Grapefest 2010 Ferments

[lockwood1956]

Hi All,
Well the Monte is all done.
SG 994
Tastes like Sh**t but should be ready to drink at Xmas.

Are you sure Paul?

you mean crimbo 2011 surely?



good quality red grape wines normally take 1 year to be drinkable, and 2 years to be decent, and three years to be grown into themselves....and of course, up to ten years to be at their best

[solly]

general consensus is:

faster hotter ferment is good for reds

slower gentler cooler temp ferment better for whites

Ekkkkk......the white is in the Kitchen (nice and warm) and the reds are in the cooler garage but going strong, so much so that it's pushing up the lids off the buckets . (Sunny South Mr Sharp, no Huskies down here m8 )

Must admit that last year I had the reds in the kitchen and they were finished in about 5/6 days which I throught was too fast, hence the reason for my thinking that a slower ferment might be better?....my thinking was that a slower ferment would give more time to extract the full richness / flavours from the skins over a longer period of time?

Stick with your slower ferment Bob.

[lockwood1956]

Slower/cooler ferments are good for whites Solly...


but absolutely NOT for reds, hotter temps and faster ferments aid the extraction of colour, phenols and flavour compounds

a very cool cold soak can aid in many ways, but once ferment has started, then it needs to rip through for reds (and absolutely no mistake on that)

[NorthernWiner]

It should be fine. I'm fermenting to near-dry before racking.

Good man.

[Her Lushness]

I just checked my Monte and it's at 1010, so will be pressing the skins tomorrow as long as the rain stops, I REALLY don't fancy getting all that mess in the klitchenm, but if I have to I will.

The merlot is taking it's time, which is odd as they're both in the same place and had the same yeast starter added at the same time.

[koomber]

Just had a thought: Would it be woth taking a free run from the grapes?

Say let a gallon run off and keep that to one side to ferment on it's own and then press the remaining grapes as usual? I'm not sure what volumes per box will be.

If I don't get enough must to get a full with the pressing, I can always top it up with the free run (ie abandon the free run) or if it is only a little bit under volume top it up with an appropriate red wine?

Might make an interesting comparison...

[lockwood1956]

I always try to keep the free run and pressed seperate, the free run will be softer, earlier drinking, but I like to play around and blend till i get what i want.

regards
Bob

[goldseal]

I would treat your free run as your most precious stuff - top that up with pressed juice if you have to.

[silverfox]

Monte ready for Xmas

Hi All

Yes you spotted that I did not say which Xmas.
I just wanted to provoke a reaction to the suggestion that it would be ready that early.
I also wanted to make the point that Reds should be fermented at a hotter Temp. than whites.
I will keep checking the Monte & let you know when it is ready.
I will also try to bring a bottle to try at next years Grapefest.

Silverfox

[solly]

I also wanted to make the point that Reds should be fermented at a hotter Temp. than whites.

Silverfox

I take the point that Bob and you made about the lower temps for the whites and will move the Trebbiano back into the garage, but the reds will have to stay in the garage as I don't want to fill the kitchen with loads of buckets......having said that I checked the SG this morning (temp was 13.c at 6.30am) and the Merlot is down to 1.035 and the Monte is running at 1.015 so not to far behind Joanna and all I have really done is take them off the cold concreat floor (did'nt use any heat bombs etc)

[goldseal]

Insulation. Fermentation gives off heat, and the cap of grape skins keeps it in. I have wrapped some of my fermenters in tinfoil and it makes a difference: faster fermentation = more heat = faster fermentation etc etc.

[koomber]

For cheap insulation get a hot water tank jacket from B&Q (or if you have spare jackets use them). I've seen folk using similar on Fermentation Vessels.

I'll also say I'm pretty chuffed about the whole temperature thing (in that it makes sense). It's pretty similar to making ale Vs. Lager (I know they have different yeast strains so we'll go for lager Vs. california common beer).

With a lager you want a smooth, clean, crisp, taste, so you ferment at lower temperatures. A California Common is fermented at higher temepratures and give more complex flavours.

I just like the logic behind it applying to both sides.


To silverfox: I'm planning a bottle for GF (I might do some 330ml beer bottles. I like using these for testers so I don't ruin a full bottle).

I think it will be interesting to see how different people's wines compare when they were effectively made from the same raw material.

[kampervan]

temranillo pressed as at 1.005 only got 2 gal from 3 box so a bit dissapointed but 1 st cherry on the go. monte is at 1.050 and merlot at 1.040 so these can wait a few days more

[silverfox]

Monte Pressed tonight

Hi All,
Just pressed the Monte.
I managed to get just over 7 litres out of 1 box @ SG 994
Added 5 ml 10% sulphite to the 5lt Demi john & 3ml to the 2 lt PET bottle.
Already tasting better than yesterday.
I can see this one maturing early.

For Si the ISBN numbers for the Gerry Fowles books are as follows:-
Winemaking in style = 0-9517173-1-6
Must

[silverfox]

Books for Si

Hi All,
Well I don't know what happened just then it posted itself before I had completed my post.

Must = ISBN 0 9504594 6 1

Both are well worth getting.

Silverfox