So, here in the Portland Oregon area, we've got snow and temperatures
are expected to sit at freezing for the next 3 days. Which is great,
because it means I can get my cold stabilization done!

Out of curiousity - those of you who aren't blessed with an annual
truly cold snap, how do you create the conditions for cold
stabilization?

Hope everyone's recovered from the tryptophan overdose.

Rob

Rob wrote:
> So, here in the Portland Oregon area, we've got snow and temperatures
> are expected to sit at freezing for the next 3 days. Which is great,
> because it means I can get my cold stabilization done!

Is 3 days long enough to cold stabilize a red? Up here in the Great
White North, cold is one thing that isn't in short supply - just don't
want to leave my wine out for too long and risk a cold snap and frozen
wine.

I'm quite a bit south of you - in the Sierra Foothills in northern
california. And I use the 'natural refrigeration' to cold stabilize wine
every year. But 3 days would never be enough. Usually in January or
February, after fining, I will take carboys of white wines outside the
winery and leave them in temps ranging from high 20's to high 30's.
Sometimes I still have a few crystals in refrigerated bottles many months
later, but it serves to do the trick. I do have a refrigerator in the
winery, but it can only handle one or two carboys at a time - this year
alone I have 30 gallons of white wine in carboys. Al fresco is much more
convenient - and a lot more energy efficient!



> So, here in the Portland Oregon area, we've got snow and temperatures
> are expected to sit at freezing for the next 3 days. Which is great,
> because it means I can get my cold stabilization done!
>
> Out of curiousity - those of you who aren't blessed with an annual
> truly cold snap, how do you create the conditions for cold
> stabilization?
>
> Hope everyone's recovered from the tryptophan overdose.
>
> Rob
>

Gotta tell you guys, 3-4 days at freezing has brought quite a load of
crystals in years past. So perhaps I don't get it all, but it's been
enough to never see crystals in refrigerated wine after bottling.

Still, what about y'all who don't get regular winter freezes?

Rob