# Free run vs press run



## pgentile (Apr 14, 2018)

My recent pinotage is the first time I have separated free run and press run. The free run looks good, tastes like it went through MLF already and has no activity. The press run even though it has been racked off lees is solidly degassing/fermenting and/or MLF. It has a lot of lees again and is brighter red.

Is this normal?


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## mainshipfred (Apr 14, 2018)

pgentile said:


> My recent pinotage is the first time I have separated free run and press run. The free run looks good, tastes like it went through MLF already and has no activity. The press run even though it has been racked off lees is solidly degassing/fermenting and/or MLF. It has a lot of lees again and is brighter red.
> 
> Is this normal?



When I did my first all grape batch last year I did a pretty heavy press and I was really surprised how many times I had to rack to finally get something relatively clean and lost a lot of wine. I'm going to keep a free run on my South African CS or lightly press to get a proper carboy fill. Might be a 3 or a 5 gallon carboy depending on what 7 lugs yields. The rest of the skins will go into a juice bucket. So along with your question I wonder if pressing too heavily has any benefit with regard to volume. Hopefully someone can chime in before it's time to press my second batch.


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## Johnd (Apr 14, 2018)

Yes, it’s normal for the press wine in a red wine from grapes to look brighter than the free run. The press has a lot more suspended particulates in it. When everything settles out over time, it’ll turn that deep blackish color in the carboy that we love to see in a nice clear wine. 

My press wine normally continues to ferment longer than the free run as well. You’ve squeezed all of the goodies out of the grapes that the yeast hasn’t completely chugged through yet. 

Sounds to me like you’re right on course!


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## pgentile (Apr 14, 2018)

mainshipfred said:


> When I did my first all grape batch last year I did a pretty heavy press and I was really surprised how many times I had to rack to finally get something relatively clean and lost a lot of wine. I'm going to keep a free run on my South African CS or lightly press to get a proper carboy fill. Might be a 3 or a 5 gallon carboy depending on what 7 lugs yields. The rest of the skins will go into a juice bucket. So along with your question I wonder if pressing too heavily has any benefit with regard to volume. Hopefully someone can chime in before it's time to press my second batch.



All my other grape batches were like yours. I didn't siphon off the free run, and would have several rackings with lees.


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## pgentile (Apr 14, 2018)

Johnd said:


> Yes, it’s normal for the press wine in a red wine from grapes to look brighter than the free run. The press has a lot more suspended particulates in it. When everything settles out over time, it’ll turn that deep blackish color in the carboy that we love to see in a nice clear wine.
> 
> My press wine normally continues to ferment longer than the free run as well. You’ve squeezed all of the goodies out of the grapes that the yeast hasn’t completely chugged through yet.
> 
> Sounds to me like you’re right on course!



Yeah I thought I was on course just wanted to check, I thought there would be more degassing or signs of MLF in the free run than there is. But it tastes, looks and smells good.


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## pgentile (Apr 17, 2018)

Posted this in the wrong thread:

OK so much for the pinotage free run being still, sometime in the last 24 hours MLF has become quite visible. Now the free & press run are the same color and have similar activity. The press run has darkened considerably and dropped off good bit of lees.


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