# 2011 Chilean Carmenere



## joea132 (May 21, 2011)

I thought I'd document my process here so that other beginners like myself might have an idea what their first batch from grapes would be like! Also so I don't lose my notes.

*The Plan:*

To make a fruit forward dry red wine from Chilean Carmenere grapes. I plan on using a slightly extended maceration and making sure my fermenting temperature hits at least 85F-90F. I will seperate free run and second run juice if possible as an experiment. I plan on sulfiting after crush, adding D254 and adding yeast nutrient when I add yeast and at 18 and 12 brix through the process. I will most likely oak later after it has gone through MLF.

*5/21 - The Crush*

I picked up 15-18lb lugs of Chilean Carmenere grapes from my local supplier today. I brought them home and set them outside while I cleaned the crusher/destemmer and plastic primary fermenter tub I bought. After careful cleaning of both including spraying with sulfite/citric acid solution and scrubbing, I was ready to crush. 

I saw that my grapes weren't in perfect condition and many had been broken open and a couple had white mold on them. I decided that I would add 3 grams of K-Meta per 50 pounds as referenced in "The Way to Make Wine" by Sheridan Warrick. I had 270lbs of grapes total so 270lbs/50lbs=5.4. 5.4x3grams=16.2 grams K-Meta added to achieve this goal. I checked my calculations again and measured out the amount on my grams scale.

I put my crusher/destemmer on my primary bucket and fired that bad boy up. I started trying to sort the grapes and make sure no bad ones went in but it proved to be tedious and I just dumped them in and picked out the few that were really bad (not many.) After about 10 minutes of trying to keep up with the crusher, I stopped to catch up and check everything out. The stems had bound up in the destemming auger and I had to remove them for the machine to keep running.

I PLACED THE MACHINE IN *ZERO MECHANICAL STATE* by unplugging it and pushing in the emergency button. Don't get your fingers near the moving parts, it was bad enough I was skimming the less than perfect grapes out of the hopper while it was running. A coworker (firefighter) just had half his hand chopped off in a lawnmower a month ago so I was extra careful. Seriously, it's not worth it, don't F around. 

I crushed the last few lugs and looked at the mess I had in my garage. I had forgotten to add the K-Meta in all the excitement so I did it then. I poured it over the top and took a deep breath and held it while I mixed it with my arms. I picked up a few unbroken grapes that had fallen and tasted them. They were really sweet and delicious. I squished the last couple in my hand and put them in the fermenter instead of eating them, I'd rather get an alcohol buzz than a sugar buzz...

I then took the crusher and destemmer and started the long and arduous process of cleaning it. I found that I could take off the plastic shroud and the metal part where the grapes fall through but the stems do not. It took one bolt and a washer to get it off. After that I picked up the mess and got testing.

*Test results:*
Temperature: 54F
pH: 3.60
TA: 0.56
Brix: 24
Sulfites: 90ppm

I am extremely pleased with the condition of the grapes and the numbers I got from testing. I feel like the money I've invested in equipment and effort has maybe paid off. Not to mention the help I've gotten from the great people on this site. I'll be uploading the only pictures I could take with my phone shortly.

UPDATE: Here are the pics!













This is what the aftermath looks like when one person is doing everything!









5/22 - Added 10g of Fermax and 4 packets of D254 yeast. Yeast was activated and poured over the top @20:15 and let sit.

5/23 - Signs of fermentation, temperature 60F. Yeast mixed into must @ 15:40. 23 Brix

5/24 - 62F, 21.5 Brix

5/25 - 68F, 17 Brix

5/26 - 74F, 11 Brix. Added 10 grams of Fermax.

5/27 - 75F

5/28 - 73F, 0Brix. Tastes fruity with a velvety mouthfeel.

5/31 - 65F, blanketed with argon gas and secured the top with shrink wrap to seal it off for extended maceration.

6/6 - Tannins seem to be getting stronger

6/9 - Tannins still stronger, maybe less fruit (or is it in my head?)

6/14 - Very strong tannins, blanketed down more argon for protection.

6/17 - Strong tannins

6/19 - Tannins mellowing out? Hard to tell with the alcohol heat. I will try it again in 2 days to see.

