# Chardonnay Tips



## Stevelaz (Apr 29, 2017)

I picked up my Chilean red juice buckets today and grabbed a Chardonnay they had extra to give it a try. However, I've never done a white and would appreciate some tips.

I picked up D47 yeast, that seems to be the yeast of choice for this. Do i still re-hydrate this yeast with go firm and use fermaid k as i do with the reds. I have plenty of both and it would be great if i could use that also on the Chard.
How about malo? yes or no? Im doing malo on my reds with vp41.

Any other tips for the Chardonny would be great... Thanks


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## Mismost (Apr 29, 2017)

I always rehydrate my yeast just because the package says to and it kicks off faster....so I would if I were you.


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## ceeaton (Apr 29, 2017)

Stevelaz said:


> I picked up my Chilean red juice buckets today and grabbed a Chardonnay they had extra to give it a try. However, I've never done a white and would appreciate some tips.
> 
> I picked up D47 yeast, that seems to be the yeast of choice for this. Do i still re-hydrate this yeast with go firm and use fermaid k as i do with the reds. I have plenty of both and it would be great if i could use that also on the Chard.
> How about malo? yes or no? Im doing malo on my reds with vp41.
> ...


I usually drill a larger hole in the bucket lid, add an airlock and ferment right in the supplied bucket when I do a white juice bucket. I rehydrate like you did with GoFerm, you can use Fermaid K like you do with your reds, but I tend to use Fermaid O as I can add it later in the fermentation process with out having issues. D47 has low nutrient needs, so after adding 1/2 the initial amount of Fermaid O, I wait until I have hydrogen sulfide smelly issues until I add the other half. VP41 will work fine with a Chardonnay if you choose to do MLF, as long as you don't have too many other red buckets you are using it on (I think it is rated for 60 or so gallons per package). Have fun. I don't get my buckets until next weekend, I hope. Not doing a Chardonnay this Spring since I have a kit aging for my Mom's 84th b-day present. She gets a case of 12 bottles, I get the rest.


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## Stevelaz (May 12, 2017)

My Chardonnay is done fermenting and has been racked to a carboy. It has been in basement at about 65 degrees for fermentation. Do i still leave it there for aging right now??


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## JohnT (May 12, 2017)

you should be ok for bulk aging.


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## NorCal (May 12, 2017)

Are you going mlf and oak, or leave as is?


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## Johnd (May 12, 2017)

I moved my chard out of the 60F wine room and into the 74F house for MLF, it'll get racked down tonight, and remain at 74 to completion of MLF. After that, sulfite and back into the 60F wine room for 6-8 months of clearing, racking, and bulk aging.


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## Stevelaz (May 12, 2017)

NorCal said:


> Are you going mlf and oak, or leave as is?



leaving as is. not doing mlf. wife wants it with more fruit forward. I may do battonage for few weeks.


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## Stevelaz (May 14, 2017)

Is it possible my Chardonnay could go thru malo on its own? 

I Racked 3 days ago and went away for the weekend. Came home today and it appears to be going through malo. Tiny bubbles around top surface and small bubbles shooting up the sides. Its still in the basement at 65 degrees so i didnt think malo would occur.


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## Johnd (May 14, 2017)

Stevelaz said:


> Is it possible my Chardonnay could go thru malo on its own?
> 
> I Racked 3 days ago and went away for the weekend. Came home today and it appears to be going through malo. Tiny bubbles around top surface and small bubbles shooting up the sides. Its still in the basement at 65 degrees so i didnt think malo would occur.



Hard to tell if it's just finishing AF, going through MLF, or just shedding some gas, without running a test. It's possible that it could be going through MLF, and 65 isn't too cold. If you are concerned, and don't want MLF, make sure it's dry and hit it with 50+ ppm sulfite.


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## Stevelaz (May 14, 2017)

I was thinking of letting it go thru partial mlf, is that ok to do?


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## Johnd (May 15, 2017)

Stevelaz said:


> I was thinking of letting it go thru partial mlf, is that ok to do?



If that is your preference, then yes, many commercial producers do partial MLF as well. How do you plan to determine if you are experiencing MLF, and how will you measure the progress and decision to stop?


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## Stevelaz (May 15, 2017)

Johnd said:


> If that is your preference, then yes, many commercial producers do partial MLF as well. How do you plan to determine if you are experiencing MLF, and how will you measure the progress and decision to stop?



No idea. lol. I was thinking of just letting it go as is for 2 weeks to a month, then racking and k-meta.

Also, I am doing mlf on my reds and receiving my paper Chromatography Test Kit today. I am planning on doing the test soon to practice and get a base line on them all, maybe i can add the chard to it, but i am already testing 4 reds. Is there room to do 5 tests on one sheet?


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## Johnd (May 15, 2017)

Stevelaz said:


> No idea. lol. I was thinking of just letting it go as is for 2 weeks to a month, then racking and k-meta.
> 
> Also, I am doing mlf on my reds and receiving my paper Chromatography Test Kit today. I am planning on doing the test soon to practice and get a base line on them all, maybe i can add the chard to it, but i am already testing 4 reds. Is there room to do 5 tests on one sheet?



Should be plenty, have done as many as 8, just need 3/4" between the x's you drop your sample on so that the vertical lines don't get too close together. 1" spacing for doing 5 would be plenty of room..........


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## Boatboy24 (May 15, 2017)

Johnd said:


> Should be plenty, have done as many as 8, just need 3/4" between the x's you drop your sample on so that the vertical lines don't get too close together. 1" spacing for doing 5 would be plenty of room..........



Agree - there should be plenty of room. After you've done a few, you'll no longer need to use the standards and will have room for 3 more. If memory serves, I've done as many as ten on one sheet.

Edit: Actually, it was 11. A little messy, but I got it done. 

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54332&highlight=chromatography&page=8


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## Stevelaz (May 15, 2017)

Cool, looking forward to messing with it but not getting delivered till tomorrow now!

By the way, since we are on the subject, how do you guys pull the sample from the wine? Do you take from the top with the little tubes they give you ( forgot what they are called right now ) or do take a sample deeper with the wine thief and go from there?


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## Johnd (May 15, 2017)

Stevelaz said:


> Cool, looking forward to messing with it but not getting delivered till tomorrow now!
> 
> By the way, since we are on the subject, how do you guys pull the sample from the wine? Do you take from the top with the little tubes they give you ( forgot what they are called right now ) or do take a sample deeper with the wine thief and go from there?



Just dip the pipette in until it is full to the proper level, right from the top of the wine, touch it to your X on the paper, pretty simple.


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## Boatboy24 (May 15, 2017)

Johnd said:


> Just dip the pipette in until it is full to the proper level, right from the top of the wine, touch it to your X on the paper, pretty simple.



Same here.


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## Stevelaz (May 15, 2017)

Ok thanks! Just wasn't sure if the sample had to be from deeper down in the car oh. That makes it easier!


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## Boatboy24 (May 16, 2017)

Stevelaz said:


> Ok thanks! Just wasn't sure if the sample had to be from deeper down in the car oh. That makes it easier!



Technically, yes. But I'm always thinking I'm going to drop that little pipette into the carboy.


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## Stevelaz (May 16, 2017)

Boatboy24 said:


> Technically, yes. But I'm always thinking I'm going to drop that little pipette into the carboy.



At first I was thinking of using the wine thief to pull the sample from further down in the carboy. But since its ok to pull the sample from the top using the pipette, i will probably just do that....


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