons and wine thiefs
> theres a reaction with the sanitizer and wine that turns
> everything a shade of navy blue that looks like it'd would be great
> for tatooing. Any idea what this is a sign
> of?????...................jb

I read a posting once on this, and the responder explained that the
change in color is due to the change in the ph when the wine is mixed
with water, or sanitizing solution etc. Analagous to how colors will
change on a ph strip. This is not the best explanation, but it's the
"jist" of what I remember from that distant posting. My reds always
turn blue when they hot the water.

Mark L.