# Livermore Cabernet and Merlot Frozen Must



## crushday (May 9, 2020)

I picked up 14 pails this morning in Portland, Oregon. The guys at Wine Grapes Direct are great. They helped me load my pickup, gave me two finished bottles of wine made with grapes from the same vineyard I was taking home. I cannot wait to try them...

I’ll document each step in the fermentation process and post pics in the coming several days. Here’s the particulars on each variety:

2019 Livermore Merlot Frozen Grape Must

Livermore Valley, California
Brix 25.4, pH 3.78, TA .55
Harvested October 11th, 2019

2019 Livermore Cabernet Sauvignon Frozen Grape Must

Livermore Valley, California
Brix 25.7, pH 3.7, TA .59
Harvested October 11th, 2019

The trip home was hot and the grapes thawed pretty quickly. Still had some ice in the center when I opened the pails. I dumped them into the stainless fermenting pots.

Let the cold soak begin!


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## CDrew (May 9, 2020)

Dang @crushday, save some room for next fall!


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## crushday (May 9, 2020)

CDrew said:


> Dang @crushday, save some room for next fall!


This is it until September/October. I’m going to have open barrels soon and I need something to fill them. The Malbec I made a few weeks ago will be part of that barrel fill.


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## Boatboy24 (May 9, 2020)

I'm jealous!

Not a lot of room for cap formation there. You like to live on the edge.


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## crushday (May 9, 2020)

Boatboy24 said:


> I'm jealous!
> 
> Not a lot of room for cap formation there. You like to live on the edge.


Jim, I too am concerned about the cap. I have 35 gallons of must in each of these 45 gallon stock pots. My experience is that each 5 gallons of must expands to 6 gallons with the raised cap. I should be fine once it’s fully thawed and settled in. But, as a contingency, I can remove some of the must and use another fermenter to provide adequate space. Time will tell...

I don’t plan on losing any to the floor...


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## Boatboy24 (May 10, 2020)

crushday said:


> Jim, I too am concerned about the cap. I have 35 gallons of must in each of these 45 gallon stock pots. My experience is that each 5 gallons of must expands to 6 gallons with the raised cap. I should be fine once it’s fully thawed and settled in. But, as a contingency, I can remove some of the must and use another fermenter to provide adequate space. Time will tell...
> 
> I don’t plan on losing any to the floor...



You've certainly got a spare bucket or two around now.


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## stickman (May 10, 2020)

Interesting, where did you get those horizontal fermenters?


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## crushday (May 10, 2020)

stickman said:


> Interesting, where did you get those horizontal fermenters?


Lol... I made them myself. They’re sectional and expandable. Their slender profile makes temperature control a snap. Cheap too...


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## Boatboy24 (May 10, 2020)

stickman said:


> Interesting, where did you get those horizontal fermenters?



I love the way they magically hold in the must.


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## crushday (May 10, 2020)

Update:

Merlot cold soak temp is 39. Added EV-X, OptiRed, and Tannin Riche
Cabernet cold soak temp is 35. Added EV-X, OptiRed, and Tannin Riche

Tomorrow I’ll check the temp again, pH and free SO2 levels and, add TA as needed.

I’m hoping for a long cold soak. Temps on Tuesday and Wednesday are highs in the low 60’s and high percentage chance of rain. Right now I have temp assist turned off and just letting the ambient temp do its thing. It’s about 70 degrees in the fermenting room.


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## crushday (May 15, 2020)

Update. Pitched the yeast, BDX on the Cab and RP15 on the Merlot yesterday morning. This morning, must is at 67 degrees and had formed a loose cap. Wine already has good color. I’ll snap a picture at the next punch down and post on the next update.

I’ll likely inoculate with CH16 tomorrow morning after punch down.


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## crushday (May 15, 2020)

A few pics...

Cabernet:




Merlot:


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## Ajmassa (May 15, 2020)

crushday said:


> A few pics...
> 
> Cabernet:
> 
> ...


BEAUTIFUL. F****NG BEAUTIFUL!!! Really, that’s gorgeous.

Looks like that cap space ran out quick. I’m assuming you’ll be moving some off like ya said earlier. FWIW I just had 30gal must rise to >40gal at its peak.


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## sour_grapes (May 15, 2020)

Living on the edge!


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## crushday (May 15, 2020)

Ajmassa said:


> Looks like that cap space ran out quick. I’m assuming you’ll be moving some off like ya said earlier. FWIW I just had 30gal must rise to >40gal at its peak.



