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.

 

[winemaker81]

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?

Stir the wine vigorously now to drive off the H2S. If you have it, you'll certainly know it when you start stirring. My understanding is there are two issues involved -- one is stressed yeast producing H2S and the other is the H2S forming mercaptans. K-meta and stirring will handle the H2S.

Since you caught it early, that may be all that is necessary. Don't be in a hurry to use Reduless, unless you need it.

 

[David Violante]

Stir the wine vigorously now to drive off the H2S. If you have it, you'll certainly know it when you start stirring. My understanding is there are two issues involved -- one is stressed yeast producing H2S and the other is the H2S forming mercaptans. K-meta and stirring will handle the H2S.

Since you caught it early, that may be all that is necessary. Don't be in a hurry to use Reduless, unless you need it.

Understood - if the gross lees have settled out but not yet compacted, I imagine racking off them would be helpful as well? I could then let the collected gross lees compact and see how that segregated wine fares. If good, add back, if not, feed the septic system.

 

[winemaker81]

Understood - if the gross lees have settled out but not yet compacted, I imagine racking off them would be helpful as well? I could then let the collected gross lees compact and see how that segregated wine fares. If good, add back, if not, feed the septic system.

IMO that's a good approach.

 

[David Violante]

I think your estimates of must/finished wine are in the right ballpark. The calculation that I use comes out a bit higher: 828lb (0.414T) = 53gal/200L finished wine, 88gal/333L must of which 31gal/117L is must solids

Racked off the gross lees into 54L demijohns and the smell is ever so slight. I’ll stir a few more times for that and to help the release of CO2. Should the stirring (using a lees stirrer / degasser) draw down air or just enough to release gas?

Also, started with about 80 gallons must, finished with 50 gallons wine. About a lug and a half or so didn’t make it to the crusher. Below the dark colored carboy is vino and the lighter one is the remaining solids compressing.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

Nice! If you have a convenient space, i would put that carboy with the leftover/compressing lees up on a shelf/bench/countertop so that you can easily rack it off without needing to pump...