2018 Grape Season Underway

[mainshipfred]

Juice buckets aren't in yet as far as I know. With this I probably will stay with Pinotage juice. Will freeze the skins until I have the juice

Going to do another all grape batch with carmenere and syrah when the Chilean grapes come in as well.

I'm waiting for my SA CS grapes. Just checked Harfords website and the CS grapes are no longer available. Hopefully that means they are on there way.

 

[pgentile]

They should be worth the wait. Very please with the quality of fruit from this years and last year's SA grapes.

 

[pgentile]

OK wine is in secondary. Ended up with with 11 gl of free run and just about 4 gl of pressed. The All-in-One worked very well as usual.

Smell is very good but haven't tasted yet.

 

[pgentile]

Will rack again Monday off the gross lees, going to keep the free run and press separate, blend later. Will need to get a 3 gl carboy tomorrow.

 

[mainshipfred]

Trying to get a handle on how much wine I'll get from 6 lugs of CS. I realize the yield may be different with the different varietals, I'm just trying to get a gauge. From what I remember you ordered 16 lugs, is that correct? how hard did you press the skins? I may want to press mine only lightly and reuse them with my Malbec which I only bought 2 lugs plus a bucket. Last, what size press do you have? I have a 25 and 30 and thinking yours might be a 35.

 

[pgentile]

Trying to get a handle on how much wine I'll get from 6 lugs of CS. I realize the yield may be different with the different varietals, I'm just trying to get a gauge. From what I remember you ordered 16 lugs, is that correct? how hard did you press the skins? I may want to press mine only lightly and reuse them with my Malbec which I only bought 2 lugs plus a bucket. Last, what size press do you have? I have a 25 and 30 and thinking yours might be a 35.

I purchased 11 lugs, should have been 12. After I rack off lees tomorrow it looks like I'll have 10.5 gl of free run and 3.5 of pressed, total of 14 gl. I did not press all that hard but ended up with a compact cake, but I probably could have gotten another .5 to 1 gl if I pressed harder, but I'm going to use the skins with buckets.

 

[pgentile]

Last, what size press do you have? I have a 25 and 30 and thinking yours might be a 35.

I have a 25 and a 20, that one in the picture is a #20.

 

[mainshipfred]

I purchased 11 lugs, should have been 12. After I rack off lees tomorrow it looks like I'll have 10.5 gl of free run and 3.5 of pressed, total of 14 gl. I did not press all that hard but ended up with a compact cake, but I probably could have gotten another .5 to 1 gl if I pressed harder, but I'm going to use the skins with buckets.

Thanks, I'm doing the same with the skins. I only bought a bucket of Merlot but I'm keeping it frozen for my last ferment. It will have 6 lugs of CS, 2 lugs of Malbec and 1 lug of Carmenere skins. Hoping it makes it somewhat interesting.

 

[pgentile]

Racked off the gross lees tonight, smell is good. Taste is fruit forward but not tart, some dark cherry in there and smooth. Going to order more solvent/developer for chromatography tests. Being that this went from 3.42 at crush to 3.64 after press and taste smooth not tart, I'm wondering if MLF could have happened that quickly.

 

[mainshipfred]

Just looked it up, I'll be on Houston the week before but that weekend is clear for now, its less than an hour away for us. Looks like fun

Giving any more thought to Split Rock and the Wine Festival. We are trying to get the last 4 rooms booked.

 

[pgentile]

Called Gino Pinto's today, they will have SA juice buckets in by the 20th and the Chilean buckets in the following week with the rest of the grapes.

 

[mainshipfred]

Called Gino Pinto's today, they will have SA juice buckets in by the 20th and the Chilean buckets in the following week with the rest of the grapes.

Been waiting for an update. I would image Harford will be similar. Ready for a road trip @Boatboy24.

 

[Boatboy24]

Been waiting for an update. I would image Harford will be similar. Ready for a road trip @Boatboy24.

Reminds me - I've got to order my goodies from MoreWine.

 

[Boatboy24]

Reminds me - I've got to order my goodies from MoreWine.

Well that was fast. Ordered around noon yesterday and it has already arrived.

 

[mainshipfred]

Well that was fast. Ordered around noon yesterday and it has already arrived.

I like More Wine and they are pretty fast. They have a distribution center in PA which helps us but that's still pretty quick.

 

[baron4406]

Giving any more thought to Split Rock and the Wine Festival. We are trying to get the last 4 rooms booked.

I'll ask the boss, we are planning to go but since its only about an hour drive for us we might just make it a day trip. Still might be fun to stay the night we just need a babysitter for the dogs/cats.

 

[pgentile]

OK so much for the pinotage free run being still, sometime in the last 24 hours MLF has become quite visible. Now the free & press run are the same color and have similar activity. The press run has darkened considerably and dropped off good bit of lees.

 

[pgentile]

South African juice buckets are in, decided on two cab sauv and a shiraz. Picking up monday in the am.

 

[mainshipfred]

South African juice buckets are in, decided on two cab sauv and a shiraz. Picking up monday in the am.

Did Harford notify you, how anout the grapes?

 

[mainshipfred]

Did Harford notify you, how anout the grapes?

Sorry, you may have gotten you from New Jersey