Monitoring the cap level - I’m trusting my calculations but they are based on 5 gallons of must per bucket. If, by chance, a bucket had more volume than advertised I’ll be moving some out. Either way, you’ll see a pic!


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## Ajmassa (May 15, 2020)

crushday said:


> Monitoring the cap level - I’m trusting my calculations but they are based on 5 gallons of must per bucket. If, by chance, a bucket had more volume than advertised I’ll be moving some out. Either way, you’ll see a pic!


 I hear ya. Though that’s still a rough estimate and small variations make a difference when multiplied x7. 

1. Overflow/removing to 2nd vessel
vs
2. No action needed
My moneys on #1. But even if I’m wrong I’ll still call ya a crazy man! 
“Fool me once something something......”


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## Boatboy24 (May 15, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> Living on the edge!



I was just singing Aerosmith in my head!


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## crushday (May 15, 2020)

Ok, @Ajmassa and @sour_grapes - and any other interested parties. I introduce to you the 2019 Caberlot custom blend, 50/50! I decided it was a fool’s errand to waste such great must to my bullheaded ways. Especially since I was planning on blending six gallons in the end anyway. Might as well do it now - save the mess, frustration and heartache.

I pulled out four gallons from each active ferment and mixed it in a 18 gallon vessel.

Thanks for the repeated warnings...


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## Ajmassa (May 15, 2020)

Better safe than sorry. Would be a shame to lose some.

for the record I was only kidding around with ya. Nobody can judge a situation better than the person in it. Didn’t know if the picture was the first cap that would increase thicker still or was a few punchdowns in. Or if the punch pushed some up skins on the sides to appear higher than it was etc etc.

Either way eliminating risk is never a bad thing. Good luck and enjoy!


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## crushday (May 15, 2020)

Ajmassa said:


> For the record I was only kidding around with ya. Nobody can judge a situation better than the person in it. Didn’t know if the picture was the first cap that would increase thicker still or was a few punchdowns in. Or if the punch pushed some up skins on the sides to appear higher than it was etc etc.
> 
> Either way eliminating risk is never a bad thing. Good luck and enjoy!



Whether kidding or serious, I joined this forum to learn how to make wine. Knowledge is obtained by personal and collective experience. I’m grateful for you and for the mutual wisdom. 

That was my second punch and the fermentation isn’t even really going yet. There was going to be a mess for sure - and, frankly, might overflow still. 

How did @stickman keep his 2019 Cab from over flowing? Looking at his pics, there’s not much cap space on #16 of the thread.

All in all, I’m blessed you’d care enough to offer advice.


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## CDrew (May 15, 2020)

That's really nice color extraction. A combo of freezing, cold soaking, plus the enzymes *must* have done the trick.

And you were going to blend anyway? Now you have a head start on your topping wine.

Any differences in the yeasts-like a different smell, or one more vigorous than the other?


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## crushday (May 15, 2020)

@CDrew I’m hoping to get 25-26 gallons of finished wine out of each batch. Here’s the breakdown I was aiming for:

1. 15 gallons of Merlot in a single barrel
2. 15 gallons of Cabernet in a single barrel
3. 6 gallons of Merlot in a single barrel
4. 6 gallons of Cabernet in a single barrel
5. 6 gallons of Caberlot (50/50 blend) in a single barrel
6. Anything left over would be used for topping up

270 bottles comes out to $8.00 per bottle, all things considered (must, bottle, cork, adjuncts)

As far as yeast behavior, nothing different at this time. Both are doing their thing and since the must is only 66 (C) and 67 (M) degrees, it’s not rigorous yet. But, will be...

I expect the smaller batch will be done on Sunday/Monday but the two larger will be Tuesday/Wednesday next week. Since I’m home under lockdown, it’s a good way to keep me busy!


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## crushday (May 15, 2020)

Update: Co-inoculated with CH16 tonight. I put 1/16th tsp in the blend, and 1/4 tsp in each of the others. I’ve done three punch downs today. Three tomorrow and so it goes... Color is looking really great.


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## sour_grapes (May 15, 2020)

A 50/50 "field blend" ("basement blend"?) sounds mighty fine to me.


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## GR! (May 16, 2020)

@crushday How in the world did you make those fermenters?


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## crushday (May 16, 2020)

GR! said:


> @crushday How in the world did you make those fermenters?


