Barolo

[lockwood1956]

I have made the Beaverdale Barolo kit many times, it was my quaffing wine of choice while I waited for my grape wines to mature, this is a mid range kit, £35-£40 it has always fermented trouble free, and produces a very nice robust wine, that is drinkable early (I drank it almost immediately to begin with) but comes good at three months, then seems to level out at 6 months and not get any better after that.

I have not tried it since they "upped" the amount of grape concentrate in the kit, but would recommend it heartily.

I made it alongside the WinExpert Barolo a while ago, for the first 9 months the Beaverdale was better, the WinExpert version then showed its extra class, just a little better in every department, but then it is £15 more....

And on an interesting note (I think) the two blended together made a fab wine

[Aristaeus]

I agree with you on the WinExpert Barolo, it is delicious. Of the two kits, one kit was just for quaffing, the other was for experimentation.

A blend of 75% Barolo and 25% Black Plum from a neighbors plum tree. It is cold stabilizing, I think it will mature to a great combination. I froze the plums, then pressed them, adding only juice. The acid was higher than I normally like, but some calcium carbonate during fermentation remedied that situation.

[StockeyDAW]

I agree with you on the WinExpert Barolo, it is delicious. Of the two kits, one kit was just for quaffing, the other was for experimentation.

A blend of 75% Barolo and 25% Black Plum from a neighbors plum tree. It is cold stabilizing, I think it will mature to a great combination. I froze the plums, then pressed them, adding only juice. The acid was higher than I normally like, but some calcium carbonate during fermentation remedied that situation.

Interesting combination and follow up solution. How do you find the calcium carbonate? I prefer potassium carbonate or potassium bicarbonate? Cheers DAW

[Aristaeus]

I do use Potassium bicarbonate and cold stabilization...it can be used closer to bottling than calcium carbonate. Using either is a difficult decision...early calcium carbonate allows the ions to settle, thus eliminating them from taste. Calcium carbonate reacts with tartaric acid over malic acid. Both calcium carbonate and potassium bicarbonate cause a increase in pH, so be mindful and use a test sample in a beaker first. Potassium bicarbonate will not achieve maximum efficiency without cold stabilization.

Potassium carbonate...I must confess ignorance, in College Chemistry my lab partner (she) was a "Babe", so Physical Chemistry took greater priority than inorganic chemistry.

Take us all to school DAW...Please, we need this one.

Keith lol

[StockeyDAW]

I find that calcium carbonate is more likely to leave an after taste, like a chalky flavor and potassium bicarbonate does not appear to have the same effect? That is why I prefer it to the other acid reducers and pH increasers. Sorry I am not a chem prof.; therefore can not explain technically; but from reading and my experience that is what I understand. Cheers DAW

[Aristaeus]

The calcium carbonate precipitates out nicely, if used early with fermentation. I follow with potassium bicarbonate and cold stabilization. Also, these American taste bud’s like bland wine, so I fine filter .05 microns. No chalky taste, some loss of color with polish filtering. This is a 50% - 50% approach to my plum wines and meads. Half as much of both, one at fermentation, the other nearer bottling.

Now, let me contradict myself...on other wines (berry blends primarily) Efferbaktol or potassium Metabisulphite 75% and Postassium bicarbonate 25% does a wonderful job at fermentation. So what I want to accomplish with Plum is to tame the tartaric acid a bit more and early. The malic acid will better work it's charm, granted the residual calcium ions are more effort to remove.

[StockeyDAW]

http://vawa.net/winemaking-articles/acidphadj.html

This is an excellent link on the various aspects of acids and pH - covers the whole thing - good reference. Cheers DAW

[StockeyDAW]

The calcium carbonate precipitates out nicely, if used early with fermentation. I follow with potassium bicarbonate and cold stabilization. Also, these American taste bud’s like bland wine, so I fine filter .05 microns. No chalky taste, some loss of color with polish filtering. This is a 50% - 50% approach to my plum wines and meads. Half as much of both, one at fermentation, the other nearer bottling.

Now, let me contradict myself...on other wines (berry blends primarily) Efferbaktol or potassium Metabisulphite 75% and Postassium bicarbonate 25% does a wonderful job at fermentation. So what I want to accomplish with Plum is to tame the tartaric acid a bit more and early. The malic acid will better work it's charm, granted the residual calcium ions are more effort to remove.

Check out link attached in above post. - potassium bicarbonate should work well in the tataric acid grapes? not so well in high malic acid grapes. I agree about the bland - lets let the grapes hang on the vines longer to get a brix of 26+ that will knock out this acid problem? but bring in some other problems? Cheers DAW

[BennyBoy]

I just brought a Beaverdale kit of Barolo will keep ya'll informed

[Richard S]

I have a 1 gallon Beaverdale Barolo kit fizzing away next to a Beaverdale Merlot kit. I love the Barolo, never done the Merlot before though.