2020 Chilean Grape Plans

[Boatboy24]

Just picked up the Syrah this morning!
Haven’t crushed yet but snagged a few grapes from each box and threw them in a food processor. The filtered juice revealed the following (freshly calibrated pH meter):

pH=3.59
TA=0.41
SG=21.75 brix

Will recheck everything post crush to confirm but if I get the same results I think I’m going to bump up to 24-25 brix because I like big reds.

I’m also tempted to add a bit of tartaric acid to drop pH to 3.5 and since TA is low should be ok.

Any opinions?

Thanks!

I would want to bump the brix as well, but as you mentioned, recheck everything post crush and a 24 hr soak. TA adjustment is probably warranted as well, though I'd err on the conservative side so as not to go too low.

Edit: by "too low" I meant driving the pH too low.

 

[Ajmassa]

Just picked up the Syrah this morning!
Haven’t crushed yet but snagged a few grapes from each box and threw them in a food processor. The filtered juice revealed the following (freshly calibrated pH meter):

pH=3.59
TA=0.41
SG=21.75 brix

Will recheck everything post crush to confirm but if I get the same results I think I’m going to bump up to 24-25 brix because I like big reds.

I’m also tempted to add a bit of tartaric acid to drop pH to 3.5 and since TA is low should be ok.

Any opinions?

Thanks!

Nice!
Good luck today.

Yes and yes.
For reference my acid #’s moved almost double the addition- as we all know & account for.
1.25g/L addition moved ph 3.83 to 3.66
TA 4.05 to 6.00
Sugar bump went as calculated.
22 to 24ish

 

[jsbeckton]

Thanks for the feedback.

I overdid a acid adjustment last spring so I’m a bit gunshy now. I added just 1/4th what I think is needed and will check the results tomorrow.

 

[cmason1957]

Thanks for the feedback.

I overdid a acid adjustment last spring so I’m a bit gunshy now. I added just 1/4th what I think is needed and will check the results tomorrow.

Always a great idea.

Nice!
Good luck today.

Yes and yes.
For reference my acid #’s moved almost double the addition- as we all know & account for.
1.25g/L addition moved ph 3.83 to 3.66
TA 4.05 to 6.00
Sugar bump went as calculated.
22 to 24ish

@Ajmassa I'm not sure what you mean by almost double the addition as we all know and account for?? I almost never know how much my pH is going to change based on an acid addition. Buffering and all that kind of issue.

 

[Ajmassa]

@Ajmassa I'm not sure what you mean by almost double the addition as we all know and account for?? I almost never know how much my pH is going to change based on an acid addition. Buffering and all that kind of issue.

Edit 2. Sober now. Just meant Adding 1/2 what ya may need since in reality the levels can move double what you add. And ballparking the ph to move down .1 for every 1g/l TA moves up.

 

[zadvocate]

As always I say I am not going to do Chiliean wine this year then, I do. I decided to make a rose from Pinot Noir.
The grapes looked beautiful. I crushed and pressed yesterday and its now settling in my fridge. I really need a bladder press. I only got about 4.5 gallons out of 90 pounds.

 

[jsbeckton]

As always I say I am not going to do Chiliean wine this year then, I do. I decided to make a rose from Pinot Noir.
The grapes looked beautiful. I crushed and pressed yesterday and its now settling in my fridge. I really need a bladder press. I only got about 4.5 gallons out of 90 pounds.

Wow. What was your pre-press volume? Last year I got about 8 gallons out of 118 pounds of Chilean Merlot with a bucket press and didn’t even press that hard.

I never bother to actually weigh the grapes but maybe they vary quite a bit.

 

[Ajmassa]

As always I say I am not going to do Chiliean wine this year then, I do. I decided to make a rose from Pinot Noir.
The grapes looked beautiful. I crushed and pressed yesterday and its now settling in my fridge. I really need a bladder press. I only got about 4.5 gallons out of 90 pounds.

Very cool. Pinot makes such a great rosè.
But wow that yield does sound extra light. I’m popping my rosè cherry right now with Malbec. Friday I crushed 8 lugs/144lbs and got almost 11gal with a ratchet press. Pressed hard and cake was still very wet too.

 

[mainshipfred]

As always I say I am not going to do Chiliean wine this year then, I do. I decided to make a rose from Pinot Noir.
The grapes looked beautiful. I crushed and pressed yesterday and its now settling in my fridge. I really need a bladder press. I only got about 4.5 gallons out of 90 pounds.

