Tom is right on. If you don't have inert gas to work with your number one
concern will be acetobacteria in the headspace. By keeping the plastic on
tight (Before I purchased Argon tanks, I would cover with plastic and use
duct tape around the perimeter) you will minimize the amount of oxygen and
keep out bacteria sources (i.e. bugs and dust). Using sulfite as Tom
suggests will kill surface bacteria. I prefer to use a clean cloth dampened
with a strong sulfite/acid solution to wipe the inside sides and edges of
the container rather than spray but either method should work just fine.

During EM I taste my wines every few days starting about a week after cap
fall. Opening the cover this often is not an issue for me as I have Argon
to blanket after each tasting. You may want to limit your tasting to once
at cap fall, at one week and again at 2 weeks. (I typically go between 15
and 20 days of EM) To minimize the number of times you open the cover,
whenever you taste, make sure you will be able to press that day if need be.
If you haven't done EM before, what you want to look for is a change in the
mouthfeel of the wine. It will change from being obviously young and tannic
in the mouth to being softer and more full. From my experience it is more a
mid-pallate change as the tannins are still apparent after you swallow the
wine.

CHEERS and GOOD LUCK!

Aaron


"Tom S" > wrote in message
m...
>
> "Jim" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Thanks for the suggestions Aaron I do not have any gas, will
> > cellophane do the job?
>
> A sheet of plastic, smoothed down against the surface of the wine and held
> down with flat pieces of wood will work. You could even just pour water
on
> the top of the plastic to hold it in place, but you'd need to be careful
not
> to get it into the wine. In either case, you want to spritz the edges
> lightly with sulfite to keep stuff from growing there, and wipe that area
> down when you check the wine.
>
> Tom S
>
>