Grapefest 2010 Ferments

[goldseal]

Forgot to mention, the Monte 2nd run was the most vigorous fermentation I have ever seen. Within an hour of dropping the bag of grape skins in, it was blowing the water out of the airlock in one long, continuous blast. I wish I had videoed it now

Lots of ravenous yeasts there!

[lockwood1956]

Pressing the Merlot tomorrow.....

will make a 2nd run of 30 gallons, hoping for a nice light style, maybe even a rose seeing as it has been on the skins 13 days!

cant be much left in there by now

so 30 kilos of sugar purchased on my way home...assuming acid will be almost 0 and i want to produce a medium (backsweetened) rose, i reckon i need 8-9 g/l acidity

which means adding 1.225 kilos tartaric (i dont own that much)

so maybe some white grape juice will be purchased tomorrow

[DaveH]

Finally!

Got my 3 ferments underway at last......

Trebbiano diluted down to 1.085 and Tartaric Acid added (@4g/l) - now got 25 litres bubbling away nicely!(From 20L of juice originally @1.100 ish)

Merlot 1.090 - off and running

Monte 1.085 - also off and running nicely.....

Off to pick up a boots press from ebay over the weekend (if i can shake off this damn man-flu that is - currently lying on the sofa!)

[ukric]

Why I'm buying a press.

2nd run kit wine, pressed, mess made, good job!

All of the stuff on the floor is wine and grape :'(

[lockwood1956]

Merlot pressed (53 gallons)


30 gallon 2nd run underway, it already looks like a dark rose, (1 hour in) so I think it will end up a medium bodied red ferment started within 5 minutes

might even do third run...will freeze the skins tho, as off on jollies

[lockwood1956]

Trebbiano at SG 1.050...very cool in the winery at the mo

[goldseal]

Pressed the Merlot - 6 and a bit gals (7 boxes, but 2 gals already bled off for white & rosé wines).


Tempranillo and Monte 2nd runs - bags of grape skins removed from the must, colour looks about right. Now I have several straining bags which need a good clean. Bob, you mentioned something about the washing machine: how (detergent, temperature etc)?

[kampervan]

just stuck mine in at 40 deg no deturgent

[goldseal]

Thanks Ian, just done likewise.

All the 2nd runs are now racked/pressed as required, and safely under airlock, apart from the Black Cherry Port, which will probably be fermented to (near) dry on the skins.

The Youngs kit definitely isn't the Black Cherry kit I used last year. That one had a separate flavour sachet, this one doesn't. Fingers crossed

[Rich]

The Youngs kit definitely isn't the Black Cherry kit I used last year. That one had a separate flavour sachet, this one doesn't. Fingers crossed

Mine was made with the Youngs kit without flavour sachet, so with any luck this years will turn out as good as mine

(All tongue in cheek.. I've no doubt they'll both be completely different again!)

[billybuntus]

Are you two sure someone hasn't taken the flavour sachet? I found quite a few that have been removed from the lid.

[Rich]

Are you two sure someone hasn't taken the flavour sachet? I found quite a few that have been removed from the lid.

Quite sure. About 2 years ago or so, Youngs changed their supplier of juice etc, at that point the flavour went into the juice. IMO the black cherry kit got worse.

[koomber]

Aye, I think I havea copy of the original instructions sent from Young's. Then changed from flavour out to flavour in.

[Cellar_Rat]

All done today.
First racking and sulphiting completed for Merlot and Monty. Very pleased with results. I can batten down the hatches now and make beer till christmas. Justa shame I have no room for cider!

[kampervan]

cherry wine been sugar fed as down to below 1.000