I wish I could take credit for the creation, but... I bought them on Amazon. Here’s the link...






Amazon.com: Mophorn Lid 45Gal Home Brew and Stock Pot Cookware, 180 Quart: Kitchen & Dining


Shop Mophorn at the Amazon Cookware store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%.



www.amazon.com


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## Boatboy24 (May 16, 2020)

crushday said:


> Ok, @Ajmassa and @sour_grapes - and any other interested parties. I introduce to you the 2019 Caberlot custom blend, 50/50! I decided it was a fool’s errand to waste such great must to my bullheaded ways. Especially since I was planning on blending six gallons in the end anyway. Might as well do it now - save the mess, frustration and heartache.
> 
> I pulled out four gallons from each active ferment and mixed it in a 18 gallon vessel.
> 
> ...



Wish I'd seen this last night. I would have slept much better.


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## crushday (May 16, 2020)

It’s a good thing I removed 4 gallons each... Even still, about to overflow. 

Just punched down for second time today. Cap is forming immediately and before I was completely done punching down all three.

Got a small whiff of SO2 on the blend so I added nutrient to all three. 

Merlot:




Cabernet:


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## CDrew (May 16, 2020)

crushday said:


> Got a small whiff of SO2 on the blend so I added nutrient to all three.



Yep-once those skins inflate with CO2, they have a mind of their own. I had 30 gallons of Tempranillo that almost snuck out of a 44 gallon fermenter this past fall. Failed by less than 1 cm.

Regarding the H2S--Both fermentations? How significant? What nutrient, and what had been the prior nutrient regimen?

It still looks fantastic from here.


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## crushday (May 16, 2020)

CDrew said:


> Regarding the SO2--Both fermentations? How significant? What nutrient, and what had been the prior nutrient regimen?



SO2: Right now, just the blend... I’m hoping that will be exclusive.

Prior nutrient regimen: pre yeast I added OptiRed and GoFerm. After fermentation started, I put in 10gm of FermAid and just added another 20gm of FermAid after I smelled the SO2 in the blend.

Here’s a pic of the adjuncts...


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## sour_grapes (May 16, 2020)

crushday said:


> It’s a good thing I removed 4 gallons each... Even still, about to overflow.
> 
> Just punched down for second time today. Cap is forming immediately and before I was completely done punching down all three.
> 
> Got a small whiff of SO2 on the blend so I added nutrient to all three.



Did your whiff smell like rotten eggs? If so, that is probably H2S, which is the expected byproduct from yeast metabolism in absence of enough N-bearing nutrients. SO2 smells more like burnt match.


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## crushday (May 16, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> Did your whiff smell like rotten eggs? If so, that is probably H2S, which is the expected byproduct from yeast metabolism in absence of enough N-bearing nutrients. SO2 smells more like burnt match.


It was rotten eggs. Am I doing the right thing?


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## sour_grapes (May 16, 2020)

Yup, nutrients is the preventative measure for rotten eggs. If the case is mild, the cure is some aeration.


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## sour_grapes (May 16, 2020)

Here is my once-upon-a-time writeup of what my understanding is of the process:



sour_grapes said:


> From my reading of the primary and secondary literature, this is my understanding of H2S production and its relation to N deficiency. Proteins are made of amino acids, and two important amino acids contain sulfur. The yeast has to provide the sulfur to form these compounds to the proper organelle during protein synthesis. It does so in the form of H2S, which it extracts from more complex sulfur-containing compounds. One organelle passes the H2S off to the organelle responsible for protein synthesis.
> 
> However, nitrogen is a major component of amino acids (hence the root _amine_, from _ammonia_.) If there is a dearth of N, the organelle responsible for synthesizing the sulfur-containing amino acid cannot do its job; this results in a surfeit of H2S, which the yeast then excretes.
> 
> ...


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## stickman (May 16, 2020)

If you are getting H2S mid fermentation, then definitely stay on top of the nutrient additions, you'll need probably an additional gram per gallon Fermaid K at the 10 or 12 brix mark. If you start smelling H2S at 5 brix, it'll be too late for more nutrients. Oxygen is also an issue, by only punching you're not getting enough oxygen incorporated, run a fan over the top during punching, or use a fish tank air pump and submerged sparge lance during punching.


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## Boatboy24 (May 16, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> Did your whiff smell like rotten eggs? If so, that is probably H2S, which is the expected byproduct from yeast metabolism in absence of enough N-bearing nutrients. SO2 smells more like burnt match.