6/27 - Press Day. I dragged out the press and sprayed it with a sulfite solution and let it sit. I washed everything off with the hose and assembled the whole thing together including the press liner I made out of pet-resistant screen door replacement screen. I placed the whole press on my wooden stand that I engineered to be perfect for the height of a 5 gallon carboy plus a funnel. I placed some sanitized screen in the funnel to help catch anything that got through. I started scooping up wine and skins in a glass mixing bwl with a handle and pouring it into the press. The liner kept falling in but once a decent amount of skins were in there, it held the line in the right place. After the 5 gallon carboy was full, I pumped it into a waiting demi-john with my Superjet pump. The free run juice filled the demi-john and I estimated I would need one more 5 gallon carboy and a 3 gallon carboy. 

The remainder of the free run juice and a very light pressing filled the 5 gallon carboy to the top. I then placed a sanitized 3 gallon carboy underneath the spout and started cranking down on the press. I backed off on the press and broke apart the pomace with a spoon and my hands and repressed it. I was sure to taste it after every few tunrs to see the tannins build. When I reached the point where I felt the tannins were starting to get harsh, I backed off on the press and pulled out the carboy. I filled airlocks with sanitizer solution and used the appropriate bung to close them off. 

The cleaning was the worst part. Everything was painstakingly hosed off with copious amounts of water and allowed to sun dry. The remaining pomace (pressed grape skins) went into my garden. The inside of the primary fermentor was scrubbed and allowed to dry. Everything was eventually put away and I blew Argon on the 3 gallon carboy that wasn't quite full. I plan on seperating this into 2 - 1 gallon jugs later on but I am freakin' beat! Plus I've got a nice buzz from tasting the wine and enjoying some delicious Anchor Steam Beers. It's cigar time now!

I forgot to mention, the SO2 levels were 40-50 and the pH was 3.53.


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## Tom (May 21, 2011)

U know the drill..

NO PICTURES

IT DIDN'T HAPPEN


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## Tom (May 21, 2011)

Today I got a lug of Carmenere grapes and plan on adding it to the Carmenere juice I just got


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## joea132 (May 21, 2011)

Tom said:


> U know the drill..
> 
> NO PICTURES
> 
> IT DIDN'T HAPPEN



What a pain, I had to email the pictures to myself from my phone then upload them into a gallery then find the source and post them in the forum site! Putting the pictures in is harder than making the damn wine!


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## Wade E (May 21, 2011)

You dont have to upload them into the gallery. I dont use that method. Just use the "Manage attachments" button under "Go Advanced" and find them in your computer and upload them.


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## Runningwolf (May 21, 2011)

Joe great pictures, thanks for sharing. I upload everything to photobucket and then link it here. This is very easy.


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## ibglowin (May 21, 2011)

Great looking grapes and crusher/destemer!


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## Racer (May 21, 2011)

I gotta agree very nice crusher destemmer. And nice job documenting your efforts. 

I usually pull my crusher destemmer operation out into the driveway so I can blast every with a water hose after the work with the grapes is over with. I don't have floor drains in my detached garage.And man can I ever make a mess of things come crush time!


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## gush (May 21, 2011)

Looking good Joe! If we do get something worked out for m&m grapes this fall i think it would be worth the extra 40 minutes from hartford for a bit of hands on experience if you need the help!

I thinks its funny that we are both trying for similar results with this chilean harvest. Carmenere was actually my first choice, but i forget if they had run out at the time or if the wine guy we talked to talked us into the merlot instead.. Either way we chose to do the merlot grapes (pre crushed and destemed), d254, opti-red, mlf culture, and a sample pack of tannin that they threw if incase we need to bump that up. We chose to buy the medium toast french oak chips as well and will most likely use a bit less then the package says (about 1/4 cup per 5 gallons instead of 1/3).

We put the yeast in on sunday. I punched down the cap 3-4x/day and cheked the sg every other day. We were down pretty low friday night but my wine partner blew me off so the grapes sat (with ice bottles in it) till saturday morning to be hand pressed. It was a messy process and i am glad that Ive had the time to come up with a press design, unfortunatly i just havent had the time to put it together yet (the materials are sitting in the garage). My hands were stained purple all day yesterday and the edges of my nails and finger tips are still purple today. The wine smelt delicious! I let the fiance taste the wine as i had tasted it earlier in the week. She said it was very good and fruity, ill take her word for it.. I'm a fan for the suspense, the longer i wait the beter it will be.

We should arrange a bottle swap (or two) if we can figure out a day that we will both be at m&m. I am definatly interested to see how the carmenere comes out in comparison with the merlot with the same yeast.