I just bottled my 2019 Chilean Pinot Noir and ended up with 55 bottles of finished wine with 144 lbs and that is with leaving it in a barrel for over 8 months. Don't know what I lost to the angels. This Spring I got over 14 gallons each of wine after press and first racking with 162 lbs but this was S. African Cab and Shiraz. If you remove the skins, fluff them up and repress you'd be surprised how much additional wine you get. Just curious did you use enzymes.

 

[zadvocate]

Yes I did use enzymes. I let it sit for 6 hours. I am going to purchase a small bladder press and not have this yield issue again. While I wanted more I think I ended up with about 4.5 gallons.
So I tested my juice today and the Ph was 3.85 and the TA 2.8! i added 30 grams tartaric and it came down to 3.5 and a TA of 4. Has anyone had that issue?

I dont know if the number is accurate or not. Ugh winemaking. Lol.

 

[ceeaton]

Yes I did use enzymes. I let it sit for 6 hours. I am going to purchase a small bladder press and not have this yield issue again. While I wanted more I think I ended up with about 4.5 gallons.
So I tested my juice today and the Ph was 3.85 and the TA 2.8! i added 30 grams tartaric and it came down to 3.5 and a TA of 4. Has anyone had that issue?

I dont know if the number is accurate or not. Ugh winemaking. Lol.

You can get a solution to check your TA testing solutions, I know @ibglowin would remember what it's called. Your solutions will lose their potency pretty quick, this solution helps you to get a new reading for the multiplier, or divisor, can't remember, so that you can get a more accurate test.

Sorry, it's a nice day out and I'm too lazy to even get up for another beer. If no one chimes in with the solution I'll get off my butt and go scan the directions I got from PI Wines and post them.

Edit: Okay, I shamed myself into getting off my butt.

 

[zadvocate]

You can get a solution to check your TA testing solutions, I know @ibglowin would remember what it's called. Your solutions will lose their potency pretty quick, this solution helps you to get a new reading for the multiplier, or divisor, can't remember, so that you can get a more accurate test.

Sorry, it's a nice day out and I'm too lazy to even get up for another beer. If no one chimes in with the solution I'll get off my butt and go scan the directions I got from PI Wines and post them.

Edit: Okay, I shamed myself into getting off my butt.

Thanks, I will take a look. But if my chemical was getting old the numbers would be artifically higher so I am guessing these Chilean grapes are unusually low on acid this year.

 

[Ajmassa]

Thanks, I will take a look. But if my chemical was getting old the numbers would be artifically higher so I am guessing these Chilean grapes are unusually low on acid this year.

Seems to be that way. Definitely lower than typical TAs judging by different posts of Chilean fruit so far. Not crazy. But definitely lower than it normally has been.

 

[jsbeckton]

Thanks, I will take a look. But if my chemical was getting old the numbers would be artifically higher so I am guessing these Chilean grapes are unusually low on acid this year.

My Chilean Merlot was about 4 last year and saw pretty much the same with the Syrah this year so 2/2 on low acid for me!

 

[pgentile]

Finally got to Gino Pinto's today. 8 lugs and 4 pails of malbec. Fruit looks great, pick up was easy. Crushed and soaking with enzymes.

 

[jsbeckton]

Curious, do you combine the grapes and buckets or keep separate?

 

[pgentile]

Curious, do you combine the grapes and buckets or keep separate?

I usually do a few all grape batches and buckets on the skins after press. This year lugs and buckets together single ferment and then more buckets on the skins after press.

 

[jsbeckton]

I did that last year but found the bucket/skin combo to be a bit thin for my liking. Still better than any kit though so not a bad deal for cost of a bucket. I have tried buckets alone without any skins and found them to be super thin so it certainly makes a difference.

 

[pgentile]

I did that last year but found the bucket/skin combo to be a bit thin for my liking. Still better than any kit though so not a bad deal for cost of a bucket. I have tried buckets alone without any skins and found them to be super thin so it certainly makes a difference.

I agree, but I have found 2 lugs to a bucket and long soak gets pretty close to all grape. And the price point this way ends up around $2.50 per bottle.

 

[eightysixCJ]

Greetings all,

16-lugs of Chilean Merlot from Gino Pinto. Very quick curb-side pickup but missed socially hanging around. Brix came in around 18.5 so added sugar to get it to 23.5. pH 3.3. Very nice looking grapes.

Tom