Originally posted by goldseal
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Grapefest 2012 Ferments
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With my meads, I've learned to be patient, well reasonably so (some of it is laziness), but I've just done the cap punch down and added the step feed honey.
The last one treated was the pure Merlot, so I couldn't resist a tiny taste of.the must. Damn! It tastes like a mega dark, light, very fruity wine already.
I'm hoping nature grants me an extension on the patience, well at least enough to get the grapes finished, pressed and into glass, so I can hide it somewhere out of sight......
{edit} I wonder if I can get 5 boxes into one of those 60 litre fermenters ?{edit/}Last edited by fatbloke; 29-09-2012, 09:10 PM.Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
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Originally posted by goldseal View PostThe downside is that the press bag is a lot coarser, so there is a lot more sediment in the DJs and carboys.Last edited by SiSandrine; 29-09-2012, 09:52 PM.Simon
"I can certainly see that you know your wine. Most of the guests who stay here wouldn't know the difference between Bordeaux and Claret." - Basil Fawlty
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Originally posted by Cellar_Rat View PostBreakfast while watching your wine press - the only way to start the day.
Or do you mean you have some automatic press gadget thingy which takes away the burden?Simon
"I can certainly see that you know your wine. Most of the guests who stay here wouldn't know the difference between Bordeaux and Claret." - Basil Fawlty
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Originally posted by NorthernWiner View PostYou are correct, sir.
Racking duly done. Played 'find the right combination of fermenters and topup bottles to leave no headspace and waste no wine', and won.
I was going to get MLF going, but Mrs. Goldseal has occupied the kitchen. Tomorrow morning then.Pete the Instructor
It looks like Phil Donahue throwing up into a tuba
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Pressed my grapes last night (I'm not really sure if I was supposed to but every one else seems to be doing it so I am basically copying/ following others!).
Out came the steel colander and I scooped off the skins from the cap into a seperate sanitised bucket... That was easy I thought, came back to it later after confidently explaining to the wife that 'it won't take me too long this evening to sort the rest out'...
Talk about jinxed! I started later in the evening on the remaining liquor thinking that it should strain quite easily in series through the colander, then my strainer funnel, then the sieve to try catch some of the crud. Well, sieve got blocked on the first litre and that nearly overflowed and went flying over the kitchen floor. I managed to stop pouring and saved the sieve so ditched that and used the first two. Then the improvised funnel strainer got blocked and that one did spill all over the kitchen. I decorated a clothes airer, the tumble dryer, the doormat and my boots on top of it, it even got on a carrier bag full of donated baby clothes, not to mention the cupboard doors and table legs in the immediate vacinity! Lesson learned, pour the whole lot through the colander and worry about the crud later?
Sanitation went out of the window half way through the mopping up stage (but I finally gave up on it when the wife (who was doing her best to help) picked grape skins up off the floor and threw them into the 'clean' bucket of grape skins I was going to use for the port...!)
So, I have a 5 gallon carboy and a 2.5l demijohn of fermenting wine... Do I need to worry about the sludge or can I wait for it to finish off then rack for maturing?
Help/ advice much appreciated!
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Originally posted by Delmonteman View PostSo, I have a 5 gallon carboy and a 2.5l demijohn of fermenting wine... Do I need to worry about the sludge or can I wait for it to finish off then rack for maturing?
Help/ advice much appreciated!
You should be ok with the gross lees whilst still fermenting as you will need to rack when the ferment is over. Everything should have settled to the bottom of the carboy by then.
Racked and got the rose and Trebbiano under airlock. The Trebbiano is very interesting already with a nice sharp and definite lemony taste. I have high hopes for this.
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Potentially stupid question & progress........
Evening all (knee's bend a la "George Dixon").......
Just done another gravity measurement. Pleased to see that this evening the 10 litre bucket with Tempranillo is at 1.010, the 27 litre buckets with Tempranillo and Merlot are both at 1.014 and the mixed 27 litre bucket (2 boxes Merlot and 1 of Tempranillo) is at 1.016
So I've just done a second step feed, of 250g per "box" of honey. This will likely be the last step feed, given what the start gravities you lot reported and that I've now managed to add 1kg of honey per "box".
I'm pleased with how this is progressing, but it's prompted a potential stupid question.
My aim to leave the skins etc until they sink. Can someone clarify "sink" ? Is it sink to the bottom of the bucket ? Or just sink below the surface ?
I'd like to know, because it seems likely that the main ferment would have finished before the skins sink to the bottom of the bucket and continual pressing down of the cap, would surely expose the grape skins/juice/wine/must/whateverit should be called at this stage, to oxidisation ? Especially as wine oxidise more and quicker than meads do.
Not worried per se, just that as it's my first go using fresh grape, I'd appreciate a bit of a steer on when to move to the next stage (of course, it's got nothing to do with the fact that I need to prep the glassware to rack it into, or that if it is nearly time to rack/press the pulp, I won't have time to do that before the weekend).
As ever, any guidance is very much appreciatedWomen will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
Some blog ramblings
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Originally posted by fatbloke View PostCan someone clarify "sink" ? Is it sink to the bottom of the bucket ? Or just sink below the surface ?Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!
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Originally posted by Cellar_Rat View PostProper sink to the bottom of the fermenter. Yes it will be after fermentation has ceased.
Guessing but I suspect its best to stop punching the cap down and let them finish/skins sink then.Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
Some blog ramblings
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Personally I would keep punching down. When fermentation is finished they'll stop rising, and just sort-of hang there (a bit like it looked before fermentation started).Pete the Instructor
It looks like Phil Donahue throwing up into a tuba
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Originally posted by fatbloke View PostOk, TVM for the confirmation Brian.
Guessing but I suspect its best to stop punching the cap down and let them finish/skins sink then.Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!
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