# Napa Cab



## sdelli (Oct 8, 2016)

Just got notice they are picking my Napa Cab this week! Only a week or two away from this years crush.


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## sdelli (Oct 17, 2016)

Well.... We crushed all day yesterday! About 4000lbs total. The Napa Cab ended up being from Stagecoach! Should make some excellent wine... Now comes the massive ferment....


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## sdelli (Oct 17, 2016)

Some pictures of yesterday's crush.


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## Kraffty (Oct 17, 2016)

great looking crush setup
Mike


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## Boatboy24 (Oct 17, 2016)

Very nice! What are the strings doing in those Brutes?


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## ibglowin (Oct 17, 2016)

Looks like temp feedback of sorts.



Boatboy24 said:


> Very nice! What are the strings doing in those Brutes?


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## sdelli (Oct 17, 2016)

Lol.... Beer bags of American Oak chips.
4oz. Per bin during fermentation.


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## Donz (Oct 17, 2016)

Nice that's a ton of grapes for a manual crusher though!!!


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## Donz (Oct 17, 2016)

Just curious how much did you pay per case?


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## Redbird1 (Oct 17, 2016)

Donz said:


> Nice that's a ton of grapes for a manual crusher though!!!


More like two tons!


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## sdelli (Oct 17, 2016)

With enough people it goes pretty fast. Started at about 10 am and finished about 4pm. Then a couple hours of clean up....


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## sdelli (Oct 19, 2016)

Pitched yeast in 11 bins yesterday. Off and running!


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## Redbird1 (Oct 20, 2016)

sdelli said:


> Pitched yeast in 11 bins yesterday. Off and running!
> View attachment 32034
> 
> View attachment 32035



How do you handle the yeast for so much must? Is it just a matter of using a bunch of packets? Do you build up a starter like some homebrewers do? I know wine yeast is generally cheaper, but that is still a lot of yeasties needed.


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## sdelli (Oct 20, 2016)

I buy yeast in larger quantity and then weigh and divide.... Did not want to take a chance so I did 11 individual startups. When you take the time to perform a good hydrate it dramatically increases the chance of a good fermentation.


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## sdelli (Oct 30, 2016)

Pressed the grapes yesterday! Beautiful deep dark blue. Netted over 8%... Very happy! This year I made Napa Cab, Merlot, Malbec and Petite Verdot.... Net over 8% on all of them! 
A bladder press pays for itself in extra wine!


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## NorCal (Oct 30, 2016)

Looks like a good year! What fo you mean you "net 8%" ?


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## whackfol (Oct 30, 2016)

Would you share how you purchased these grapes or from whom? I was told by another supplier that Delta was not offering Napa fruit this year. Clearly I was told wrong.


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## sdelli (Oct 31, 2016)

NorCal said:


> Looks like a good year! What fo you mean you "net 8%" ?




The rule of thumb we all get from year to year is between 6% and 7% yield from gross fruit weight to net gallons of wine.... So you purchase 100lbs of grapes... You will get between 6 and 7 gallons of wine. Or 6% to 7% yield of pounds to gallons of wine. 
How well you press is measured in your yield success. This year with my new bladder press I yielded 7 1/2% on my Merlot, Malbec, and PV... Yielded 8% on my Cab! The difference of 1% is huge in gallons of wine!


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## NorCal (Oct 31, 2016)

So....gallons / pounds x 100 ?


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## sdelli (Nov 1, 2016)

That would be it....


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## sdelli (Nov 1, 2016)

I actually use this to figure in advance how much yeast, carboys, nutrients, fermentation bins


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## ceeaton (Nov 1, 2016)

sdelli said:


> The rule of thumb we all get from year to year is between 6% and 7% yield from gross fruit weight to net gallons of wine.... So you purchase 100lbs of grapes... You will get between 6 and 7 gallons of wine. Or 6% to 7% yield of pounds to gallons of wine.
> How well you press is measured in your yield success. This year with my new bladder press I yielded 7 1/2% on my Merlot, Malbec, and PV... Yielded 8% on my Cab! The difference of 1% is huge in gallons of wine!



