2017 Cab Blends

[Ajmassa]

Great pics. Always interested in crush/press pictures. Couple questions. I notice you’ve got a steel mesh strainer large enough to drop right in a 5gal bucket. Where’d you come across that?
And I actually just bought a used press a couple hrs ago that seems to be the same as yours. Looks like you cleaned it up with white paint. Did you use a specific paint/clear coat ? Same thing for the staves. Are they also sealed?

 

[stickman]

My press was handed down to me from my Father in law, not really sure of the age, but the base plate is cast iron, I don't see too many like that these days, probably over 80yrs old. Anyway, I disassembled and refurbished it several years ago, belt sanded the staves, then coated everything including the staves using two part food grade coatings, and reassembled using stainless nuts and bolts. PI Wine has standard food grade coatings. If cared for, these things are built to last several lifetimes.
I don't remember where the strainer was purchased for sure, maybe Target, other than being stainless steel, it's nothing special. It's actually too small to fit on the bucket alone, I had to cut a hole in a lid to support the strainer.

 

[Marta Sommer]

Looks worthy and seeing that you have some wonderful wine in process

 

[sdelli]

My press was handed down to me from my Father in law, not really sure of the age, but the base plate is cast iron, I don't see too many like that these days, probably over 80yrs old. Anyway, I disassembled and refurbished it several years ago, belt sanded the staves, then coated everything including the staves using two part food grade coatings, and reassembled using stainless nuts and bolts. PI Wine has standard food grade coatings. If cared for, these things are built to last several lifetimes.
I don't remember where the strainer was purchased for sure, maybe Target, other than being stainless steel, it's nothing special. It's actually too small to fit on the bucket alone, I had to cut a hole in a lid to support the strainer.

A basket press is a good backup. But in today’s world the increase in yield you get from a bladder press investment is definitely worth it. You make a lot of wine.... It would pay for itself in a couple seasons from the extra yield. Not counting the thanks on the back!

 

[stickman]

@sdelli I'm sure it would be nice to get some new equipment, but so far, nobody here is interested in wine making. My two girls are uninterested, one nephew has shown only a little interest, my point is that when I fall over one day, all of this stuff will likely be thrown into a roll-off box, the cellar will become a closet, etc. The press I have is on wheels, so we don't even get the yield it's capable of, we currently only do a soft press,

 

[stickman]

Racked the wine off of the gross lees and transferred to the basement. Added the CH16 ML culture and 4 med plus french oak staves to each tank. Nothing like tasting wine at 11:00am, nice astringency on both wines, the Tuscan has a bit more snappy acidity at this point; very pleased so far.

 

[sdelli]

@sdelli I'm sure it would be nice to get some new equipment, but so far, nobody here is interested in wine making. My two girls are uninterested, one nephew has shown only a little interest, my point is that when I fall over one day, all of this stuff will likely be thrown into a roll-off box, the cellar will become a closet, etc. The press I have is on wheels, so we don't even get the yield it's capable of, we currently only do a soft press,

Making wine is for your own pleasure. Not others. Do what makes you happy and when your gone you are gone.

 

[sdelli]

Nice color!

 

[stickman]

Decided to do the first ML chromatogram yesterday, 22 days after culture addition, looks complete, maybe a slight malic spot showing up on the Tuscan blend, hard to say for sure, I'll probably let it go another week or so with some tasting along the way. I can finally start to taste things, due to being sick for the past 2 weeks, my sense of taste and smell has been off, I've had no ability to distinguish what's going on with the wine.

 

[stickman]

Just updating; yesterday I finally got around to the post ML racking and sulfite addition on these two cab blends. The Tuscan blend pH is at 3.57, and the cab meritage pH is at 3.71; added 35ppm sulfite as an initial dose and will test and adjust accordingly after chilling for a couple of weeks in the cellar. I transferred to clean tanks and added an additional French oak stave. The taste is pleasant, good color though the Tuscan blend (two glasses on the right) is slightly lighter than the meritage, overall both wines are rich and tannic, but with more body and less fruit than what I typically experience at this stage, we'll see what happens after some cellar time.

 

[JohnT]

I have got to say that it does look amazing. Lent can not end soon enough!!!!

 

[stickman]

Just updating; decided it was time for another quality control and so2 check, standardized the NaOH and found it was at .0089N, tested the Cab Malbec blend at 17.1 ppm free so2, didn't bother to check so2 on the Tuscan blend, added 1 tablet to each tank which provides about 17.6 ppm so2. The Cab Malbec blend is noticeably darker, can't see through it at all. Tannins are already dropping, but both of these wines are still a bit more tannic than typical, there is still some co2 present as I didn't do any degassing. Overall the taste is good, the Cab Malbec is a little fleshy, fatter, more rich than the Tuscan, but the Tuscan is now starting to show more fruit than at the previous tasting. I'm optimistic, but cautious as these grapes had extra hang time due to the fires. I'm not detecting any smoke, though I can't say I have ever tasted smoke before. Maybe we'll retest in a month or so.

