Frozengrapes.jpg
Merlot, Primitivo (Primotivo - can't remember which is the correct spelling),Shiraz and Cabernet.........
The 2012 grapes, were, as I mentioned to many, done as a pyment/grape mead. This batch I'm just gonna make as a straight wine.
I know there'll be lots of things I've forgotten, and haven't got round to reading up on yet.
So far, they were defrosted, transferred into the fermenting buckets, then the yeast was made into a sort of starter/larger than usual rehydration with a couple of teaspoons of honey, water to 400mls, 4 tsp of GoFerm and 4 packs of BDX, all of which was well shaken.
2 or 3 hours later, I just pitched 100mls of it into each bucket and it got a good stir.
Yesterday morning, an "emergency" run to the HBS as I'd found that I didn't have enough airlocks and had just bunged the hole/grommets with a tight twist of kitchen roll to stop any bugs.
Got campdens so I can put a half tablet into each airlock, plus a new (and clean, unstained) stirring paddle, 2 tubes of Rohapect.
The rohapect was added (fag packet calculation of 5tsp per bucket) and stirred in. Each new airlock filled and a half campden per lock, then all buckets airlocked.
I know that BDX is a little needy with nutrients etc, but left it till this morning - on the basis of the Lalvin guidance for using GoFerm and FermaidK i.e. rehydrate with water and GoFerm, then nothing else until there are signs of fermentation having commenced. I could see the bubbles forming among the floating skins last night, so this morning, I've just punched down the cap, then added 1 tbsp of FermaidK per bucket and that in turn has been well stirred in.
I have some recollection of other stuff that could/should be done at this stage. I'm not bothering with gravity per se, other than when it slows down bubbling I'll see where it's got to.
I don't envisage adding any further nutrients (don't recall whether inorganic nutrients needing to be in by the 1/3rd sugar break or not, like it would be with a mead), but will keep an eye open for any obvious issues like H2S etc - in which case, I'll likely add some boiled bread yeast and maybe a Vit B1 tablet or two........
The intention is for this to be done in a basic way, so I can sort of learn about how it develops as a wine, not having made much "real" grape wine........
Gonna go and have a read about what else you lot have done with your grapefest grapes etc to see what else I should be thinking of, but in the meantime, if you think of anything that is essential that I do, please point me in the right direction.
I will be oaking later on, but I'm not intending on putting anything into the primary, as that only simulates making wine in barrels IMO. I'll do that later as that simulates barrel storage (well that's how I understand it - and equally I understand that most of the oak flavour would come from the barrel during storage anyway).........
Merlot, Primitivo (Primotivo - can't remember which is the correct spelling),Shiraz and Cabernet.........
The 2012 grapes, were, as I mentioned to many, done as a pyment/grape mead. This batch I'm just gonna make as a straight wine.
I know there'll be lots of things I've forgotten, and haven't got round to reading up on yet.
So far, they were defrosted, transferred into the fermenting buckets, then the yeast was made into a sort of starter/larger than usual rehydration with a couple of teaspoons of honey, water to 400mls, 4 tsp of GoFerm and 4 packs of BDX, all of which was well shaken.
2 or 3 hours later, I just pitched 100mls of it into each bucket and it got a good stir.
Yesterday morning, an "emergency" run to the HBS as I'd found that I didn't have enough airlocks and had just bunged the hole/grommets with a tight twist of kitchen roll to stop any bugs.
Got campdens so I can put a half tablet into each airlock, plus a new (and clean, unstained) stirring paddle, 2 tubes of Rohapect.
The rohapect was added (fag packet calculation of 5tsp per bucket) and stirred in. Each new airlock filled and a half campden per lock, then all buckets airlocked.
I know that BDX is a little needy with nutrients etc, but left it till this morning - on the basis of the Lalvin guidance for using GoFerm and FermaidK i.e. rehydrate with water and GoFerm, then nothing else until there are signs of fermentation having commenced. I could see the bubbles forming among the floating skins last night, so this morning, I've just punched down the cap, then added 1 tbsp of FermaidK per bucket and that in turn has been well stirred in.
I have some recollection of other stuff that could/should be done at this stage. I'm not bothering with gravity per se, other than when it slows down bubbling I'll see where it's got to.
I don't envisage adding any further nutrients (don't recall whether inorganic nutrients needing to be in by the 1/3rd sugar break or not, like it would be with a mead), but will keep an eye open for any obvious issues like H2S etc - in which case, I'll likely add some boiled bread yeast and maybe a Vit B1 tablet or two........
The intention is for this to be done in a basic way, so I can sort of learn about how it develops as a wine, not having made much "real" grape wine........
Gonna go and have a read about what else you lot have done with your grapefest grapes etc to see what else I should be thinking of, but in the meantime, if you think of anything that is essential that I do, please point me in the right direction.
I will be oaking later on, but I'm not intending on putting anything into the primary, as that only simulates making wine in barrels IMO. I'll do that later as that simulates barrel storage (well that's how I understand it - and equally I understand that most of the oak flavour would come from the barrel during storage anyway).........
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