Sauvignon Blanc back sweetening

[AcmeRidgeRose_Nate]

I have made 6 gallons of sauvignon blanc white wine for the first time ever. I made it from a juice I had shipped in from Cali. I dont drink white wine...my sister-in-law likes sauvignon blanc thats why I made it for her. She tried it this wkend and said its pretty good...its a little sour...could be just a hint more of sweetening. I have never had to do that...I am guessing that is what they call back sweeting...does anyone have any suggestions on what to do..how to do this??? How long it takes???? How long it must sit then before I can bottle it??? Please any info would be great.

Thanks.

 

[cilestiok]

Did you degas the wine? The co2 in solution sometimes has a bitey sour taste. Once you remove it the wine should lose that harsh flavor.


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[AcmeRidgeRose_Nate]

Did you degas the wine? The co2 in solution sometimes has a bitey sour taste. Once you remove it the wine should lose that harsh flavor.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

What do you mean degas??? I never heard of that??? Its been in a air tight carboy for 5 months now...its color and clarity are good. The taste is not bad either...just a little sourish dry taste. The merlot I did turned out great. This is my first white wine I have done. Please explain your DEGAS process you refer to.

On a side note..I have been researching on here about the back sweetening...I see the use of fruit juices used...then killing off any yeast before bottling. I was thinking about trying either white grape juice or a pineapple juice for a bit of sweetening.....thoughts???

 

[stpug]

No wine expert by any stretch of the imagination here, but here are some thoughts:

-Depending on the pH of the wine, you may simply need to cold stratify the wine to help precipitate some tartaric acid (i.e. cream of tartar, wine crystals, etc). You pH needs to be in a favorable range before deciding on this route, but if it is then it's as simple as "cold crashing" you wine for a period of time to precipitate those acid compounds. This will bring down the overall acidity level of the wine, as well as the pH. You can use some additive (calcium something or other; evades my mind at the moment) as a catalyst to this process. Simply mix a predetermined amount of the additive into the wine and then cold stratify for a specific period of time.

-Malolactic fermentation can help convert the malic acid (sharp acidity) to co2 + lactic acid (smoother acidity), of which the co2 is removed prior to bottling. While not overly common with sauv blancs, it is practiced in some places and can help bring down the acidity level in the finished wine as well as to help stabilize the wine from future spontaneous malolactic fermentations. The character of the wine will change which may be good or bad, depending on many variables. One caveat is that unless you've kept the sulfiting to levels below 50ppm the whole time then you may have ruined this option since sulfite levels greater than ~50ppm hamper malolactic fermentation. pH and alcohol are other factors to consider if you think this is a route you want to try.

-And then there are even more ways to reduce acidity in wine post fermentation. Keep in mind that young wine will change a fair amount before you get to drinking it and, as already mentioned, co2 can skew the flavor of the wine.

 

[AcmeRidgeRose_Nate]

OK so I checked into DeGassing...and its just what I thought it was...stirring the wine to get all the gasses out. I have never done this...this is new to me. I am going to get a wine whip and try this...that seems like a logical step I have never done. Thanks for the hint. I will do this and go from there. THank you again.

 

[kh54s10]

Are you brewing from kits?? The instructions with all the kits I have done so far stress in the instructions about degassing.

I wouldn't think you should need to sweeten very much, if at all. I have one now and it is a bit on the sweet side.

 

[Yooper]

OK so I checked into DeGassing...and its just what I thought it was...stirring the wine to get all the gasses out. I have never done this...this is new to me. I am going to get a wine whip and try this...that seems like a logical step I have never done. Thanks for the hint. I will do this and go from there. THank you again.

That only helps if the wine is gassy- if the wine isn't full of carbonation, you may ruin the wine by putting air into it. The way to check is to take a small sample of wine and then put your hand over the top of the glass and shake. If you see foaming or bubbles, or hear a "poof" when removing your hand, it's gassy. If not, don't degas! It shouldn't be gassy after 5 months, but if the carboy is sealed (no airlock), it's possible.

It does sound more like it needs cold stabilization- put it in a cold place for a month, and then rack off of the precipitate. That should fix it.

 

[AcmeRidgeRose_Nate]

Are you brewing from kits?? The instructions with all the kits I have done so far stress in the instructions about degassing.

I wouldn't think you should need to sweeten very much, if at all. I have one now and it is a bit on the sweet side.

No kits here....I have done wine for 6 yrs the old fashion way my grandparents did it. Now I am trying new juices and its getting more technical for me. Thanks for the help.

 

[AcmeRidgeRose_Nate]

That only helps if the wine is gassy- if the wine isn't full of carbonation, you may ruin the wine by putting air into it. The way to check is to take a small sample of wine and then put your hand over the top of the glass and shake. If you see foaming or bubbles, or hear a "poof" when removing your hand, it's gassy. If not, don't degas! It shouldn't be gassy after 5 months, but if the carboy is sealed (no airlock), it's possible.

It does sound more like it needs cold stabilization- put it in a cold place for a month, and then rack off of the precipitate. That should fix it.

IT does have some carbs still in it. I noticed it this wkend when we sampled it. Not alot...but some. I will test it tonight...and then proceed from there. It has been in a carboy with an airlock on it since it come out of prime with 2 rackings in the 5 months. Winter is here and its cooling off quite a bit now. If I put it in my shed for a month think that will work??? I getting down in the low 30's at night..and highs of maybe 50 at daytime. All my wine is done in my garage where its not to warm or too cold...ambiant outside temps usually. Thanks again for the tips.

 

[Yooper]

IT does have some carbs still in it. I noticed it this wkend when we sampled it. Not alot...but some. I will test it tonight...and then proceed from there. It has been in a carboy with an airlock on it since it come out of prime with 2 rackings in the 5 months. Winter is here and its cooling off quite a bit now. If I put it in my shed for a month think that will work??? I getting down in the low 30's at night..and highs of maybe 50 at daytime. All my wine is done in my garage where its not to warm or too cold...ambiant outside temps usually. Thanks again for the tips.

If it's from juice, and not a kit, indeed cold stabilization will help fix it.

As long as it doesn't freeze, it should be ok in your shed. Insulate it with blankets to keep temperature swings to a minimum. Excess acid will precipitate out, even in a wine that is clear. The bottom will have this crystal-y crusty debris in it, called "wine diamonds", and that should make the wine far less tart and more drinkable, especially if you didn't do many acid adjustments before hand.

If that still doesn't fix it, there are things like calcium carbonate to use to adjust acid levels but I've never done that post- fermentation.