# California Chardonnay Bucket.



## jgmann67 (Oct 29, 2016)

I started this bucket in September. Hoping to finish MLF in the next week or two (should know better tomorrow when the test results come in). 

I added oak chips in the primary and another 30 Gr of oak during secondary. Medium French. 

Hoping I can rack and Kmeta the wine soon. 

I may add oak cubes in the finish. Anyone else doing a chard bucket. If so, any suggestions? Tweakery that you might recommend?


----------



## heatherd (Oct 29, 2016)

@jgmann67 I did a Chard bucket with oak and MLF also, and it turned out really well.


----------



## jgmann67 (Oct 30, 2016)

heatherd said:


> @jgmann67 I did a Chard bucket with oak and MLF also, and it turned out really well.




On oak - what kind and how much??


----------



## ceeaton (Oct 30, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> Hoping to finish MLF in the next week or two (should know better tomorrow when the test results come in).



Keep stirring. It's still drying so I'll post a picture this evening after my 100 mile round trip to Lancaster today. Preliminary results show little or no movement yet, but I'll let you be the judge of that tonight.


----------



## jgmann67 (Oct 30, 2016)

ceeaton said:


> Keep stirring. It's still drying so I'll post a picture this evening after my 100 mile round trip to Lancaster today. Preliminary results show little or no movement yet, but I'll let you be the judge of that tonight.




Well that's not good....


----------



## heatherd (Oct 30, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> On oak - what kind and how much??



I checked my notes and didn't write it down. Sorry.


----------



## ceeaton (Oct 30, 2016)

Chard is the first one after the TML benchmarks (ie. in the middle). Looks about the same (as I remember the Chard didn't have a ton of malic to begin with).


----------



## Boatboy24 (Oct 31, 2016)

The Petite Sirah - no progress?


----------



## jgmann67 (Oct 31, 2016)

Boatboy24 said:


> The Petite Sirah - no progress?



Very little, unfortunately. I put the brew belt back on and gave it a good stir this morning. If I don't see some movement in a couple weeks, then we'll think about a different MLB.


----------



## ceeaton (Oct 31, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> Very little, unfortunately. I put the brew belt back on and gave it a good stir this morning. If I don't see some movement in a couple weeks, then we'll think about a different MLB.



I think the brew belt is a good course of action. I did notice a bit of a nip in the air when you first opened the wine room door on Saturday.


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 2, 2016)

Stirred the Chardonnay this morning and checked temps. It's at about 74*. I have it situated right next to the PS (which has the brew belt attached) and I opened up the basement doors to get more air/heat. The air temps, btw, are around 69* down there.


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 6, 2016)

On the theory that oak will fade into the background over time, I added another 30g of French M chips and gave the wine a good stir this morning.


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 12, 2016)

Dosed with kmeta and gave it a good stir. I'll rack this off the oak in a few weeks, then we'll let this clear a while. Is there a downside to using a clarifier to get the wine to clear a little faster?


----------



## jpftribe (Nov 15, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> Dosed with kmeta and gave it a good stir. I'll rack this off the oak in a few weeks, then we'll let this clear a while. Is there a downside to using a clarifier to get the wine to clear a little faster?



So was the MLF completed or are you just stopping it where it is at?


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 15, 2016)

There wasn't a lot of malic acid in there to begin with. So, I just pulled the plug.


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 20, 2016)

I dropped some clarifier in the wine today. The Sauvignon Blanc was clearing much faster than the chard bucket and I got a little antsy. The packet said it would be completely clear in 12 to 48 hours. Given it looks like banana juice when stirred up, my money is on 48 hours or more...


----------



## ceeaton (Nov 21, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> I dropped some clarifier in the wine today. The Sauvignon Blanc was clearing much faster than the chard bucket and I got a little antsy. The packet said it would be completely clear in 12 to 48 hours. Given it looks like banana juice when stirred up, my money is on 48 hours or more...



I give mine a minimum of 10 days so that it gets nice and compact on the bottom and makes racking easier. You could put it out in the garage too, I have three carboys out there doing the cold stabilization thing.


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 21, 2016)

ceeaton said:


> I give mine a minimum of 10 days so that it gets nice and compact on the bottom and makes racking easier. You could put it out in the garage too, I have three carboys out there doing the cold stabilization thing.



As soon as Mrs. Mann finishes her cabinet painting for the year (when it just gets too dang cold to paint out there anymore), I'll be putting a few wines out there.


----------



## Boatboy24 (Nov 21, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> As soon as Mrs. Mann finishes her cabinet painting for the year (when it just gets too dang cold to paint out there anymore), I'll be putting a few wines out there.



Just be careful, as that can throw your acidity off. Unless of course, that is your goal.


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 21, 2016)

Boatboy24 said:


> Just be careful, as that can throw your acidity off. Unless of course, that is your goal.



The goal is to get rid of the wine diamonds before bottling. Will need to monitor acidity and adjust as necessary.


----------



## Boatboy24 (Nov 21, 2016)

Where is your pH currently?


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 21, 2016)

Boatboy24 said:


> Where is your pH currently?