 

[Certified]

Just updating; decided it was time for another quality control and so2 check, standardized the NaOH and found it was at .0089N, tested the Cab Malbec blend at 17.1 ppm free so2, didn't bother to check so2 on the Tuscan blend, added 1 tablet to each tank which provides about 17.6 ppm so2. The Cab Malbec blend is noticeably darker, can't see through it at all. Tannins are already dropping, but both of these wines are still a bit more tannic than typical, there is still some co2 present as I didn't do any degassing. Overall the taste is good, the Cab Malbec is a little fleshy, fatter, more rich than the Tuscan, but the Tuscan is now starting to show more fruit than at the previous tasting. I'm optimistic, but cautious as these grapes had extra hang time due to the fires. I'm not detecting any smoke, though I can't say I have ever tasted smoke before. Maybe we'll retest in a month or so.
I have enjoyed this thread. I am a newbie to winemaking. However I am enjoying making the chief kits. My first winemaking was from my own Vineyard of muscadine grapes. I did find that freezing them before mashing made it easier and gave a really good color. I see that from this thread you're much much further advance and I ever hope to be but it did look very good very good color and look delicious.
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[Certified]

Sorry I don't do not know how that got into your thread those words but I was a meaning to be responding to what I read.

 

[stickman]

Time for another quality control and so2 check, very late on this one, almost 5 months since the last check. Made up fresh standardized chems and ran free sulfite and pH. Free SO2 dropped as expected given the time between additions, surprisingly the pH has remained the same, added another sulfite tablet to each tank (approximately 17.6ppm). The Cab/Malbec has a distinctive fruit aromatic which is very different than the Cab/Sangiovese, tannin has softened significantly, both are very nice at this point, may try to bottle these before December, we'll see. Looking forward to two more Cab blends this year.

Left, Cab/Malbec, free SO2 11.6ppm, pH 3.71
Right, Cab/Sangio, free SO2 13.3ppm, pH 3.57

 

[stickman]

Decided to finally rack the Cab/Malbec to the bottling shelf, will let it come up to room temperature before running a final SO2. I think this wine is for @Johnd, dark, bold, brooding, fruit, oak, tannin, alcohol, this is it, probably would be up a few notches if it had been in John's barrel, but I will say that the 5 staves have delivered 100% new oak barrel impact. Probably could stay in the tank longer, but I need the tank space. The 1/2gal jug is what was left in the 25' of 3/4" hose, I'll have to set it down alongside my chair at the kitchen table like the Oldtimers.

 

[Johnd]

Decided to finally rack the Cab/Malbec to the bottling shelf, will let it come up to room temperature before running a final SO2. I think this wine is for @Johnd, dark, bold, brooding, fruit, oak, tannin, alcohol, this is it, probably would be up a few notches if it had been in John's barrel, but I will say that the 5 staves have delivered 100% new oak barrel impact. Probably could stay in the tank longer, but I need the tank space. The 1/2gal jug is what was left in the 25' of 3/4" hose, I'll have to set it down alongside my chair at the kitchen table like the Oldtimers.

Sounds right on track to me!! Love the color too, nice and inky, got my taste buds working, think I might need to leave work early and do some barrel sampling this afternoon...................

 

[Ajmassa]

That’s some impressive color. The malbec really makes it pop.

I’d imagine this is quite the satisfying feeling. And that Brehms fruit can make one helluva wine it seems.

#WinemakingGoals

 

[sour_grapes]

Decided to finally rack the Cab/Malbec to the bottling shelf, will let it come up to room temperature before running a final SO2. I think this wine is for @Johnd, dark, bold, brooding, fruit, oak, tannin, alcohol, this is it, probably would be up a few notches if it had been in John's barrel, but I will say that the 5 staves have delivered 100% new oak barrel impact.

Umm, can I have some, too!?

 

[SethF]

Decided to finally rack the Cab/Malbec to the bottling shelf, will let it come up to room temperature before running a final SO2. I think this wine is for @Johnd, dark, bold, brooding, fruit, oak, tannin, alcohol, this is it, probably would be up a few notches if it had been in John's barrel, but I will say that the 5 staves have delivered 100% new oak barrel impact. Probably could stay in the tank longer, but I need the tank space. The 1/2gal jug is what was left in the 25' of 3/4" hose, I'll have to set it down alongside my chair at the kitchen table like the Oldtimers.

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Nice. So I see you are using flex tanks.
15 gal?
Experience?
What are you racking into?
Returning to the tanks?

I went from a few years of using glass, to the last two of using fermonsters. I have lots of those now, fortunately or not.

How much do the flex tanks weigh empty?

Do you move them full? How?

Thanks in advance.
Seth