2011 Ferments

[Cellar_Rat]

Using sangiovese, merlot and tempranillo. All in small quantities though....will get around 5 gallons of finished wine (at 1 gal a box). Main reason for cold soak is to try and improve colour and smell. The oak is to try and reduce green flavours. Cold ferment to try and get a fruity red. I am doing mostly (75%) whole berry as I had to hand destem and I read that whole berry ferments again gives a fruity wine (but less colour, so thats why the cold soak). Basically I want to end up with hopefully a nice fruity deep red oaked wine. But I am new to this so would be pleased to hear if I am mixing techniques which shouldnt be mixed.

If you are new to grape wines making - keep it simple

Here are my thoughts
1. Colour extraction is not normally a problem with these varieties.
2. Green taste is typically too many stalks
3. Oak is beneficial.
4. Cold ferment MIGHT improve the nose, but I have no proof.
5. Whole berry will lower your yield. I proved this yesterday with a whole bunch and a hydraulic press. After 200 bar pressure there was still a substantial amount left in the cake. CRUSH THEM. Better would be - late fruiting - keeping some must back 10% and then add it back at the end of fermentation (just before press)
6. Think about yeasts too - these do make a big difference.
7. Deep red - you can't make silk purse etc etc. These grapes make lovely wine's but they are what they are. Sorry but Sangio is never going to make a deep red.
8. If this is your first time, make them up individually and consider blending the finished wine.
9. Winemaking is part science part art, so there is no a+b+c=nice wine everyone has different ways and we need to attain 'know why' as well as 'know how'

P.S. this is a really superb book. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Way-Make-Win...6674683&sr=8-2
Not expensive - give it a go.

[Bertie]

Thanks for all the advice. I was planning to ferment them individually, good to know that is the right way to go. I think your right about keeping it simple. Steve, I hope to still help clayhill pick if i can. I am just trying to learn/play as I wait for my vines to mature....very different process with the whites though isnt it?

[robwrx]

Not unusual. Think of the ammount yeast, that is just agging for some more sugar. SOunds like you got a good one there. It was a pity I didn't have room to do a second on my primitivo - I think that would have been good.

I guess the yeast colony in the skins would be huge. The must started bubbling within 15 minutes or so of the introduction of sugar. Still, I am amazed at the speed it has ripped through the ferment.

The plan is to leave the skins in for a few more days before pressing by which time the ferment will have probably finished.

It is a shame Brian that you are a 400 mile round trip from me otherwise I would have been interested in the Primotivo skins. Did they go to a good home or have you got legless pigs?

[Ted.B]

Pigs reared on grapes ..... put me down for one please !

[Cellar_Rat]

Primitivo flavoured pigs are on the menu for Christmas. A REAL shame.

[Cellar_Rat]

Thanks for all the advice. I was planning to ferment them individually, good to know that is the right way to go. I think your right about keeping it simple. Steve, I hope to still help clayhill pick if i can. I am just trying to learn/play as I wait for my vines to mature....very different process with the whites though isnt it?

Yeah. Very different. Seriously try the book - tis brilliant.

[Ted.B]

From my order of 21 boxes it seems I will yield around 26 gallons. Added about 2 gallons of syrup to bring the acid content down as per Bobs directions. Will have a more precise figure after racking off the sediment which might happen this weekend.

[lockwood1956]

I racked from bemneath the cap uusing Brians drainpipe and caravan pump idea......it really releases the CO2 from the wine, and its sooooooooooooo easy peasy.

Needed to tweak the pipe so it had enough holes for the pump..

[DaveH]

I racked from bemneath the cap uusing Brians drainpipe and caravan pump idea......it really releases the CO2 from the wine, and its sooooooooooooo easy peasy.

Needed to tweak the pipe so it had enough holes for the pump..

I did something similar, although more 'manual'. I still racked off from beneath the cap as per Brian's talk, but used a racking cane with a sanitised muslin bag tied to the bottom end. Worked pretty well actually, if a little slow!!

[Cellar_Rat]

All hail the tapfree god!

[goldseal]

All 2nd runs pressed/racked. Good timing, because the press bag disintegrated on the last couple of pressings.

Anyone know where I can get replacement Boots press bags?

[DaveH]

All hail the tapfree god!

Hehehehehehehehehe

[robwrx]

I did something similar, although more 'manual'. I still racked off from beneath the cap as per Brian's talk, but used a racking cane with a sanitised muslin bag tied to the bottom end. Worked pretty well actually, if a little slow!!

So do the gross lees go through the press with the skins after you've taken the free run out?

[DaveH]

So do the gross lees go through the press with the skins after you've taken the free run out?

A little maybe, although i try to scoop the skins from off the gunk/gross lees post-syphoning using a large pyrex jug (sanitised of course!!). Don't know if this is the right way of doing things - but it works for me!!

Is there anyone else more enlightened than i am that's able to answer Rob's question?

What i have also found is that obviously some of the lees still settle in your free-run stuff post syphoning, and that you obviously get settling of the post-pressed stuff too. Hopefully looking at syphoning off the pressed juice from the lees/crap that's settled in the bottom of the DJ's and then sulphite as per Pete's advice in an earlier post (am not doing an ML ferment)

[goldseal]

I gave up trying to syphon free-run juice from a red ferment ages ago. The syphon tube gets clogged whatever I try .

Now, EVERYTHING goes through the press:

Press set up, press bag installed

Use a pyrex jug (as per DaveH), slide it down the inside side of the fermenter, open side of the jug against the side. This allows the juice to enter the jug, but keeps most of the skins out.

Pour into press. The juice will flow straight through, with bits of skin (grape ) and other material being filtered out by the press bag.

Repeat until you basically have a layer of skins sitting on top of the pomace at the bottom of the fermenter.

Progressively scoop off the skins into the press -there will be some free run juice.

Press and repeat, until you get down to the pomace (the finer crud / seeds / stalks at the bottom).

Stop.

I sometimes swap receiving fermenters to keep the free-run juice separate from the pressed juice. I normally play this by ear depending on yields, volumes, available fermenters etc..