I haven't tested the pH since I started it. Don't really recall it being anything out of the ordinary, though.


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 21, 2016)

24 hours later.


----------



## jgmann67 (Nov 25, 2016)

It was crystal clear, so I racked it off the lees and spent oak. It's topped off (Bogle) and resting. It will take a few days for it to clear up again.


----------



## jgmann67 (Dec 17, 2016)

The wine is perfectly clear. It is light and fruity, with just a bit of tart to it. I suppose it wouldn't be a bad thing to check the ph again sometime. Wish I'd had the MLF sorted out for this, even though there wasn't much Malic acid in it to begin with. 

I guess I'm wondering how long to keep it in the carboy? Typically a kit will sit six months. Also, is there anything more to be done other than wait.


----------



## ceeaton (Dec 17, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> The wine is perfectly clear. It is light and fruity, with just a bit of tart to it. I suppose it wouldn't be a bad thing to check the ph again sometime. Wish I'd had the MLF sorted out for this, even though there wasn't much Malic acid in it to begin with.
> 
> I guess I'm wondering how long to keep it in the carboy? Typically a kit will sit six months. Also, is there anything more to be done other than wait.


If you want to check the pH, either invite me over for Christmas cookies or send a sample home with my Brother. If you really want to do a cheap MLF, add some of the dregs from your PS, with as little liquid as possible, into that batch. It'll eat up that Malic in no time. I would agree there was very little in that bucket from the test results I saw, so I wouldn't fret about it.

I'd watch for any powdery stuff in the bottom of your carboy, I tend to wait longer now since I've had some sediment in earlier batches. I'd think six months would be great, plus it keeps you from drinking it too fast if it is in the carboy.


----------



## jgmann67 (Dec 17, 2016)

ceeaton said:


> I'd watch for any powdery stuff in the bottom of your carboy, I tend to wait longer now since I've had some sediment in earlier batches. I'd think six months would be great, plus it keeps you from drinking it too fast if it is in the carboy.




Powdery white stuff is sufficiently gathered at the bottom of the carboy. Maybe we test before bottling. Are those wine crystals?


----------



## jgmann67 (Dec 28, 2016)

I want to rack this wine. But, before I do I have a question. This wine has a very light and fruity taste... almost delicate. Is there something I should be doing to help this wine develop into something more? I know, it may be a weird question.


----------



## ceeaton (Dec 28, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> I want to rack this wine. But, before I do I have a question. This wine has a very light and fruity taste... almost delicate. Is there something I should be doing to help this wine develop into something more? I know, it may be a weird question.



Can you discern any of the oak that you added? Maybe it can use some more? But nothing wrong with a delicate fruity chardonnay. Some of the store bought ones are a little too much in your face with both the oak and the body.

I usually add some Opti-white to my white wine juice buckets to add a bit of mouth feel. Would have to make a like batch with and without to really see if there is a difference. It makes be feel better to add it though, and feelings are more important than reality in our world today.


----------



## jgmann67 (Dec 28, 2016)

I get oak but only on the margins.


----------



## ceeaton (Dec 28, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> I get oak but only on the margins.



As it ages that fruitiness will probably lessen and allow some more oak to come through. I know it is different, but the Eclipse DC Chard really did lose its fruitiness with time. I'm taking a 14 month old bottle to our family get together to drink and use our memory to compare what it was like last Christmas. I know my older brother, who made the same kit last Spring doesn't like it anymore now that the fruitiness has died back. I told him he just had to drink it faster!


----------



## jgmann67 (Dec 29, 2016)

Interesting.... I wonder what 30g of oak would add? And, what kind? The French med toast did a nice job on the Aussie chard. And, the oak I dropped so far was also Fr Med toast. I'd just go cubes instead of chips.


----------



## ceeaton (Dec 29, 2016)

jgmann67 said:


> Interesting.... I wonder what 30g of oak would add? And, what kind? The French med toast did a nice job on the Aussie chard. And, the oak I dropped so far was also Fr Med toast. I'd just go cubes instead of chips.



I only have Am med + cubes and chips on hand. There's always Sir Scotzins. Was in there yesterday to get stuff to make a batch of beer since I have empty kegs and found out they aren't going to carry leaf hops anymore, argh. I'll have to admit they were hoppin' for 3 pm on a Wednesday.


----------



## jgmann67 (Dec 30, 2016)

ceeaton said:


> I only have Am med + cubes and chips on hand. There's always Sir Scotzins. Was in there yesterday to get stuff to make a batch of beer since I have empty kegs and found out they aren't going to carry leaf hops anymore, argh. I'll have to admit they were hoppin' for 3 pm on a Wednesday.




I was going to make a trip this weekend and see what they have. Decided instead to drop 60 gr of French medium oak chips. I'll let it sit a few weeks and rack off the chips and diamonds.


----------



## jgmann67 (Jan 15, 2017)

Since life will be getting crazy and time will be in short supply, I racked this off the residue, diamonds and oak chips. It's still a little tart, but otherwise very pleasant. Need to test the ph and see where that is. I think if the ph is right, I'm done futzing with this one. 