Glad you asked that question. I just assumed it was a rotten egg/nutrient issue.


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## crushday (May 16, 2020)

I just punched down and didn’t smell H2S on this round. Nutrients must be working...

I have Reduless if I need it...


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## crushday (May 16, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> Here is my once-upon-a-time writeup of what my understanding is of the process:



Well writen! Nice job. Very informative.


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## Johnd (May 17, 2020)

crushday said:


> I just punched down and didn’t smell H2S on this round. Nutrients must be working...
> 
> I have Reduless if I need it...



NO!!! Don’t keep that on hand, it’s like a Dirty Harry carrying a gunshot wound repair kit!! Focus on staying out of the gunfight.


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## crushday (May 17, 2020)

Johnd said:


> NO!!! Don’t keep that on hand, it’s like a Dirty Harry carrying a gunshot wound repair kit!! Focus on staying out of the gunfight.


Point well taken, @Johnd ... I just punched down, I’m certain that any H2S is coming from the Merlot with the RP15. Has anyone else had this show up with RP15? The blend, where I first got a whiff is not giving me that report now. But, the Merlot is so I added 10gm more nutrients and punched 3x longer than normal. Any thing else?


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## crushday (May 17, 2020)

Update: I’m overall really pleased with how this ferment is going. Temps this morning have reached their peak at 77 degrees. I’d be concerned if I haven’t already gotten good color extraction. I can only assume all the other goodies needing extracted are helped along by the EX-V. I’ve been keeping my ferment room at 70 degrees. Since it’s been raining here all week, we’ve had high temps in the low 60’s. It’s projected to continue this cooling trend.


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## Johnd (May 17, 2020)

crushday said:


> Point well taken, @Johnd ... I just punched down, I’m certain that any H2S is coming from the Merlot with the RP15. Has anyone else had this show up with RP15? The blend, where I first got a whiff is not giving me that report now. But, the Merlot is so I added 10gm more nutrients and punched 3x longer than normal. Any thing else?



Nope, good punches to aerate well, and additional nutrients should serve well. It’s hard to predict whether you need the “recommended dose” or not when you don’t have YAN numbers. RP 15 has low to moderate nutrient needs, so the Merlot was probably a low YAN must. Just keep up with it like you have been, and consider adding a tad more MLB nutrients to keep the two from competing.


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## CDrew (May 17, 2020)

I had some possible issues with RP15 as well. Not sure what conclusions to draw though. Details here:

Vintage 2019 Starting at #34

In the end, I tossed 10 gallons of wine, but I'm still not sure if it was me, the particular grapes, the RP15 or some other problem. I'm going to try the RP15 again just to prove things to myself one way or the other in the future.


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## Ajmassa (May 17, 2020)

I must confess, I also keep an emergency stash of Reduless! You are not alone my friend! (Plus a piece of copper pipe to stir a sample for confirming h2s—- like a first aid kit—though I never had to use them). 
For guys like us still learning the ropes having it around just gives a little sense of comfort. Does for me at least.
But Dirty Harry status does sounds kinda awesome. And look forward to reaching that point one day!
I’ve been using Renascence Avante yeast recently which was designed for 100% h2s prevention—-quite an amazing quality for a yeast culture if ya ask me. (Also has high tolerances, & eats ~30% malic acid)


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## Boatboy24 (May 17, 2020)

FWIW, I've used RP15 several times and had no issues.


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## sour_grapes (May 17, 2020)

Count me as a Reduless-dose-in-reserve person, as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Dirty Harry had a first-aid kit in the glovebox of that Ford Custom 500.


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## crushday (May 17, 2020)

Boatboy24 said:


> FWIW, I've used RP15 several times and had no issues.


I wonder... after I added the TA, the pH jumped to 3.92...


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## Ajmassa (May 17, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> Count me as a Reduless-dose-in-reserve person, as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Dirty Harry had a first-aid kit in the glovebox of that Ford Custom 500.


Blasphemy! At most maybe a needle & thread with a bottle of whisky.


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## crushday (May 18, 2020)

Update: SG on Cabernet is 1.029 and on the Merlot, 1.034. The blend is 1.017. I’m estimating that the gravity will dip below 1.000 by Tuesday morning for the blend and the Cab and Merlot on Wednesday evening.