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## joea132 (May 22, 2011)

Sounds good to me! Carmenere was one of the original Bordeaux grapes that they thought went extinct in the 1800's and was rediscovered in south America years later. They thought they were Merlot grapes for years. Point being carmenere and Merlot of very similar. It should be very interesting to see the differences. How much did you end up getting?


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## gush (May 22, 2011)

We only got 1 bucket (3-lug) and it was about 6-6.25 gallons of must. We hand presseed so we lost a bit because of that and ended up with a about 4.75 gallons worth of wine. We will probably loose another .25-.5 gallons between racking and tasting for the oak, but we both agree that for our first batch of fresh must its worth the investment for the experience and learning that comes with it. Getting "x" bottles a peice is not a huge concern for us on this batch.


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## PCharles (May 22, 2011)

*Crusher Envy*

After reading your posting and viewing your photos, I have a whopping case of Carmenere grape and crusher-destemmer envy! 

You did a great job of documenting your progress and I look forward to your future documentation. I hope to make wine from local grapes later this season. Your experience is very helpful.

Happy fermenting,
Paul


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## joea132 (May 22, 2011)

gush said:


> We only got 1 bucket (3-lug) and it was about 6-6.25 gallons of must. We hand presseed so we lost a bit because of that and ended up with a about 4.75 gallons worth of wine. We will probably loose another .25-.5 gallons between racking and tasting for the oak, but we both agree that for our first batch of fresh must its worth the investment for the experience and learning that comes with it. Getting "x" bottles a peice is not a huge concern for us on this batch.



I picked up a bucket of frozen must over the winter to go for a test run myself. One of the more important thigns I learned was that if you're chemistry is off, fix it BEFORE fermenting. I had low acid and didn't address the issue until after MLF. Now I wish I had added a touch of Tartaric acid before I fermented.


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## gush (May 22, 2011)

joea132 said:


> I picked up a bucket of frozen must over the winter to go for a test run myself. One of the more important thigns I learned was that if you're chemistry is off, fix it BEFORE fermenting. I had low acid and didn't address the issue until after MLF. Now I wish I had added a touch of Tartaric acid before I fermented.


When i find myself in hartford again i am going to bring a sample of wine with me to beer wine hobby and buy a titration kit they have. One of the guys that works there, Rich, said he wouldnt mind showing me how to do it once for the cost of the materials. I know there are guides out there, but there is nothing like doing something with a pro the first time. Unfortuantly this time around it is going to just be what it is, with minor adjustments at the end if needed.


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## Tom (May 22, 2011)

OK ?
How long do you keep a lug of Carmenere grapes in a bucket of Carmenere Juice befor removing?

I have a idea butt, would like to get your feedback.


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## joea132 (May 22, 2011)

Tom said:


> OK ?
> How long do you keep a lug of Carmenere grapes in a bucket of Carmenere Juice befor removing?
> 
> I have a idea butt, would like to get your feedback.



You crushed them and added them to unfermented juice? Or you threw them in whole?


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## Tom (May 22, 2011)

destemed and hand crushed (in straing bag). added pectic, nutrient and yeast so far. When would you remove grapes


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## joea132 (May 23, 2011)

I really don't know if it's the "right" answer per se but I would venture to say that you would treat it just like you were making wine from grapes and remove after it ferments down to 1ish. At that point I would taste it to see if it has enough tannin and color and go from there. You can't really hurt it from leaving it on an extra day or two though.


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## gush (May 26, 2011)

So I found myself at m&m yesterday buying 2 more lugs of grapes. 1 lug of carmenere and 1 lug of malbec. The carmenere grapes were delicious all on their own. The malbec were decent but not as sweet and had a good amount of mold near the bottom of lug. I'll be using rc212 on both and then I also bought a acid test(one that also tests so2 levels). The results on my merlot were 30ppm of so2 (without adding any before or during) and 6.0 acid, which is on the low side but the taste is amazing. It took me and the girlie 2-3 hrs to hand destem and crush 36lbs of grapes. How long did it take for your entire process?


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## JohnT (May 26, 2011)

I plan on doing some chillean this year (carmenere being my first choice). I made chillean for the first time last year and here are my findings... 

1) The grapes did have mold. I gathered a crew of 8 guys to pick through each grape and each cluster. 

2) I did not realize it, but my carmenere was littered with second growth clusters. This resulted in an overly "pepper / grapefruit" taste. SOme like it, but I do not. This year we will be weeding out the second growth clusters to (hopefully) achieve a smoother taste. 

3) I used RC212 (lalvin). Had GREAT results with it. 

