2011 Ferments

[Cellar_Rat]

Gave up on them, all except for pressing white before fermentation.

[NorthernWiner]

Gave up on them, all except for pressing white before fermentation.

You gave up on presses entirely??

For me, the one last satisfaction of the ferment is pressing the wine off the skins, getting that final bit of goodness from the grapes.

[ukric]

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

What you need is a Frankenpipe and a self-priming pump.

Bob will attest to the Frankenpipes greatness.

[robwrx]

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..

Thanks to DaveH and Pete for the tips. The cap has started to sink on my 2nd run so I shall use your advice when I press tomorrow.

Ta
Rob

[Cellar_Rat]

You gave up on presses entirely??

For me, the one last satisfaction of the ferment is pressing the wine off the skins, getting that final bit of goodness from the grapes.

Given up on presses. Noooooooooooooooooo

I have given up on press bags or sheets for red. I make sure there is a good bed of grape skins and then shovel everything else in on top. The skins act like a filter bed (think grain hulls during sparging). When a few bits of skin or pip make it out of the basket, the strainer in the top of the bucket gets them. This also protects the pump!

Anything else I get by racking after MLF.

I use press bags for white only to try to minimise the high speed sweet sticky snot being fired around the room. Thats is not strictly true white is impossible to press without a bag.

Give up on presses - its my pride and joy toy !!

[NorthernWiner]

Given up on presses. Noooooooooooooooooo

I have given up on press bags or sheets for red. I make sure there is a good bed of grape skins and then shovel everything else in on top. The skins act like a filter bed (think grain hulls during sparging). When a few bits of skin or pip make it out of the basket, the strainer in the top of the bucket gets them. This also protects the pump!

Anything else I get by racking after MLF.!!

Ah right... gotcha.

Yeah, that's exactly how I do it, too. I used a bag once. It was just more trouble than it was worth, at least for me.

Speaking of grain hulls, have you ever tried using rice hulls when pressing? A fellow winemaker turned me on to those a few years ago. For every few scoops of grapes, you toss a thin layer of rice hulls in the press basket. It helps get better yields from both whites and reds.

[Cellar_Rat]

get better yields from both whites and reds.

I have some woven mats that I used to use for the screw press. Keep meaning to try them, but quite frankly my hydraulic goes to 300 bar and the cake comes out whole like a 2 foot log from an oak tree.

I have noticed that 'when' you press affects the yield!

[robwrx]

My 2nd run Chianti was pressed tonight. It appears to have finished at SG 0.991 in only 6 days. I added 30 litres of sugar syrup to 13 boxes of skins and got 36 litres of wine. Hoping this will be an early drinker.

[goldseal]

Added ML bacteria to everything.

I'm a bit annoyed - on the outside of the pack, the instructions are to add after fermentation, but once the sealed pack is opened, there is another instruction sheet telling me to add just BEFORE alcoholic fermentation is complete.

[NorthernWiner]

It will all come out in the mix.

Really... you can add it just about anytime. I buy sachets of ML bacteria large enough to inoculate 50 gallons and add it to everything at once. Some have been finished fermenting for weeks. Others are still on the go. They all eventually finish MLF.

[goldseal]

That's the answer I'd hoped to hear

[Cellar_Rat]

Steve - A hearty thanks for your help with the kitchen fire (sorry I mean oaking) well that and everything else.

Just tasted this years vinho - very pleased.
The oaking is 'just' there, the MLF is still going and there is a slight fizz as ethanol ferment finishes.

REALLY pleased with these. But I have oaked, late fruited and changed my yeasts (BM4x4) all in one year.

Thank you!

[NorthernWiner]

Happy to help, even if in just some small measure.

Actually, I need to do something to pass the time while waiting for my own grapes to arrive. Some of the California are coming tomorrow morning (Barbera and Petite Sirah). I am also picking grapes from my vines. October 1st is the latest I have ever picked. The fruit is just starting to shrivel a bit and the vine leaves are turning color. But otherwise they look fab this year.

Most of my grapes on order from Cali will not be here for another 3-4 weeks, so I twiddle my thumbs and am a tad jealous that you guys are already well into the thick of it.

[Cellar_Rat]

..another 3-4 weeks, ...

You will still be racking and sulphiting at Christmas ? I never gave it a thought - so the californians are still mid summer season - of course. I have a comp to go to in November for which the entries must have been made THIS YEAR!! Blimey that's is gonna be tight!

[owlwithoutfeathers]

Sorry to go off threat a wee bit fellas, but a quick question: what are using for oaking your wines? Just the bog standard oak chips or something more creative?

I find the selection in home brew stores in the UK really poor compared to what the US has to offer its clients. Twists, staves, cubes. Ahh. the mind boggles.