Wow, I've been hitting 7.5 to 8% using a bucket press. Guess my fat arse paid off! (Possible conversation with my wife: "Honey, I can't lose weight, my extraction rate per pound of grapes will suffer. You wouldn't want me to make less wine, would you?")


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## Kraffty (Nov 1, 2016)

I think the % throws the concept off. 6 gals of liquid are around 45 lbs (real rough guess) so aren't you really getting more like 45% yield from 100lbs of grapes?
Mike


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## ceeaton (Nov 1, 2016)

Kraffty said:


> I think the % throws the concept off. 6 gals of liquid are around 45 lbs (real rough guess) so aren't you really getting more like 45% yield from 100lbs of grapes?
> Mike



You've got a point there, just jumped in and accepted the math without question (you can tell I was a comp sci major, math minor).


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## Johnd (Nov 1, 2016)

ceeaton said:


> You've got a point there, just jumped in and accepted the math without question (you can tell I was a comp sci major, math minor).



He's just mixing units, pounds and gallons, 100 pounds gives 6-7 gallons of wine, pretty much on track from what I see. 

Three lugs of grapes (108#) yields roughly 10 gallons of must, I typically get 6-7 gallons of wine from 10 gallons of must, I call that 60-70% yield. 

I can buy either number.


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## ceeaton (Nov 1, 2016)

Johnd said:


> He's just mixing units, pounds and gallons, 100 pounds gives 6-7 gallons of wine, pretty much on track from what I see.
> 
> Three lugs of grapes (108#) yields roughly 10 gallons of must, I typically get 6-7 gallons of wine from 10 gallons of must, I call that 60-70% yield.
> 
> I can buy either number.



I usually have been getting a little more from my local grapes than the Chilean or California batches. Around these parts the last few Fall seasons we've had late rains which I think boost up the liquid yield but lower the brix. Thank this site for helping me adjust and get a decent batch of wine no matter what hickups I have in the raw material supply (so far).


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## JohnT (Nov 2, 2016)

For me I go with the following. These numbers ensure that the resulting wine does not exceed my capacity. 

2 x 36lb lugs will fill a 5 gallon carboy with pressed and free run wine. 
5 x 36lb lugs will fill a 54 liter demijohn with pressed and free run wine.

For VCSS tanks, I figure 9 lugs to every 100 liters of tank space. So, 18 will fill a 200 liter tank, 27 will fill a 300 liter tank, and 45 will fill a 500 liter tank. 

Some years (like 2016) my numbers came very close. There have been some years, though, where the resulting wine was a bit less.


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## Boatboy24 (Nov 2, 2016)

3 lugs (108lbs) gets me 6.5-7.5 gallons (sometimes a bit more if I'm lucky). That's enough for testing and tasting along the way, as well as making sure the angels don't get too thirsty. At bottling time, I'll have enough for 30 bottles, and maybe a few more.


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## sdelli (Nov 4, 2016)

I realize it sounds a little crazy to the math buffs... But if year after year it works then I like to keep things simple and run with it..... I can usually count on 10% yield of must after the crush as well... 100lbs of grapes will give me about 10 gallons of must... Ya.. I know mixing again lbs to gallons again... But it works!


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## NorCal (Nov 5, 2016)

sdelli said:


> I realize it sounds a little crazy to the math buffs... But if year after year it works then I like to keep things simple and run with it..... I can usually count on 10% yield of must after the crush as well... 100lbs of grapes will give me about 10 gallons of must... Ya.. I know mixing again lbs to gallons again... But it works!




That's a much better yield (10 lbs per gallon) than I get. I am usually right at15.5 lbs per gallon.


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## sdelli (Nov 5, 2016)

NorCal said:


> That's a much better yield (10 lbs per gallon) than I get. I am usually right at15.5 lbs per gallon.




Not finished wine.... Must. .... I use this to calculate how much yeast.. How many fermenters.. How much nutrient to produce the fermentation.. 15 1/2 lbs to a gallon of finished is about right.... About 7% yield.


