2022 Spring Ferment (All Frozen Must)

[Nebbiolo020]

Like you, Zin is one of my favorite varieties to drink. Like previously stated, these two drums are destined for a 225L French oak 2nd year barrel. I’ll likely have enough for at least one 59L barrel too. For a home guy, that’s a lot of wine.

The biggest challenge I’m faced with is getting enough bottles…. I’m literally about to go to the recycle depot and start pulling bottles from the 8’ x 20’ metal container!

Why are bottles posing such an issue I bought like 60 cases from a shop locally in one purchase last fall, is their a bottle shortage where you are?

 

[crushday]

Why are bottles posing such an issue I bought like 60 cases from a shop locally in one purchase last fall, is their a bottle shortage where you are?

I bought 2 pallets of bottles last fall. They are no longer available at two of my suppliers.

 

[Ohio Bob]

I guess bottles are being hoarded on the west coast! Lol.

 

[crushday]

I guess bottles are being hoarded on the west coast! Lol.

If I had to guess, it's competition with commercial wineries. California alone produces 17 million gallons annually. Washington and Oregon are smaller producers but not by much.

 

[winemaker81]

AFAIK, my LHBS has plenty of bottles. I've been getting cases of used ones from a local winery whenever I visit.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

If I had to guess, it's competition with commercial wineries. California alone produces 17 million gallons annually. Washington and Oregon are smaller producers but not by much.

If I really had problems I know a few commercial wineries who will sell bottles cause they get extras to home winemakers but I tend to not buy from them cause they ask too much.

 

[CDrew]

I just heard today that bottle supply is better and cheaper than a few months ago at least at one of the businesses I buy wine supplies from. I hope it’s a trend.

 

[crushday]

Update: I coinoculated with CH16 MLB. I've been in rigorous fermentation for about three days and it's my general practice to add bacteria two or three days in. I'm only punching twice a day, essentially 12 hours apart.

 

[crushday]

I just heard today that bottle supply is better and cheaper than a few months ago at least at one of the businesses I buy wine supplies from. I hope it’s a trend.

Drew, I have a pallet of burgundy bottles on order (112 cases) and I'm told they'll be here in May. I hope so.

Additionally, I have some fiasco bottles ordered for a Chianti I'm going to bottle soon from last years Sangiovese.

 

[sour_grapes]

Drew, I have a pallet of burgundy bottles on order (112 cases) and I'm told they'll be here in May. I hope so.

Additionally, I have some fiasco bottles ordered for a Chianti I'm going to bottle soon from last years Sangiovese.

George, I am just curious: How do you store your Burgundy bottles (let alone fiasco!). I like how Bordeaux bottles stack so much better than Burgundy that I use Bordeaux if I have any choice to speak of. (I will use Burgundy for Pinot Noir, for example, but not much else.)

 

[crushday]

George, I am just curious: How do you store your Burgundy bottles (let alone fiasco!). I like how Bordeaux bottles stack so much better than Burgundy that I use Bordeaux if I have any choice to speak of. (I will use Burgundy for Pinot Noir, for example, but not much else.)

Paul, very good question. Most burgundy bottles are a little too wide at the base to easily fit into my racks and the rectangle milk cartons I use for intermediate storage. If the ones on order meet this description, I'll store them in the box the bottles arrived in. Same with the fiasco bottles. The use of the fiasco bottles (not for the whole barrel) has more to do with novelty than practicality. It's totally unnecessary but I just want to do it for about half of the volume.

Hope you're enjoying retirement!

 

[Bmd2k1]

Drew, I have a pallet of burgundy bottles on order (112 cases) and I'm told they'll be here in May. I hope so.

Additionally, I have some fiasco bottles ordered for a Chianti I'm going to bottle soon from last years Sangiovese.

Curious where you buy your fiasco bottles from? Would like to score some for a portion of my Sangiovese.

Thanks!

 

[crushday]

Curious where you buy your fiasco bottles from? Would like to score some for a portion of my Sangiovese.

