Cold stabilization of white wines is the process of eliminating as much as possible, the formation of "wine diamonds". With the appearance much like granulated sugar, the crystals are actually bitartrates of potassium or calcium which are formed when parts of tartaric acid bind with potassium or calcium in the wine and then crystalize. These elements are essential in wine and will occur in varying quantities according to the climate and growing conditions.
Wine diamonds occur when white wine is chilled, and although they have no effect on the taste or quality of the wine, they are not attractive in otherwise crystal clear wine. Cold stabilization is nothing more than causing the diamonds to form in bulk, and then racking the wine to leave the diamonds behind. It can be done anytime after fermentation is complete and is accomplished by placing the carboy in a very cold temperature for at least three weeks. In the north, we make our wine in the fall and place the carboy outside where temperatures reach just a little above or below freezing. A refrigerator that can hold the 5 gallon carboy can also be used effectivly. Although it is common practice, wine should not be stored in too cool an area, or in the refrigerator. Actually anything over 4 hours in a refrigerator is too long. If in an area below freezing, the only problem that you may have is the freezing of the airlock. This can be solved by using vodka instead of water in the airlock.
When you use wine kits to which you add water...your wine can't be better than the water you use. When you concider the cost of your equipment, bottles, corks, labels, time and effort, and the small cost per bottle of your homemade wine, an extra few dollars per batch has got to be a great investment in the end result ! Starting with purified water does make a huge difference. If you don't have a GOOD water purifier at home, you can purchase a five gallon jug of reverse osmosis purified water for $5 to $10. A small price to pay for better results.
Each time the wine is racked (syphoned off the sludge) it is quite normal to lose up to a half litre of wine. I used to "top up" with water, but over a half dozen rackings the flavour and alcohol content are diluted by about 10%. Then I went to topping up with another bottle of wine, but didn't always have a similar wine on hand. To solve my dilema, I invested in about three litres of glass marbles . I got the flattened kind that are used in aquariums from a pet store. After rinsing with sodium metabisulphide and a cold water rinse, I now add them to the carboy to top up the wine. No more dilution and easier racking the next time because a lot of the sludge stays down in the marbles !
Do not store any wine in a refrigerator for any length of time. A few hours before serving is great. Make sure your bottles are as clean as possible so that the crystals do not have anything on which to attach themselves. If you encounter crystals in the wine prior to serving - pour the wine into a decanter leaving the crystals behind. (using a coffee filter works great)"
Whatever type of wine you make at home, be it from grapes, grape juice, or a 28 or 60 day kit, proper aging can make the difference between fair and great wine ! The wine starts it's fermenting in the primary fermenter for 4 to 6 days, and is then placed into a secondary fermenter called a carboy. The carboy is a large, small necked bottle fitted with a one way air lock allowing gases to escape, but preventing air from entering the bottle. A 28 day wine suggests that the wine be bottled on the 28th day, a 60 day wine on the 60th day. I have found that "racking" on that day and placing it back into the secondary fermenter for at least another 30 to 60 days improves the wine incredibly ! Racking every two weeks during this aging time also improves the final quality of the wine.
Red wines contain varying amounts of "tannin". Tannin has a peculiar property causing it to bind to a number of things including the taste buds on your tongue. This can result in a sharp or bitter after taste which is generally not desirable. By vigorously pouring the wine into a pitcher or carafe, oxygen is injected into the wine and the tannin binds itself to the oxygen, and will no longer bind to your taste buds. It is said that by decanting, a poor wine becomes tolerable, a fair wine good, a good wine much better, and a great wine....incredible !