I don’t really want to press until Saturday. I could do it earlier but I’d really like to wait. Can anyone speak out of their experience if it will be damaging to stay in primary for a few extra days? It’s going to be throwing CO2 and the skins will sink as the fermentation lessens.

If I have to, I can carve out the time but don’t want to...


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## sour_grapes (May 18, 2020)

I cannot answer your question. However, I comment that you could slow down the fermentation with frozen water jugs to try to match your desired timing.


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## Rusty Nesmith (May 18, 2020)

I used to live in Livermore. A lot of good wineries there.


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## Johnd (May 18, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> Count me as a Reduless-dose-in-reserve person, as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Dirty Harry had a first-aid kit in the glovebox of that Ford Custom 500.



No Paul. No, he did not.


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## Johnd (May 18, 2020)

crushday said:


> Update: SG on Cabernet is 1.029 and on the Merlot, 1.034. The blend is 1.017. I’m estimating that the gravity will dip below 1.000 by Tuesday morning for the blend and the Cab and Merlot on Wednesday evening.
> 
> I don’t really want to press until Saturday. I could do it earlier but I’d really like to wait. Can anyone speak out of their experience if it will be damaging to stay in primary for a few extra days? It’s going to be throwing CO2 and the skins will sink as the fermentation lessens.
> 
> If I have to, I can carve out the time but don’t want to...



For the same reasons we rack our wine off of the gross lees 3 days after pressing, I’d think you would want to leave the skins behind after AF has ended. If AF is still dribbling along on Wednesday, doesn’t seem like an issue to wait til Saturday. 
That said, very few times in its existence will wine punish you for not being timely, and they’re all in the first weeks of its life, harvest, and fermentation. Most of the time, if you don’t mess with it, it improves, this isn’t one of those times. Don’t foul up a beautiful batch of wine by making it fit your plan, press when it’s ready, not you.


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## crushday (May 18, 2020)

Johnd said:


> Don’t foul up a beautiful batch of wine by making it fit your plan, press when it’s ready, not you.


@Johnd Stellar advice.


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## crushday (May 20, 2020)

Update: it’s been the mid ferment grind, punching twice daily and chasing off foul scents...

Here’s a pic of the Merlot gravity. I didn’t temp adjust, but at 77 degrees it’s at .996

The blend is matching the Merlot but the Cab is behind and at 1.010.

I’m sure I’ll be pressing tomorrow after work. Could be a late night getting everything out, sanitized, moved to secondary and cleaned up.


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## CDrew (May 20, 2020)

What's the word on the H2S? Crossing my fingers it's all gone.


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## crushday (May 20, 2020)

@CDrew - it’s gone but it’s been a struggle. I burned through my nutrients and have been aerating like a mad man. I checked myself in the mirror and there’s a noticeable difference in my biceps and forearm muscle as a result. I think I’ve lost weight too...lol.

I’ll taste test tomorrow too...


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## crushday (May 21, 2020)

Update: Everything is pressed and is now in secondary for the next couple of weeks. Right now I’m looking for advice on how to extract the free run wine. Here’s how I’ve been doing it: I have a hops mesh cone that I push down in to the must. I then insert a racking cane in the cone and pump using a self priming pump. The hops cone clogs easily as I believe it’s 100 microns. I’m only able to get a few gallons before I have to fidget with the cone to get more liquid flowing into it. There’s got to be an easier way.

I was able to get 23 gallons of Merlot, 23 gallons of Cab and 8 gallons 50/50 blend.

Here’s a pic of the Merlot getting pumped:








And, the cab...


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## sour_grapes (May 21, 2020)

Sounds like you need a "Gajillion Hole Pipe": Racking From Large Fermenter


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## crushday (May 21, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> Sounds like you need a "Gajillion Hole Pipe": Racking From Large Fermenter


Brilliant - I’ll make one soon...

thanks!


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## Johnd (May 22, 2020)

crushday said:


> Brilliant - I’ll make one soon...
> 
> thanks!


Surely, this can’t be your first exposure to the GHP?


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## cmason1957 (May 22, 2020)

I use a wooden press very similar to the one you have and mix together the free run with the pressed juice. I am of the opinion that I can't press hard enough to break seeds and introduce that kind of tannin into my batches. I just scoop out of my fermenting buckets, everything into the press, catch whatever comes out. No need for a Gazillion Hole Pipe, even though I have one. I did use it once and thought it was more trouble than it was worth.