3 more months in the carboy and then in to the bottle.


----------



## jgmann67 (May 29, 2017)

I gave this one a taste this afternoon. Light and fruity, almost delicate. Not sure what else there is to be done except bottle it.... well. And drink it, that is.


----------



## ceeaton (May 29, 2017)

jgmann67 said:


> I gave this one a taste this afternoon. Light and fruity, almost delicate. Not sure what else there is to be done except bottle it.... well. And drink it, that is.



And save me a bottle!

Thinking of getting one of those buckets this fall. I did a WE SE California Chardonnay for my Mom's b-day, and the latest tastings are pretty good for a four month old wine. I can only imagine how much improved yours is at twice the age.

She's in her early 80's so I only have so much time to find the Chard that she likes the best. I've always loved the PG buckets I've purchased in the past, so I think a Chardonnay bucket is a no brainer, plus she likes oak so I can accomodate that request.


----------



## jgmann67 (May 31, 2017)

ceeaton said:


> And save me a bottle!
> 
> Thinking of getting one of those buckets this fall. I did a WE SE California Chardonnay for my Mom's b-day, and the latest tastings are pretty good for a four month old wine. I can only imagine how much improved yours is at twice the age.
> 
> She's in her early 80's so I only have so much time to find the Chard that she likes the best. I've always loved the PG buckets I've purchased in the past, so I think a Chardonnay bucket is a no brainer, plus she likes oak so I can accomodate that request.




We'll bottle eventually. Of course there's a bottle or two in there for you. Your opinion would be appreciated - next time you're over, you can taste it and tell me what it's missing... maybe some dried apricot might give it a little kick.


----------



## jgmann67 (Jun 5, 2018)

Reviewing this old thread and thinking about fall grapes/juice. 

If I did another chard bucket, I was thinking it might be a good idea to make a peach/apricot/mango fpac while they’re in season and throw it in the freezer for the fall.

Also, I wonder - should I do grapes instead of juice?


----------



## Boatboy24 (Jun 5, 2018)

jgmann67 said:


> Reviewing this old thread and thinking about fall grapes/juice.
> 
> If I did another chard bucket, I was thinking it might be a good idea to make a peach/apricot/mango fpac while they’re in season and throw it in the freezer for the fall.
> 
> Also, I wonder - should I do grapes instead of juice?



For whites, I don't see the point in paying more for grapes and having to do more work. A white wine juice bucket is almost too damn easy. FWIW, I throw some dried mango and apricot in my Viognier juice buckets.


----------



## jgmann67 (Jun 6, 2018)

Boatboy24 said:


> For whites, I don't see the point in paying more for grapes and having to do more work. A white wine juice bucket is almost too damn easy. FWIW, I throw some dried mango and apricot in my Viognier juice buckets.



The only think I can think of is the quality of the juice.


----------



## Boatboy24 (Jun 6, 2018)

jgmann67 said:


> The only think I can think of is the quality of the juice.



Perhaps. But you have to think about the quality of the grapes too.  IMHO, white wine from juice buckets is a screaming good value. And if you're going to add fruit and/or make it off dry, 'quality juice' has a much broader definition. No other way you can make some decent summer 'porch pounders' for under $2/bottle.


----------



## Johnd (Jun 6, 2018)

Boatboy24 said:


> Perhaps. But you have to think about the quality of the grapes too.  IMHO, white wine from juice buckets is a screaming good value.



I have to agree, having made some truly wonderful white wines from pressed, settled, frozen juice buckets, every bit as good if not better than most white wines I've ever tasted. Too bad white wine's not one of my favorites..........


----------



## jburtner (Jun 6, 2018)

> summer 'porch pounders' for under $2/bottle.



Maybe $4/bottle with frozen bucket shipping but well worth it I think. And adding some dried or fresh fruit maceration into secondary or whatever you like is pretty nice too!

Now I really want to open a nice cold bottle of smooth sur lie mango chardonnay as the heat kicks it up a couple notches. 

Cheers!
-jb


----------



## jgmann67 (Jun 6, 2018)

Mango, peach and apricot make my list for fruits for a white wine fpac in the primary. 

Will go over to Joe’s threads on the subject to be sure on a few things (e.g. skins or no). But I’m liking the idea more and more.


----------



## ceeaton (Jun 6, 2018)

jgmann67 said:


> Mango, peach and apricot make my list for fruits for a white wine fpac in the primary.
> 
> Will go over to Joe’s threads on the subject to be sure on a few things (e.g. skins or no). But I’m liking the idea more and more.


I've made a peach/mango (using frozen fruit from BJs) and, humph, Welches white grape/peach concentrate. I can only imagine it would be better with a chardonnay juice bucket. My last peach/mango try had 8 lbs of frozen mangos, 4 lbs of frozen peaches and 128 oz of Vintner's Harvest peach wine base and 12 peach/white grape frozen concentrates. It was rather "peachy" but good. And you could still taste some of the white grape (Niagara can be rather intense).


----------

