How long can wine be left?

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mouseninja

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Hi,

I started a load of DJ's going, with various different types of wine in...

I've not had time to rack them all since they started, I've had a lot on, so I wondered if they would still be ok! Or does it depend on the recipe and ingredients?

They've been in there about a month or so, and many have about a cm or so of sediment in the bottom.. We have a very warm room with fairly stable temperatures so they'll have fermented out fairly quickly!
 
They're okay as long as you don't keep them in there for an extended amount of time. Between you and me, I usually leave my cider on the sediment until it goes in the bottles, and that's 2-3 months. but i'm lazy.

don't panic. :)
 
Unless there's something nasty in that sediment that'll give the wine a bad flavour, it's not a problem.
What /might/ be trouble is autolysis - if there's live yeast that can't find any sugar to eat, it may start eating the dead yeast, and that can give off-flavours.
So if it's fermented right out, rack it ASAP. If it's still doing occasional bubbles, no real worries.
 
bobsbeer said:
Juice type wines can be left for months.
Click to expand...
On dead yeast and spent pulp (if you're using any 'thick' juices)? I would still say they should be racked within 4-6 weeks.
 
Good question, I made 3 gallons of elderberry wine in April 2012, I used frozen berries I picked last August 2011. 3 weeks after putting it all into 3 demijohns I had to go overseas, won't be back till December, didn't think to rack it off before I left, and its still in my airing cupboard.

I'm hoping its going to be OK, not so sure now.
 
Moley said:
bobsbeer said:
Juice type wines can be left for months.
Click to expand...
On dead yeast and spent pulp (if you're using any 'thick' juices)? I would still say they should be racked within 4-6 weeks.
Click to expand...

I agree but would class thick or pulp juice as fruit. Wines made with the likes of grape and apple ie clear juice would be fine if left, but I have never done so for more than 8 weeks and my routine would be to rack after about 3-4 weeks or about a week or two after fermentation has stopped.
 
Just got back to Blighty, I had left 3 gallons of Elderberry wine in my airing cupboard, in three demijohns, had not even had chance to rack it once, straight from fermenting in a bin, and into the demijohns, then I had to leave, that was back in May.
I was expecting it to be ruined when I got back, there was no water in the airlocks, but surprisingly the wine was OK, tasted OK and smelt OK, racked it straight away, it bubbled slightly afterwards, and now it has settled down, I think its going to be fine.
 
I've left a couple of my blackberry wines on their sediment for three months and it didn't affect the wine. I think my current 'Moley's Elderberry' sat on the sediment for two months while I moved house but it doesn't appear to have any off flavours.
 
Jonny69 said:
I've left a couple of my blackberry wines on their sediment for three months and it didn't affect the wine. I think my current 'Moley's Elderberry' sat on the sediment for two months while I moved house but it doesn't appear to have any off flavours.
Click to expand...


I was a bit worried about mine, 7 months sitting on the main sediment, I thought I would be pouring it down the drain, then when I saw there was no water in the air locks, I feared the worst, but amazingly its actually quite good, must be quite a hardy brew I have here. :cheers:
 
A small amount of yeast sediment can benefit the flavour, but a centimetre is rather too much and runs the risk of conferring an off flavour peculiarly described as 'mousey.'
 

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