4) Put the wine (2010) into this year's Corrado's competition (in january of 2011). at 6 months, the wine was awarded a silver medal. GOT TO DO THIS AGAIN THIS YEAR.


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## joea132 (May 26, 2011)

[Iquote=gush;126752]So I found myself at m&m yesterday buying 2 more lugs of grapes. 1 lug of carmenere and 1 lug of malbec. The carmenere grapes were delicious all on their own. The malbec were decent but not as sweet and had a good amount of mold near the bottom of lug. I'll be using rc212 on both and then I also bought a acid test(one that also tests so2 levels). The results on my merlot were 30ppm of so2 (without adding any before or during) and 6.0 acid, which is on the low side but the taste is amazing. It took me and the girlie 2-3 hrs to hand destem and crush 36lbs of grapes. How long did it take for your entire process?[/quote]

Good for you, you'll thank yourself next year! I don't know if you're aware but m and m will crush for you for a fee. 

It took a good 45 minutes to sanitize the crusher and the vat. The motorized crusher destemmer did 15 cases in less than 10 minutes. Then another 45 to clean it out again and pick up that mess!

I'm guessing you got the Accuvin kit right? As stated in another thread, make sure you're under incandescent light, not fluorescent. Although personally I can't see the color change under either!(


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## ibglowin (May 26, 2011)

Whatever they charge its worth it for sure. I hand destemmed 200lbs last year...... Never again!


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## gush (May 26, 2011)

M&m crushed my last order or grapes for me. I wanted to get more hands on and see how long it would take by hand etc. I also was able to be a bit kore picky about the moldy grapes going into the must. It was actually kind of fun and wasn't too hard to do. 

Eventually, when I buy my next house, I will be planting vines and I wanted to see if it would be feasible to not blow 2k in equipment for crushing and destemmig. I think with a red neck destemer(wire basket over a large bucket) and some tubs for the girls to jump around in for crushing I will be ok for the first year or two. By that time maybe I will be able to afford the crusher and destemer that I ultimately want without making multiple equipment steps to get there. Plus, it will be entertaining. 

I think it is the accuvin test. I will have to read up some more about it onthe forums before using. Thanks for the heads up!


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## ibglowin (May 26, 2011)

Here is a link to a [ame="http://youtu.be/1qjEV_2xmsA"]You Tube Video[/ame] for the Accuvin SO2 test. You need good color perception and proper light for an accurate result.


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## Mikael (May 26, 2011)

i know i might get some flak for this but i stand by it....you don't need a crusher/destemmer....just a crusher is fine..people swear up and down that the stems can ruin the must, the wine..the final product...not once have we had the stems ruin wine and we only use a crusher. now im NOT SURE if it goes the same for the particular grapes YOOU'R using..but for us..destemmer..nahhh non important..and a regular stainless steel motorized crusher will only set you back about 500 bucks compared to 1,200 or so. as in the words of dennis miller 'thats my opinion...i could be wrong' CHEERS!!!!



Mikael


p.s. as of right this i looked to the side of me and noticed hanging...a grey hair : ( *siiiigh* *PLUCK!*


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## JohnT (May 26, 2011)

Mikael said:


> i know i might get some flak for this but i stand by it....you don't need a crusher/destemmer....just a crusher is fine..people swear up and down that the stems can ruin the must, the wine..the final product...not once have we had the stems ruin wine and we only use a crusher. now im NOT SURE if it goes the same for the particular grapes YOOU'R using..but for us..destemmer..nahhh non important..and a regular stainless steel motorized crusher will only set you back about 500 bucks compared to 1,200 or so. as in the words of dennis miller 'thats my opinion...i could be wrong' CHEERS!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Stems will not ruin a wine, just potentially make wine bitter and too tanic. 

of course this can vary depending on how long the wine is exposed to the stems. 

Myself, I like a lot of body in my wine. As a result, I macerate the wine on the skins for an extended period of time. Far too long, in my opinion, to expose the wine to the stems. 

A good way to "soften" wine is to make sure to remove the stems prior to maceration.

(of course, this is only my opinion). 

oh yea, and don't use welches!  

johnT


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## joea132 (May 26, 2011)

M and M has the best prices I could find anywhere. Even haggling for an extra $100 off a Beer-Wine Hobby in MA, I would have still gotten a better deal at M and M. The smallest painted crusher/destemers are only around $840-$900. Or since you have the extra hands you can get a manual one for considerably cheaper. Plus like I always say, walk in with cash and buy other stuff at the same time and see if you can't get a discount.

