![Mthomebrew maceration](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Mthomebrew_maceration.JPG)
Secondary fermentation is a process commonly associated with
winemaking
Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and ...
,
[J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 618 Oxford University Press 2006 ] which entails a second period of
fermentation
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...
in a different vessel than the one used to start the fermentation process. An example of this would be starting fermentation in a
carboy
A carboy, also known as a demijohn or a lady jeanne, is a rigid container with a typical capacity of . Carboys are primarily used for transporting liquids, often water or chemicals.
They are also used for in-home fermentation of beverages, ...
or stainless steel tank and then moving it over to
oak barrels
Oak is used in winemaking to vary the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of wine. It can be introduced in the form of a barrel during the fermentation or aging periods, or as free-floating chips or staves added to wine fermented in a v ...
. Rather than being a separate, second fermentation, this is most often one single fermentation period that is conducted in multiple vessels. However, the term does also apply to procedures that could be described as a second and distinct fermentation period.
In wine production
![Undegorgierter Champagner](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Undegorgierter_Champagner.jpg)
In
sparkling wine production
Sparkling wine production is the method of winemaking used to produce sparkling wine. The oldest known production of sparkling wine took place in 1531 with the ''ancestral method''.
Pressure and terminology
In popular parlance and also in the ...
, the secondary fermentation often takes places in the wine bottle that the wine will be sold in. This is most commonly known as the ''méthode champenoise'' or "
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
method" after the
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
most noted for sparkling wine production. When the base wine (or ''
cuvee'') has been produced from single
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...
varietal
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
s or a blend, the wine is bottled with a mixture of yeast and fresh sugar known as the ''"liqueur de tirage"''. This secondary fermentation, also known as bottle fermentation, is the process that makes the wine "bubbly" due to the containment of
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
which is normally released as a by product in regular fermentation.
In still wine production, particularly of red wines and some white wines like
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
, the secondary fermentation process can also usher in the use of
malolactic fermentation
Malolactic conversion (also known as malolactic fermentation or MLF) is a process in winemaking in which tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation is most often p ...
(or MLF) where the hard, green apple-like
malic acid
Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms ...
is converted into softer, butter-like
lactic acid
Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as natu ...
. In the case of a
stuck fermentation
A stuck fermentation occurs in brewing beer or winemaking when the yeast become dormant before the fermentation has completed. Unlike an "arrested fermentation" where the winemaker intentionally stops fermentation (such as in the production of fo ...
, a winemaker may wish to transfer the
must
Must (from the Latin ''vinum mustum'', "young wine") is freshly crushed fruit juice (usually grape juice) that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. The solid portion of the must is called pomace and typically makes up 7–23% of t ...
to a second vessel and use stronger, more aggressive yeasts with high fermentation temperatures to re-initiate the fermentation process. A similar process known as ''
governo
Governo is a winemaking technique reportedly invented in Tuscany in the 14th century to help complete fermentation and stabilize the wine. The technique involves saving a batch of harvested grapes and allowing them to partially dry. If fermentat ...
'' has been used by
Tuscan winemakers since the 14th century with the isolation after
harvest
Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...
of a batch of grapes that can be added later to the wine to help prevent (or recover from) a stuck fermentation.
See also
*
Glossary of wine terms
The glossary of wine terms lists the definitions of many general terms used within the wine industry. For terms specific to viticulture, winemaking, grape varieties, and wine tasting, see the topic specific list in the "''#See also, See also''" sec ...
References
Further reading
* American Journal of Enology and Viticulture '
Studies on the Secondary Fermentation of Low-Alcohol Sparkling Apple Wine'' 44:1:93-98 (1993)
*Jeff Cox ''"From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine"'' Storey Publishing 1999
* SQ Liu '
Malolactic fermentation in wine - beyond deacidification'' - Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2002 Volume 92 Issue 4 Page 589-601
*William Patton ''"The laws of fermentation and the wines of the ancients"'' University of Michigan Publishing 2005
External links
* Winemaking basics '
Transfer to secondary''
{{Wines
Winemaking
*