Cellar Craft Argentinian Malbec

[Johnd]

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.

Add those bad boys in there, I'm betting you'll love the results and never toss another once-pressed skin into the compost pile.

 

[ceeaton]

Add those bad boys in there, I'm betting you'll love the results and never toss another once-pressed skin into the compost pile.

Best thing is I have a @jgmann67 version of it here, and I don't think they altered it other than a yeast swap, so it will be interesting to see if the nose is better developed and what flavor components might be improved with the skins.

Wish I had a lab here, I'm pitching D21 with the kit tonight hoping it gets a foothold before I add the various grape skins which used CLOS, GRE and AMH yeasts. Be curious which one wins out, I'm hoping the D21 does and that they play nice and don't give me a bunch of off flavors. But without lab analysis, I'll never know which one wins (ie. can't replicate the experiment - guess that makes it a crap shoot).

 

[jgmann67]

Best thing is I have a @jgmann67 version of it here, and I don't think they altered it other than a yeast swap, so it will be interesting to see if the nose is better developed and what flavor components might be improved with it.

I'd need to check my notes, but - yeast swap, tannin and a cup of raisins I think...

I tasted one the other day - much improved, not prime time yet.

 

[ceeaton]

I'd need to check my notes, but - yeast swap, tannin and a cup of raisins I think...

I tasted one the other day - much improved, not prime time yet.

That should still work out for our aroma experiment. I know I'll get plenty of extra tannins from all the seeds in the used skins, but more interested in the added aroma, if any, and any added mouthfeel up front.

 

[ceeaton]

Fermentation was definitely underway this morning. I like those 8 gram packs that MoreWinemaking.com supplies. They just seem to get going a little quicker than the normal 5 gram sachet. Added the skins this morning, turned out to be 3 lbs of skins for the Merlot/Cab/Malbec batch, 8 lbs of Cab Franc and 7 lbs of Zinfandel. Also threw in an extra ounce of american oak with the 60 g of French dark shavings and the supplied grape matter into the muslin sock. Bags are already floating and hopefully releasing any left over grapey goodness.

 

[ceeaton]

I should preface this, now that I actually noticed the thread name (I'm not the sharpest knife in the kitchen, let alone in the drawer), I'm making a WE SE Int'l Malbec w/skins from Argentina, not a CC Argentinian Malbec.

Either way, it's a kit, it's a Malbec, so be it. SG 1.050, very hard to take the SG by dropping the hydrometer in the bucket (because I'm too lazy to take a sample out) because there is little room to space with three paint strainer bags and a muslin sock filled with grapey goodness. This picture taken a few minutes after rolling over and squeezing the bags of used grape skins.

 

[geek]

I should preface this, now that I actually noticed the thread name (I'm not the sharpest knife in the kitchen, let alone in the drawer), I'm making a WE SE Int'l Malbec w/skins from Argentina, not a CC Argentinian Malbec.

Either way, it's a kit, it's a Malbec, so be it. SG 1.050, very hard to take the SG by dropping the hydrometer in the bucket (because I'm too lazy to take a sample out) because there is little room to space with three paint strainer bags and a muslin sock filled with grapey goodness. This picture taken a few minutes after rolling over and squeezing the bags of used grape skins.

Then start your own thread.....

 

[starsfan]

Just checking in....have not been on the form in a while. BUTTTTT.....

Me like the Malbec! it is my fav of the ones I have done so far! still bulk aging in the carboy but im probably going to break down and bottle it before much longer.

 

[Brickhouse]

Just started this kit on Sunday night, 19 February 2017. I'll post here as it comes along, but my plan is to have it in bottle by 15 November 2017, and maybe crack one open around Christmas.

 

[Brickhouse]

Moved this over to secondary on Friday. Everything looks to be going just fine, but it was quite the task moving this and trying to leave behind the amount of sediment it produced.

Wood shavings were also a pain, clogging up the nozzle on my bucket from time to time.

But it's in the secondary now. Everything looks good. Will degas in about 7 days.

 

[sour_grapes]

Wood shavings were also a pain, clogging up the nozzle on my bucket from time to time.

Yeah, I put the wood shavings in the muslin bag with the skins now.

If I forget to do that, I use a small kitchen strainer to make a "hole" or "well" in the skin/wood/lees sludge, and siphon from there.

 

[Brickhouse]

Yeah, I put the wood shavings in the muslin bag with the skins now.

If I forget to do that, I use a small kitchen strainer to make a "hole" or "well" in the skin/wood/lees sludge, and siphon from there.

Glad to hear it...after doing this round I was thinking that after I tied the knot on top of the skins bag, I would then put shaving in the muslin, tie another knot.

So then everything would be bagged, but separate from each other still.

 

[Brickhouse]

Racked off of sediment again yesterday and degassed. Using my funnel strain really pulled out the remaining lees. I'm very comfortable with what I have currently sitting in the carboy waiting for clearing in 2 days.

Degassing really didn't pull much CO2 out...less than any batch I've done thus far..but I'm less concerned as I plan to bulk age this one for about 9-12 months. So time in aging coupled with the rackings that will be done in that time should take care of any CO2 on its own if I understand correctly.

Going well so far on this batch, sitting at .992 SG.