Black Grapes

[distancerunner]

Just to clarify, the plan is to use a drill and mixer for punchdowns?

 

[David Violante]

I’ve been using the mixer as a punch down tool by hand, much as you would use a …regular?… punch down tool. I did find it helpful to mix things up at the bottom and when I added some tartaric acid and nutrients at the beginning. I tried a large paddle but the must was really thick. A slow speed on the drill did the trick. Haven’t used the drill since though. The best part is that it was $15.

We’re down to between 5 and 10 brix among the three vessels, and maintaining 76F. I did place a box fan in the window which has been really helpful.

Thumbnails below:

 

[distancerunner]

That works!

 

[David Violante]

SG made it down to 1.010 and I pressed to quite a few glass carboys yesterday. Took a heck of a time with a 25# press.



Fermenting still going on in the carboys this morning but I sense a bit of H2S. At first I thought it was the CO2, but it’s nagging me. Not sure why it’s there, I even upped the nutrients.

I added a double dose of SO2 and the SG is just about 0.998. As I understand it, splash racking is helpful prior to going towards something like Reduless. While I want to nip this early, should I wait a few days until the gross lees are somewhat compacted and rack off of them and then splash rack?




There’s also a 14 gallon demijohn not in the picture.