2011 Ferments

[Rich]

If acid too high- leave outside over winter and let it fall out naturaly as tartaric crystals.

Or get a garage in Scotland, then you don't even need to take it outside.

[lockwood1956]

I (as you all know) am a numbers geek, but i dont rely on numbers alone.

My taste buds tell me the Merlot is very acidic, (and I have been here before) after adjustment with sugar syrup this evening, before and after taste tests tell me it is now much better balanced.

So i made up the sugar syrup to 1.085, and bunged it in, along woith a hefty handful of toasted american ok (I love the vanilla tones from it)

regards
Bob

(Ric, I adjusted your grenache too, and upped the SG to 1.080)

[koomber]

I'll just wade in hear and say that your carefully calculated TA will end up slightly different if you do a MLF fermentation.

Those who were at my talk will mind I mentioned that different acids can have a different number of acidic sites per molecule. In the conversion from malic to lactic acid you'll go from:

Malic acid (2 acidic sites)
To
Lactic acid (1 acidic sites)

I can't predict off hand what the effect on the TA will be as it will depend on the amount of malic acid and to be quite frank, my knowledge of wine making doesn't extend far enough, but it will have an effect.

Not that I'm saying that it isn't worth checking the TA just now, but if your doing and MLF fermentation you might want to consider not doing a mega-brutal acid reduction at this point.

You can do what Rich (and myself) are planning which is to use a cold garage/shed/'warmly heated scottish bedroom' to drop the temperature and force some tartaric acid out as crystals over the winter months.

[lockwood1956]

Good point Graham......


if it were just acid reduction I was chasing....I would follow the cold stabilisation route, coupled with MLF

however the sugars are also low, so i have elected to up the sugar content, which as it happens also reduces the acid content. (i added the sugar dissolved in water)

two birds ....one stone....I factored all of that in reducing acidity by 1 g/l less than my target value..... to account for MLF and cold stabilisation

regards
bob

[Cellar_Rat]

..I now shall await my burning at the stake..

Works for me. You better get a stake for me too!

[Cellar_Rat]

A couple of recommendations I can make about Zinfandel.

Have some on the go now (well almost - pitched yeast 14 hours ago)
Used BM4x4 yeast - Lallemand's closest. 60 grams.
I am planning to OAK - would you use green or toasted* oak?? I am using 1 ounce per gallon ratio.
Myth-buster - contact time - ferment on skins 'till they sink ??

*Just so you know toasted Oak gets me in trouble with SWMBO, but don't let that influence you decision?

[lockwood1956]

Myth-buster - contact time - ferment on skins 'till they sink

I'm going to try not to lose my bottle this year and leave them till the cap sinks before I press....wish me luck

[Cellar_Rat]

I'm going to try not to lose my bottle this year and leave them till the cap sinks before I press....wish me luck

EEEEK

Might help the malo to finish though!

[Cellar_Rat]

Off out to chop some more oak !!

[Rich]

Cellar rat, at your warm fermentation temps, how long does your wine take for the cap to drop?

[Cellar_Rat]

Cellar rat, at your warm fermentation temps, how long does your wine take for the cap to drop?

It never has - its in the press in 6-8 days normally. Normally 25 - 30c

[NorthernWiner]

I am planning to OAK - would you use green or toasted* oak?? I am using 1 ounce per gallon ratio.
Myth-buster - contact time - ferment on skins 'till they sink ??

*Just so you know toasted Oak gets me in trouble with SWMBO, but don't let that influence you decision?

Toasted.

If the grapes are ripe (brown seeds, good Brix level), I would leave them on the skins until the cap sinks. If at all underripe, I'd press when dry.

[goldseal]

I'd press when dry.

In this context, do you mean SG < 1.000 ish?

[NorthernWiner]

In this context, do you mean SG < 1.000 ish?

Or thereabouts. I just go by look and taste. If the cap is not coming back up as quickly and the wine tastes dry-ish, then that's close enough.

[Bertie]

What is the benifit of waiting untill the cap sinks (extended maceration?) over an extended cold soak. I would have thought that the high alcohol content of the finished wine is more likely to leach the harsh tannins from the seeds, where as a cold soak is more likely to get the water soluble goodies out? Does waiting till the cap sinks add body? or is it to help racking? When you press do you have quite alot of the gross fruite pulp, seeds, yeast, etc. as your cap has been at the bottom? I am really interested in this technique as it seem popular with some wine makers.