Cellar Craft Argentinian Malbec

[geek]

chitosan is a clarifying agent and not really needed (I don't use it on reds) if you plan to bulk age for a long time and rack along the way.

Just make sure to use the k-meta (sulfite).

 

[jsbeckton]

so...again, im back to having a hard time reading the hydrometer...where am I at? this is AFTER adding back the water to the 6 gallon mark. I think im seeing 1.102 to 1.104



Am I correct in reading it that way?

Thanks,

Steve

Just curious, why is everyone reading this as 1.106? I am assuming this was pitching temp so there should be an adjustment form the calibrated temp right? Mine would add 2-3 points at 75F so I would read this as 1.108/9.

 

[Johnd]

@starsfan Did you add the KMS on schedule? Even if not, all could be just fine, smell / taste it and add your KMS if you haven't already. I have some grape wines going now that are in MLF and have never had KMS added and they are just fine.

As far as not adding the "stabilizer" (assuming that's referring to sorbate), I don't add it to dry wines at all, so that's not a problem. Chitosan aids in clearing speed, but I also omit that on a lot of my wines, opting to let time and gravity clear the wine for me, no problems there either.

 

[Julie]

Just curious, why is everyone reading this as 1.106? I am assuming this was pitching temp so there should be an adjustment form the calibrated temp right? Mine would add 2-3 points at 75F so I would read this as 1.108/9.

above where the wine is at, it is 1.100, each of the small lines below that are .002 so the wine is sitting at the third small line, this makes it 1.106

 

[jsbeckton]

above where the wine is at, it is 1.100, each of the small lines below that are .002 so the wine is sitting at the third small line, this makes it 1.106

On my hydrometer that is correct....assuming the wine is at 60F. If the wine is actually around 75F as you would expect for starting fermentation you need to make a correction of at least 2 points. Is my hydrometer uniquely calibrated for 60F or is everyone just ignoring the correction factors?

 

[cmason1957]

On my hydrometer that is correct....assuming the wine is at 60F. If the wine is actually around 75F as you would expect for starting fermentation you need to make a correction of at least 2 points. Is my hydrometer uniquely calibrated for 60F or is everyone just ignoring the correction factors?

I ignore the correction factors. I use the hydrometer to determine Abv, my must is generally always at the same temp so why worry about the corrections.

 

[jsbeckton]

I ignore the correction factors. I use the hydrometer to determine Abv, my must is generally always at the same temp so why worry about the corrections.

Are you saying that your must is always at 60F?

If not, then you are almost certainly always measuring 2 points lower than actual if your must is typically in the 70s when you take the reading. That is because the same must will measure different SG at different temperatures because the hydrometer was calibrated at 60F. You can use those uncorrected values to get ABV but your original gravity and final gravity reading will be off.

This might explain why everyone is saying they are getting down to 0.992-0.994 while I am always at 0.994-0.996!

 

[cmason1957]

Are you saying that your must is always at 60F?

If not, then you are almost certainly always measuring 2 points lower than actual if your must is typically in the 70s when you take the reading. That is because the same must will measure different SG at different temperatures because the hydrometer was calibrated at 60F. You can use those uncorrected values to get ABV but your original gravity and final gravity reading will be off.

This might explain why everyone is saying they are getting down to 0.992-0.994 while I am always at 0.994-0.996!

No my must isn't always at 60. But, if it is always at the same temperature and I really only use the sg for deltas, the absolute number doesn't really matter. How do I know when it is done? Three days or so of the same sg, it doesn't matter what it is as long as it is below 1.000.

 

[jsbeckton]

No my must isn't always at 60. But, if it is always at the same temperature and I really only use the sg for deltas, the absolute number doesn't really matter. How do I know when it is done? Three days or so of the same sg, it doesn't matter what it is as long as it is below 1.000.

What I am saying is that you need to change your last sentence to "below 0.998" because if it's 75F and you read 0.999 you are actually not below 1.000.

You may understand that, I just want to be clear in the event that someone who doesn't understand that reads this.

 

[jgmann67]

Finished this one up and bottled today. It's kind of subdued. Not a big wine like I'd hoped. Color and body are perfect. But, the taste is a little less than I'd hoped.

 

[ceeaton]

If I could save time in a bottle....

Give it time, you know it will get better. Be curious in a year to taste that and the WE SE Intl Malbec I have sitting here beside me, that I haven't made yet.

 

[jgmann67]

Fair enough. And I am hopeful that this one makes some progress to live up to the description from WE. At bottling, though - it's just ok.

I did try to talk him in to the OVZ. But he was way in to the Malbec. Today he tasted the Zin I have in bulk and his eyes lit up. Sometime, ya just gotta trust the master...

P.s. Nice Jim Croce reference!

 

[ceeaton]

P.s. Nice Jim Croce reference!

One of my coworkers and I will randomly pick out lines from older (60s, 70s, 80s) music and incorporate them into our daily banter. Usually at least once a week that leads one of us to a Wikipedia page to find out more background information, which we share with the other.

Of course now I'm listening to that song on my computer while I'm typing this. Have to shut that down or else I'll be up all night, making my wife mad in the process, listening to older music. Kids have first day of school tomorrow, so Dad needs proper rest or I'll send the wrong lunches with the kids.

Remind me to give you extra bottles of the Zin I'm making this fall, in about 18 months or so. You can give one to your brother.

 

[jgmann67]

A label designed by my brother.

 

[geek]

how does it taste for you Jim?

Mine was like meh.....

 

[jgmann67]

how does it taste for you Jim?

Mine was like meh.....

Mine too. It's still young, so I'm hoping it comes to life at some point. But, going into the bottle, is was just okay.

 

[jsiddall]

I did this kit at a FoP in late 2013 so it is coming up on 3 years. It turned out the best of the 3 kits I did then, I suppose because it tasted least kit-like of the bunch. It is very soft, and comes across as slightly sweet, but nothing is off.

The other two kits I did around the same time, an RJS WS Super Tuscan and a CC Showcase RMC, are both more flavourful but in a weird way that makes them less enjoyable.

Ultimately I found I never really enjoyed kits so I switched to grapes. Just pulled the trigger on a few lugs from 100 year old Zinfandel vines so in another 3 years I hope to be enjoying that.

 

[jgmann67]

Ultimately I found I never really enjoyed kits so I switched to grapes. Just pulled the trigger on a few lugs from 100 year old Zinfandel vines so in another 3 years I hope to be enjoying that.

I just did something similar - ordered 3 lugs of Petite Sirah. My first go at grapes. If it works out, I will do a mixed bag of kits and grapes throughout the year.

 

[geek]

I will open another bottle of this kit soon to check the progress, started in Jan. 2014.

 

[ceeaton]

Just started this kit tonight. SG as is was 1.085 w/o the skin pack. I plan on pitching the yeast tonight and adding it to my brute bucket tomorrow morning with about 12-14 lbs of various saved/leftover skins from previous batches. My best guess is about 3 lbs of skins from a Merlot/Cab Sauv/Malbec batch, 6 lbs of skins from a Cab Franc batch, and 6 or so lbs from a Zinfandel batch. Knowing the Malbec usually doesn't lack in color, I'm holding back the Dornfelder skins.

If you must ask, I need room in my freezer since I'm having problems arranging things to get the door to keep closed. My only other option is to add them to the compost pile, which I don't dare do as I will have winemares.