Brianna Grapes

[rob]

Robie- after I posted that pic I was wondering how long it would take for someone to notice....I can lift a 6 gallon carboy 6 feet high with one hand...hahaha, not really... that picture is of a half gallon jug.

 

[rob]

My point is that it is not truly pistillate but a semi-hermaphrodite. Normally grapes can self pollinate, but some say St Pepin can't. In reality, fertilization can be somewhat reduced, but even with that, the clusters are still 3 times as large as Brianna. And no, pollination from another vine has absolutely no effect on flavors, only the resulting genes of the seeds. I like to tell people the St Pepin wine is like a red, only it is a white. By that I mean it has higher tannins than most whites and has a nice lingering finish. It is also a nice aromatic wine, much like a Reisling, but like Julie said about the Brianna, a bit different. Go to my online store and check out the description on my label (see the banner that pops up sometimes).

Brianna on left-StPepin on right

Grapeman that was some good info on St. Pepin. My Briannas are in their 4th year and we got 16 pounds per vine. I will have to try a bottle of St. Pepin and see how it measures up to my Brianna. Thanks

 

[rob]

Robie- I am doing cs in the refrig; in the garage at 33 degrees, my Brianna froze at 32, so I upped it a little.

 

[robie]

My point is that it is not truly pistillate but a semi-hermaphrodite. Normally grapes can self pollinate, but some say St Pepin can't. In reality, fertilization can be somewhat reduced, but even with that, the clusters are still 3 times as large as Brianna. And no, pollination from another vine has absolutely no effect on flavors, only the resulting genes of the seeds. I like to tell people the St Pepin wine is like a red, only it is a white. By that I mean it has higher tannins than most whites and has a nice lingering finish. It is also a nice aromatic wine, much like a Reisling, but like Julie said about the Brianna, a bit different. Go to my online store and check out the description on my label (see the banner that pops up sometimes).

Brianna on left-StPepin on right

Thanks so much for the info. As I said, I know almost nothing about viticulture. Funny, I find myself being drawn to it, though, like somewhere deep inside there is a farmer who wants to get out a grow some grapes. That is a lame description I know; just something that's telling me it is important.

Wow, your web site has really grown since last time I looked! I know that was a lot of work for someone.

Thanks again.

 

[robie]

Robie- I am doing cs in the refrig; in the garage at 33 degrees, my Brianna froze at 32, so I upped it a little.

It froze at 32F?

As I wrote, I have to do mine in the garage. We are getting down to at least the lower 20'sF pretty much every night now. In the garage, it is a little warmer than outside. I'd like to get a small frig just for CS.

 

[grapeman]

I thought the same thing robie???? Wine will not freeze at 32 since it has alcohol in it. If it did and was truly w32 F, then there was 0 alchohol in it (which I doubt). I CS at about 24 for a couple weeks if needed, but I keep the winery at about 45 right now and the acid has dropped like crazy.

 

[rob]

I know, hard to figure out. I had it in the refridg in a half gallon jug and the setting was at the lowest number, There was a thermometer that read 32, the wine froze. I moved the setting up about two numbers and the thermometer still read 32 but the wine thawed. I placed the same thermometer next to my home thermostat and it was one degree off. This wine started out with a sg of 1.100 in September

 

[ffemt128]

So has anyone sweetened their Brianna yet? Where did you take it to? Just curious as to a starting point.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Ron can tell you what he did his last year. I won't touch mine until late March.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I just looked at the couple bottles of Brianna Skeeter I couldn't fit in a Carboy that I sweetened and thus turned into champagne was taken to 1.000

It was awesome.

 

[ffemt128]

Ron can tell you what he did his last year. I won't touch mine until late March.

I was planning on backsweetening sometime around the middle to the end of January then bottle around the time you mention.

 

[grapeman]

I find 1.002 for Elmer Swenson grapes is great. It really brightens up the fruit- Pineapple in Brianna's case.

 

[Julie]

I was planning on backsweetening sometime around the middle to the end of January then bottle around the time you mention.

1.008, lol, I can't believe you asked about this, we just got done racking the Brianna, it is really looking good, I'm thinking I'll be bottling sometime in January. And Mike and I both think that it could have been a little drier. Do like Steve said and start out with 1.000.

 

[rob]

last year when we sweeted the Brianna, I did not go by a hydrometer.. What I did was sweeted to tastes. I kept the formula as to how much was added. When done it was exactly like a German Reliesling, which is my favorite. I started out with 2 grams of sugar to 50ml of wine then 2 1/2 grams of sugar per 50ml of wine, then went to 3 grams per 50ml and that was to sweet, so with that said I settled on 2 1/2 grams of sugar per 50ml = 200 grams per gallon. For what its worth my wife thought it was a little to sweet. I kept 50 bottles of it dry and some people have perfered it over the sweeted
I am really glad you guys are enjoying the Brianna, let me know if you want more next year.

 

[Julie]

Rob, I do not even have to wait until next year to tell you I am want any. I do and I am thinking of getting 2 buckets. I'm thinking Steve better get a bigger truck.

 

[ffemt128]

last year when we sweeted the Brianna, I did not go by a hydrometer.. What I did was sweeted to tastes. I kept the formula as to how much was added. When done it was exactly like a German Reliesling, which is my favorite. I started out with 2 grams of sugar to 50ml of wine then 2 1/2 grams of sugar per 50ml of wine, then went to 3 grams per 50ml and that was to sweet, so with that said I settled on 2 1/2 grams of sugar per 50ml = 200 grams per gallon. For what its worth my wife thought it was a little to sweet. I kept 50 bottles of it dry and some people have perfered it over the sweeted
I am really glad you guys are enjoying the Brianna, let me know if you want more next year.

Rob, I do not even have to wait until next year to tell you I am want any. I do and I am thinking of getting 2 buckets. I'm thinking Steve better get a bigger truck.

Based on initial tastes so far, I have to agree with Julie. Steve, I can get you a good deal on a used full size chevy.... LOL.... I would definately be interested in more of this juice.

 

[rob]

one thing to keep in mind is Brianna is a cold climate grape which does have a high acid content. I cs all of mine, last year I never did and ended up with ice cyrstals after it was bottled and refridg. my celler never drops below 70 degrees, so if yours is cooler it may drop by itself. I would draw off a bottle and put in the refridg for a couple of days and see if it stays clear before you bottle

Rob

 

[ffemt128]

one thing to keep in mind is Brianna is a cold climate grape which does have a high acid content. I cs all of mine, last year I never did and ended up with ice cyrstals after it was bottled and refridg. my celler never drops below 70 degrees, so if yours is cooler it may drop by itself. I would draw off a bottle and put in the refridg for a couple of days and see if it stays clear before you bottle

Rob

Right now my cellar is between 55-58 degrees and in the summer doesn't get above 68. It's been dropping acid since fermentation stopped. I'm about due to rack this again I think. Maybe today or tomorrow then I can see if it is still dropping acid.

 

[ffemt128]

I racked this again yesterday. Sg was .992. I took 1 750 ml bottle and backsweetened to 1.002 (20g of sugar) and it was just about perfect in my opinion. I'll wait another month to see if anything else drops out then back sweeten middle to the end of January. My wife thought this was outstanding.

Thanks Rob and Steve.

 

[djrockinsteve]

As great as it tastes now just wait.