If you read "From Vines to Wine," the author uses his wife's sanitized feet to crush. And he does alot of wine too...

For everything I've read about keeping stems in wine, I would rather destem. They can also add a "herb-like" or "vegetable-like" taste from what I hear... A few got through on my crush and I didn't purposefully didn't remove them.


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## Racer (May 26, 2011)

Don't know if this helps folks trying to plan ahead or not but here's where I bought my equipment from a few years ago. Item's 5505,8054, and 8058 is what I currently have for processing my grapes that I harvest or buy. If you can swing it buying stainless really helps come time to clean up and care for.


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## roblloyd (May 26, 2011)

I am getting my carmenere grapes tomorrow afternoon. M&m is going to crush and destem them for me for $4 a lug. If I had time I would have made the trip to wades house but no time.
I am going to use wyeast Bordeaux yeast along with fermmax and nurtiferm.


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## Wade E (May 26, 2011)

Unless you are making tons of wine from grapes the manual crusher destemmer is fine. I have a very bad back and I have no trouble at all using my manual crusher destemmer nor does my 6 year old son and they go for about $450. You can get the smaller crusher alone even cheaper. As far as stems go it really depends on what wine you are making. Big reds can take or hide lots of stems while mild red wines will show the stems harshness.


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## gush (May 27, 2011)

I have the best future wife ever! My fiance says randomly last night "I want more grapes to crush with my hands!" as my buddy and I had two batches of beer boiling away for a friends wedding. My response, "yes dear, absolutely!" haha. 

On that note, I (atleast for now) find it entertaining. I did read from vines to wines and honestly that how I've decided that the foot thing isn't all that gross and plan to use it. I think we might name the wines "tub girls", if you catch that joke.... You've seen too much on the Internet as I have lol. 

As for desteming, I will continue to do it but will try to improve my speed at doing so. Crushing, I may eventually buy an innexspensive hand crank one but I'm gonna wait till the fiance gets her fun out of stomping on them a few times. I used to work for a sheet metal shop, and my brother still does, so getting things made to convert hand crank to electric motor is easy. Hmmm, I will have to draw up my own crusher in 3d and see if I can make it myself.... Now where to farm rollers? 

On topic (kinda)... I inoculated my 2 new musts last night after a 24hr sit with 2 campden tablets and some pectic enzyme in each. My numbers were a bit off from yours Joe. My carmenere was 1.092 or so. I ran out of time to test the acid levels but I can do that tonight I believe. I dont think I'm going to add any sugar because I'm still up in the 11.5-12% potential alcohol and this might end up as part of a blend as well. Either that or this will make an earlier drinker.

Joe, what are you using for a primary, kinda looks like one of those big tubs with rope handles from what's in the picture. I bought a 2-pack of gray 12 gallon totes with rope handles that I planned on using for my crush. Unfortunately they aren't stamped with what they are made of so I'm not sure if I can do my primary in them without getting the plastic flavor. I have plenty of time to research that before the fall though.


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## Runningwolf (May 27, 2011)

Gush you are well on your way. Getting your spouse's support or better yet hooked is a great thing!


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## joea132 (May 27, 2011)

The tub girl idea is awesome for those of us with a sick sense of humor...

I bought a large plastic fermenter from M and M. The kind they have inside the door to the right when you first walk in. I'm not sure how big it is, maybe 300 Liters?

As far as you other guys, my crusgher/destemmer is available to any of you guys if you ever need it or if Wade isn't around. Just so long as you clean it good


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## roblloyd (May 27, 2011)

Just got home with my carmenere grapes from M&M. They crushed them and I have 2 buckets. What's next?
I added SO2 to it and am waiting for the temp to come up and the yeast to do it's thing (wyeast) before adding. I was going to do 2 seperate batches to see how different yeasts perform but I'm not sure I have that in me for the 1st batch.
When do I add pectic enzyme? And how much?

I will test later tonight when I have more time for PH and TA.

Too bad these grapes are hard to get all the time. I'd love to snack on these! Much better than grocery store grapes.


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## gush (May 28, 2011)

Pectic enzyme can be added when you sulfite. I added 1.5tsp for 1.5-1.8 gallons worth of must. Both of the musts that I added it to are much more soupy then the merlot that I did not. 

I must agree with you, these grapes are amazing just by themselves right off of the stem. They have a great fruity sweetness to them.


