# Chilean Juice first bucket



## kat50496 (Apr 21, 2014)

Picked up my first bucket this weekend at Gentile's in North Royalton after seeing them mentioned on the forum. Vince is very helpful and seems to have a good inventory available. I picked up one Bello Chilean Carmenere as my first attempt.

I don't have plans to add grapes to the must, but was wondering if the addition of post ferment tannin is recommended. If so, what tannin would you recommend and at what dose? If I were to try this I would split the batch into 2 3gal. carboys and add tannin to one as a test. 

Any other suggestions welcome as well - Thanks


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## shoebiedoo (Apr 21, 2014)

I would get a pound of raisins to the must when rack to secondary (at aprox. 1.10sg) that will help add some body. I tried it with my Malbec last year and was happy with the results


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## pjd (Apr 21, 2014)

I agree with Shoebiedoo, add the raisins. I bought 10 buckets of the Bello Chilean Carmenere last spring, added one pound of raisins to each bucket, added one tablespoon of tannin then after taste testing I added another tablespoon of tannin. the wine is now a year old, is ready to bottle and is fantastic!


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## Julie (Apr 22, 2014)

Yes, adding a finishing tannin would really help the wine a lot.


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## kat50496 (Apr 22, 2014)

Steve, Julie, Phil - thanks for the suggestions. I think I will split the batch and add raisons in secondary to one for comparison. What tannin do you recommend? I see that FVW has Tan Rich, stated as a replacement for Tan Cor Grand Cru, would this be the right one to try? Thanks again


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## Julie (Apr 22, 2014)

Yes Tan Rich is a good choice and please post up your finings on the comparison. I know there would be a lot of members interested.


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## geek (Apr 22, 2014)

The Tannin Riche is a finishing tannin used more a few weeks before you bottle.
If it were me, I'd add Tannin Complex that is also an aging tannin.


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## Julie (Apr 22, 2014)

Geek, that is what I told him to add, a finishing tannin.


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## kevinlfifer (Apr 22, 2014)

I am going Wed 4/23 (tomorrow) to pick up 5-6 pails. Any suggestions or recommendations as to which varietals. I figure a Malbec is a must, and I'm out of Petite Syrah, but the other 4 pails are to yet be decided.


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## Julie (Apr 22, 2014)

Chilean Zinfandel is pretty good.


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## shrive22 (Apr 22, 2014)

When would you recommend adding oak chips? I bought some American light and French medium. I've already started fermentation. And as of yesterday a few if my buckets were around 1.060. Do you even have to add oak? 

What kind of raisins do you add at secondary? Will regular sun-maid raisins from the grocery store work? I have a Pinot noir, Syrah and cab sauv. Never done juice buckets before just kits. 


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## shrive22 (Apr 23, 2014)

Does anybody have any input? I'd really appreciate it. 


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## kat50496 (Apr 23, 2014)

Steve, 

How did you add the raisins to secondary - loose or in a bag? I picked up a pound of dried zante currents at Whole Foods and am thinking of adding them to the Carmenere juice. Going into secondary, did you just add them free to the carboy? Thanks


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## sour_grapes (Apr 23, 2014)

If you have oak chips, I'd go ahead and add them at this point to the Cab Sauv and the Syrah. Pinot needs less oaking.


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## shrive22 (Apr 23, 2014)

Sour_grapes thanks for the reply and info. 


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## cintipam (Apr 23, 2014)

Put the raisins in a bag. I've seen a couple posts where folks had a raisin get sucked into the autosiphon when trying to rack. Its a real pain to get out if that happens. So I recommend putting everything into a bag. It makes it soooo much easier down the road. Easier to grab and squeeze too! I don't squeeze oak chips tho.

Pam in cinti


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## kevinlfifer (Apr 24, 2014)

I picked up : Malbec, Petite Syrah, Cab Sauv, Carmenere, and Zin. I'll add rasins to the secondary with a couple TBS of tannin to each.

Starting SG pretty low on some:
Malbec 1.086
Carmenere 1.084
Cab 1.086
Zin 1.074
Petite 1.092

Did any of you have similar sg or are they just underway. I wonder if I need to add some sugar.


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## sour_grapes (Apr 24, 2014)

I certainly would chaptalize the Zin, or else you are looking at less than 10.5% ABV. Personally, I would probably boost them all to at least 12.5%. (So, about 1.090 SG)


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## WI_Wino (Apr 24, 2014)

kevinlfifer said:


> I picked up : Malbec, Petite Syrah, Cab Sauv, Carmenere, and Zin. I'll add rasins to the secondary with a couple TBS of tannin to each.
> 
> Starting SG pretty low on some:
> Malbec 1.086
> ...



My Bello Chilean Carmenere buckets were 1.100 when I opened them up. My guess is your buckets have started fermenting.


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## jhawk (Apr 24, 2014)

With adding raisins to the secondary. Are they placed in whole or cut up. I am going with a blend of Merlot Cabernet and Sangiovese juice buckets and I like the idea of raisins for extra body. Figured 30 day soak on the raisins, racked it, MLF it(which will be my first time) then a soak on oak chips.


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## shrive22 (May 2, 2014)

I just measured the ph of my first Chilean juice buckets. They are at sg of about .994

Syrah - 3.27
Cab sauv - 3.17
Pinot noir - 3.08

Are these a little low? Can I still increase the ph? 




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## shrive22 (May 2, 2014)

Is it too late to add raisins for added body? Will the sugar from the raisins ferment or sweeten the wine? 


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## Julie (May 2, 2014)

kevinlfifer said:


> I picked up : Malbec, Petite Syrah, Cab Sauv, Carmenere, and Zin. I'll add rasins to the secondary with a couple TBS of tannin to each.
> 
> Starting SG pretty low on some:
> Malbec 1.086
> ...



I agree with WI_Wino, your wines were fermenting. Every Chilean bucket I ever had sg was always around 1.090.


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## Boatboy24 (May 2, 2014)

shrive22 said:


> I just measured the ph of my first Chilean juice buckets. They are at sg of about .994
> 
> Syrah - 3.27
> Cab sauv - 3.17
> ...



Are you fully degassed? I don't know if that'll throw the reading off or not, but those are low. Pinot is really low.


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## shrive22 (May 2, 2014)

No. I haven't de gassed yet. I've searched elsewhere and it seems that co2 will throw off tests. 


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