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## crushday (May 22, 2020)

Johnd said:


> Surely, this can’t be your first exposure to the GHP?


It is my first exposure. However, this is only my third attempt at using grapes and open fermenting. When making kits in the conicals I use, all you do is empty the collection ball. Then, drain into the carboy. This is a completely different medium and process. I’m making a GHP tomorrow.


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## crushday (May 22, 2020)

cmason1957 said:


> I just scoop out of my fermenting buckets, everything into the press, catch whatever comes out.



I do this too and it’s incredibly messy. Splashes everywhere! I’ve considered wrapping the outside of the basket with cling wrap but haven’t done that yet.


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## Johnd (May 22, 2020)

crushday said:


> I do this too and it’s incredibly messy. Splashes everywhere! I’ve considered wrapping the outside of the basket with cling wrap but haven’t done that yet.


Saran wrap around the basket is a huge mess preventer, give it a shot for sure!!!


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## cmason1957 (May 22, 2020)

crushday said:


> I do this too and it’s incredibly messy. Splashes everywhere! I’ve considered wrapping the outside of the basket with cling wrap but haven’t done that yet.



I have found if you get a smaller pitcher and make certain the top of the pitcher is below the level of the basket before pouring, the mess isn't nearly as bad and gentle pouring helps as well. My wife has the absolute touch with it, but it can be done. Then all you have to worry about is the liquid squirting out as you press, but anytime that happens, we just stop cranking and let it take care of the problem by itself.


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## sour_grapes (May 22, 2020)

+1 on Saran wrap.


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## crushday (Jun 15, 2020)

I did a chromatography test yesterday. Got the results this morning after it dried overnight. Looks like I’m good to add KMeta and rack to storage.

Funny thing happened... This was the first time I’d done a test like this. I ordered my test kit from MoreWine. All the packages were labeled with bottles inside. I assumed when opening the packages that the bottles would also be labeled. It wasn't until after I threw all the packaging away that I realized the “standards” were not labeled. So now I have three similar sized bottles with visually similar contents. Oh, crap...

You’ll see by the labeling on my test sheet that I got two wrong. It’s a good thing science is consistent. I now know which bottle is which, lol...

I desaturated this image to make it easier to read.


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## cmason1957 (Jun 15, 2020)

I am always overly cautious on saying, yep MLF is done. Chromotography cannot read anything below about 50 PPM and you can't really know how much malic acid you have left based on the test. Just that you might have some, so I always wait an extra two weeks or even a month after I think it is done to declare it done and add KMeta. Just in Case. I do stop opening and stirring after a test like this.


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## Boatboy24 (Jun 15, 2020)

I let it go another couple weeks as well.

Don't worry about the standards. I don't even use 'em anymore.


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## crushday (Jun 15, 2020)

Boatboy24 said:


> I let it go another couple weeks as well.
> 
> Don't worry about the standards. I don't even use 'em anymore.


Jim, clearly I’m an absolute noob here.... So, the standards are only for my evaluative benefit and don’t residually affect the test in any way?

One of the videos (there were no instructions with the kit) that I watched to educate myself seemed to have a line of wine tests and no standards. Although I did notice that I didn’t know what that meant until now. 

Please confirm the standards are not necessary with the understanding that LA is always on top, MA is in the middle and TA is on the bottom - consistently. Thanks...


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## Ajmassa (Jun 15, 2020)

yes. Standards are for identifying exactly where each acid will fall in your wine samples tested. 

they’re useful because chroma tests are always black n white. Sometimes spots can drag, accidental spots appear, or just not be 100% clear. Standards help confirmation of results.
You don’t _need_ them. But are useful.


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## Boatboy24 (Jun 15, 2020)

What AJ said.


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## stickman (Jun 15, 2020)

I have used the standards in the past, but these days I'm too lazy to bother with them, though they do have some value. Based on the intensity of the spot that develops from the standard, it gives some idea of the sensitivity of the test. The standard is .3% which is 3g/l which is the same as 3,000ppm, and given that the standard spot is fairly dim, it tells you the test is not that sensitive. As @cmason1957 said, the malic spot will disappear long before ML completion. I've never tried it, but it wouldn't be a bad idea for someone to dilute the standard by a factor of 10, and run it the next time while testing their wine. The diluted standard sample would give an idea of what a 300ppm spot would look like.


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## grapesforwine (Sep 3, 2020)

Looking really nice! Livermore valley grapes are truly top-notch!


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