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## joea132 (May 28, 2011)

Yeah they are really sweet grapes. I forgot to add pectic enzyme myself at sulfite and I'm just not going to bother. I'm also doing an extended maceration so I would imagine the cell bodies would tend to break apart more being exposed to alcohol for longer. 

I pitched my yeast at 58F and it has gone up to 76F in a few days.


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## roblloyd (May 28, 2011)

We will have to trade a bottle when we're done. I'd like to see the difference with yeasts and whatever differences you are doing vs mine.

I added liquid pectic enzyme.


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## joea132 (May 28, 2011)

Better yet we should do a "meet and greet" kind of thing. There seems to be an ever growing number of us in the CT area.


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## gush (May 28, 2011)

I am down for a meet and greet. Any decent pubs in the Hartford area? Would Hartford be pretty central to everyone?


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## joea132 (May 28, 2011)

Hartford isn't bad, Meriden might even be more central. But Hartford does have City Steam Brewery. Either way this is way down the line.


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## gush (May 28, 2011)

Would we be talking about this fall during the possible group buy? Or in a year or so when our wines are all done? Did you talk to anyone about quantitys and discounts?


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## joea132 (May 28, 2011)

If you guys want to get together this summer as CT Area Wine Makers I would be in. I was thinking for swapping bottles of wine though. I know it's way out of the way for alot of you guys but there are wine festivals all over. Maugle Sierra (Ledyard and possibly the best in the state) does one the third weekend in June and there is the CT Wineries festival in Goshen sometime in July where every winery in the state shows up. I'm going to both either way so we could make this our first official meet and greet!


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## roblloyd (May 28, 2011)

I'm up for a meet - City Steam then if we want something afterwards they have the comedy club there. It's also closer to MA if any of them would like to join us.

We're busy most of June but any wine fests after that would be good, even better if they are kid friendly and I don't have to arrange for someone to watch them.


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## joea132 (May 29, 2011)

Lets talk about this later on down the line. I smell a new thread about to be born!


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## gush (May 29, 2011)

Joe, Maugle Sierra is literally less then 5 minutes away. I am signed up for their special events e-mails and haven't seen a wine festival yet. I will definatly keep an eye out. Their St. Croix is amazing! I've actually volunteered my help over there come harvest time (and whenever for that matter). I've also volunteered at a vineyard down the road that sells their grapes to Maugle Sierra. I hope both places gve me a call for help because I'd really like to get some hands on experience with the grapes because my plan is to establish my own vines at my new house.

Edit: Sorry for being off-topic here. You're right, this should be in a new thread.


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## joea132 (Jun 27, 2011)

I've been keeping a steady log throughout my winemaking process so far. Check the first post and feel free to comment or tell me if I could do anything differently/better. It's updated to today (6/27/11).


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## gush (Sep 4, 2011)

Joe,

Have you done anything else to your wine recently? We have been bulk aging, been a few months since we tasted it (when it came off oak) so we are due to taste it again here soon. My two small 1-lug batches seem to have gone bad (atleast 1 of them). One of the batches has an odd oil slick like film on top and it didnt smell to great when i had racked it off of oak.

We are starting two 2011 chilean cab sav 5-gal frozen musts right now and splitting it to 2/3rds d254 and 1/3rd rp-15.

looking forward to doing some more wine this fall, maybe a white this time.


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## Rock (Sep 5, 2011)

joea132 said:


> I've been keeping a steady log throughout my winemaking process so far. Check the first post and feel free to comment or tell me if I could do anything differently/better. It's updated to today (6/27/11).



Hey Joe just wondering why so long on the skins?Am i counting right 37 days till you pressed?How long is normal for extended maceration?How does your wine taste now a couple months later?Thanks for all the info and pitchers.


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## joea132 (Sep 10, 2011)

Rock said:


> Hey Joe just wondering why so long on the skins?Am i counting right 37 days till you pressed?How long is normal for extended maceration?How does your wine taste now a couple months later?Thanks for all the info and pitchers.



Rock, I was trying an extended maceration to try and get those long soft tannins that I really like. I was careful and inerted and shrinkwrapped my primary while doing so. I tasted every few days and as the tannins grew stronger and stronger, I tasted every day waiting for the drop off. When the tannins softened up they did so dramatically, like withing 2 days, and it turned out very good. 

I will say that I believe this was a contributing factor to my H2S problem and I probably won't use it for the Cali grapes but I did get some very good results out of it. Even if it was risky.


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