Thanks!

Talk to Colin at Musto... Bottles, Chianti, 1.5L, 8ct

I ordered three cases each of 1L and 1.5L... He told me there are shipping soon...

 

[Bmd2k1]

Talk to Colin at Musto... Bottles, Chianti, 1.5L, 8ct

I ordered three cases each of 1L and 1.5L... He told me there are shipping soon...

Merci! ✌

 

[crushday]

Update:

Zinfandel is slowing down. Cap is loosely organized, I estimate 90% complete. Color good and smells great. The Avante is doing the job.
Malbec is estimated at 75% to completion. Color is great and smells amazing. Bravo is working hard.
Synergistic blend (50/50 Syrah/Cab) is estimated at 80% complete. Color is great and smells amazing. Bravo getting it done.
Cabernet Sauv is estimated at 80% complete. Color is a massive disappointment. Smell is great. Avante is working hard.

I’m puzzled on the Cab’s color. I used EX-V but the temps have been purposely held low. The highest I’ve registered is 74 degrees. This morning it’s 68. Perhaps that’s the difference? However, the other batches all have normal to excellent color and I’ve had the same fermentation strategy and results.

I might have to blend in some Petite Sirah or Petit Verdot to add some color, and maybe some body. Time will tell…

 

[stickman]

Are the skins still dark? If so, then raising the temperature at the end of fermentation can be done to possibly extract and bind more color. Usually it's not recommended to raise the temp late due to the potential of extracting excess tannin, but as long as the grapes are ripe you should be fine. Obviously if the grapes already look depleted of color then there's nothing more to gain.

 

[crushday]

@stickman - Here is a pic of each batch (there’s two). Looks like the skins have LOTS of color to contribute, just being stingy. I just checked the temp - 73.6 at the cap… I turned up the heat after punching this morning at 5am. After I punch tonight, I hope pics of the resulting wine.

Batch #1:



Batch #1, showing more surface:



Batch #2:

 

[Nebbiolo020]

@stickman - Here is a pic of each batch (there’s two). Looks like the skins have LOTS of color to contribute, just being stingy. I just checked the temp - 73.6 at the cap… I turned up the heat after punching this morning at 5am. After I punch tonight, I hope pics of the resulting wine.

Batch #1:

View attachment 85883

Batch #1, showing more surface:

View attachment 85884

Batch #2:

View attachment 85885

Very nice

 

[Nebbiolo020]

Update:

Zinfandel is slowing down. Cap is loosely organized, I estimate 90% complete. Color good and smells great. The Avante is doing the job.
Malbec is estimated at 75% to completion. Color is great and smells amazing. Bravo is working hard.
Synergistic blend (50/50 Syrah/Cab) is estimated at 80% complete. Color is great and smells amazing. Bravo getting it done.
Cabernet Sauv is estimated at 80% complete. Color is a massive disappointment. Smell is great. Avante is working hard.

I’m puzzled on the Cab’s color. I used EX-V but the temps have been purposely held low. The highest I’ve registered is 74 degrees. This morning it’s 68. Perhaps that’s the difference? However, the other batches all have normal to excellent color and I’ve had the same fermentation strategy and results.

I might have to blend in some Petite Sirah or Petit Verdot to add some color, and maybe some body. Time will tell…

Im surprised your cab is the one having color problems, maybe you just got a batch of grapes that aren’t as good as they should have been. A lot of the grapes from my local wine region tend to be stingy on color and you really have to do a long cold soak to get color.

I have never used avante yeast but sounds like it’s pretty good stuff looked up the alcohol tolerance might have to try it this fall. I’ve always used RP-15 for Zinfandel, for my Syrah when I make Syrah I like to split ferment it and use D-21, BM45 and RP-15 and then press and blend everything together I like what each brings when blended. Though if I had to use one yeast D-21 produced the best tasting on its own.

 

[crushday]

Here’s an image of the Cab. Not the best illustration of the color given the debris in suspension. But, look at the edges and you can get the disappointing detail…