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## sdelli (Sep 11, 2017)

Looks like Napa Cab again this year! My 2016 harvest is still in barrels but tasting great!


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## Ajmassa (Sep 11, 2017)

sdelli said:


> I realize it sounds a little crazy to the math buffs... But if year after year it works then I like to keep things simple and run with it..... I can usually count on 10% yield of must after the crush as well... 100lbs of grapes will give me about 10 gallons of must... Ya.. I know mixing again lbs to gallons again... But it works!





Just to further confirm- I crushed about 280 lbs the other day. And ended up with about 28 gal of must. Pretty spot on. 
Good luck with those Napa grape$ !


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## jgareri (Sep 11, 2017)

sdelli said:


> Looks like Napa Cab again this year! My 2016 harvest is still in barrels but tasting great!



how are you acquiring these grapes? hopefully you will be able to share how much the grapes cost as well.

Regards


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## sdelli (Sep 12, 2017)

There is a group of us that purchase through a winery. The cost is more then you want to know.... Probably if you took the ugliest number per pound it would still have to be doubled to be close to right. But for me that is the type of wine I enjoy making and drinking. And really that is really what this hobby is all about. If you do not enjoy drinking it then never make it! No matter how good or bad the price is. Every few years I get a bug to make wine from Chilean grapes. I hate it! So why make it...... The people that drink my wine get so disappointed when I bring them a bottle of Chilean wine. Spoiled......


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## jgareri (Sep 12, 2017)

sdelli said:


> There is a group of us that purchase through a winery. The cost is more then you want to know.... Probably if you took the ugliest number per pound it would still have to be doubled to be close to right. But for me that is the type of wine I enjoy making and drinking. And really that is really what this hobby is all about. If you do not enjoy drinking it then never make it! No matter how good or bad the price is. Every few years I get a bug to make wine from Chilean grapes. I hate it! So why make it...... The people that drink my wine get so disappointed when I bring them a bottle of Chilean wine. Spoiled......



I guess so, Napa --> Chile doesn't really equate well. Are the grapes shipped outside California? I'm curious because in Toronto, I never see Napa grapes anywhere (although some people try to tell me that they have Napa grapes for $50 / lug --har har)


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## sdelli (Sep 13, 2017)

Yes.... Shipped to MI but I will tell you they land at almost $6 a lbs. Ya I am crazy. But love drinking great wine. The taste is unbelievable.


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## jgareri (Sep 13, 2017)

At that price, I would buy if I could. I wish there was a possibility of getting a couple of cases to Toronto. Maybe one day I will be so lucky....


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## phasee (Sep 15, 2017)

jgareri said:


> Are the grapes shipped outside California? I'm curious because in Toronto, I never see Napa grapes anywhere (although some people try to tell me that they have Napa grapes for $50 / lug --har har)



There's a place in Ottawa - Musca - that imports Californian grapes, just had their delivery last week.


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## jgareri (Sep 15, 2017)

phasee said:


> There's a place in Ottawa - Musca - that imports Californian grapes, just had their delivery last week.



Sent them a quick email. Just curious. I also see they have Italian juice with skins, so I'm curious to see how that is processed and the quality.


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## phasee (Sep 15, 2017)

I bought some of their red grape juice last week, which I believe also comes in from California, not too sure.

Pretty happy so far. I'm new to home winemaking, but I tasted the juice during fermentation, to me, they seem like they are good quality (I have a thread in the beginner's forum, which I plan to update with progress).

When I was there, I did ask about grape skins, as the website says they sell a 2lb pail, but I was told they didn't have any. I should have followed up to figure out if that was because, they didn't have any, or if they don't stock it anymore.

Next year, when I have my equipment list in order, I will definitely be going here for a few lugs to crush.


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## sdelli (Sep 19, 2017)

Kraffty said:


> I


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## sdelli (Oct 13, 2017)

Napa grapes were lost this year! [emoji26]


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