Cellar Craft Cellar Craft Cab/Shiraz - Too Much Liquid

[robie]

I started my Cellar Craft Cab/Shiraz last evening.



Seems I have a steep learning curve going here... maybe steeper than most.

Per instructions, I added the must, then the water to come up to the
23L point. At a later step the instructions say to add the bentonite, which was
soaking in 2 CUPS of water. I also re-hydrate my yeast, so it was in
some additional water.



Since I had already brought the liquid level up to 23 L (per instructions), by the time I added those two ingredients, I had more than 23 L of
liquid. That is a pretty good sized grape pack (2L); once I added it, I have a pretty full bucket. I
hope my 7.9 gallon bucket doesn't foam up too much.



I am less worried about overflowing the bucket as I am that those two watery additions are going to water-down my wine.



NEXT TIME: I will leave the liquid level in my fermentor a half-liter low
until after I add the watery ingredients. Once they are added, I'll
top off to 23L, then add the grape pack. Wish the instructions would have pointed this out. Yes I know, I should think a little for myself.

Taking out liquid might keep the bucket from overflowing but it won't change the fact that the wine is watered-down.

 

[xanxer82]

it shouldn't affect it too much. Make sure your SG readings are good and you should be fine.

 

[ibglowin]

The wine will be fine. The instructions say to make it up to the 23L mark with out the grape pack so the addition of the grape pack is going to make it go above the 23L mark by design. Your only over ~ 16 oz really. You will not taste that and I guarantee you you will love the wine and it will in no way taste watered down after the magic of the grape pack gets fully extracted!

It may foam up for a couple of days but just keep punching down the grape pack and give it a stir a couple of times a day for the first week. Snap the lid around 1.03 and add the airlock but keep punching the pack down daily.

This hobby is very forgiving!

 

[grapeman]

Most of the kits have a bit extra allowed in them for these incidental water additions. Believe me, by the time you rack, you will still likely be below 23 liters, so a couple cups will not make much of a difference.

 

[robie]

Thanks,





I' m sure the kit producers work at making their instructions clear. I
just wonder if they let complete novices try to follow them, while the
instruction writers take notes. Maybe it is just me.

Maybe the extra liquid will keep me from having to top-off later. That is, if I can keep from spilling this time around.




Hey Mike, yes I think I am going to try to ferment to dry in the
primary fermentation bucket this time. I'll seal the lid and add the
airlock at 1.03 as you described.

Anyone care to comment on why I would want to do the last stage of fermentation in the carboy? Seems that with this kit, the longer I leave the wine on the lees and on the grape pack, the better, as long as things don't start rotting. I'll swirl the sealed bucket twice a day to keep the grape pack wet.

 

[ibglowin]

That one is easy. So you can get that bucket emptied and start on your next kit of course!

Remember to squeeze the heck out of the grape pack (with clean hands) at the end so you get all the goodness you can from those skins.

Anyone care to comment on why I would want to do the last stage of fermentation in the carboy? 

 

[vcasey]

I would not be concerned at all. You followed the directions the kit producer gave you, so they have already accounted for the extra liquid. Like appleman said most kit producers also allow for an extra liter or so of liquid so you and your kit will be fine. You really have to work at it to mess one of these up so sit back, have a glass of wine, and pick out your next kit.
While you are looking at kits, take a look at the 10 gallon fermenters. I picked up mine a couple of years ago when I bought the MMR Amarone (the one we all rave about) because I had read others saying the fermentation was pretty vigorous. Good thing I did because it came within a couple of inches from the top.

 

[Bartman]

I think you will be fine too. FYI, there are those of us that hold out some of the water that is supposed to be added, to (hopefully) intensify the finished product somewhat. What I usually do with the more-highly-concentrated kits (10-L VN, for example), is add water until it is about 1/2 to 3/4 inch below the six-gallon mark on the bucket. I believe that reduces the total starting must by about 1-2 liters, out of 23 L intended. It is debatable if that has a dramatic impact on the final product, but I think it has reduced the "thinness" to some extent.

I tasted one winemaker's finished product, about which he bragged that he limited the water addition to only 5 gallons total (out of a six gallon kit). It did not taste very good - it tasted like wine that had been exposed for so long it had started to dry up - that kind of "concentration" does NOT taste very good.

 

[robie]

Thanks, VCasey.
This evening I will find out if I needed a 10-gallon bucket. It should be bubbling strongly by the time I get home.

The ten-gallon bucket does make sense. I have heard others write about some of the all-juice/fresh juice coming very close to spilling over the top of a 7.9.

Hey Bart, you read my mind. I have been wondering if anyone every held back on the water and if so, what affect it might have.

Thanks everyone for the advice support.

 

[uavwmn]

Dancer, all is well with your wine as you are following the directions as stated. It should not taste watered down.

 

[robie]

This morning I had foam and oak shavings stuck to the lid of my 7.9 gal fermentor bucket. It came close to overflowing, but I think I am OK.

I had the brew belt on, because the bucket was a little cool yesterday and fermentation had hardly started. I didn't take the temp this morning, but I have one of those temperature strips on the side of my bucket. The temperature was off the strip's chart, so it was at least 80 in the bucket this morning, because fermentation has taken off.

The brew belt is now off. This guy is doing fine on his own. No need to hurry the process.

Oh, I tasted the CCraft cab/shiraz yesterday; man! it was really tasty.

 

[ibglowin]

Just keep an eye on the temp strip on the bucket. They are actually quite accurate once you sorta get your eye calibrated to read it properly. Keep it between 70-78 with the brew belt on when it needs to be.

 

[robie]

Thanks Mike,

Yep, with my last (and first) kit, I had to do put the brew belt on and off. We lower our thermostat to 58 at night, then again during the day when we are gone.

The nighttime temperature can get down in the 50's in our basement where my fermentor is located, so the belt comes in handy at night at the start of fermentation and again after it slows down at the end. As you know, we can get some pretty chilly days, too.

I'll watch it closely.

 

[ArdenS]

DancerMan, I read somewhere in this forum that you can move the belt up and down to adjust the temperature. Move it closer to the bottom for warmer temp, and up for cooler temp. I don't have a brew belt myself, but that sounded like a useful tip.

Arden

 

[ibglowin]

Speaking of, we got hammered again yesterday with another 6 inches of the white stuff and another storm supposed to hit us on Sunday. Got 4 inches last week as well......

Sooooo ready for Spring!

 

[robie]

Thanks Arden. The belt is pretty handy, especially for a cooler climate, like Colorado. The belt helps to get fermentation started, when it is really cold.

...

Mike, yesterday, we got less than 1 inch from the same storm. I figure you get snow from the same storms as Wolf Creek Pass. That's too bad, unless you really like the white stuff.

Most people think Colorado Springs gets more snow and cold than we actually do. It is really a pleasant place to live, not to mention the view. I live along the top of a high bluff and have a great night time view of the city below and Pikes Peak in the distance. (It all goes well with a nice chewy red or a delightful viognier in the summer.)

 

[ibglowin]

I like CS, nice town. Housing prices are not too bad. Nice amount of goods and services. Good place to stop for a bite to eat and gas on the way to Denver. Have thought about it as a potential place to retire to in a few years but the wife wants "someplace where it doesn't freeze"

Looks like AZ may be in our future!

 

[robie]

Like any place else, we can have occasional hot days, but a typical hot day in Colorado Springs is about 84 degrees. The average low at night in the summer is about 58.

I'll take a cooler winter any day in CS over a 100+ degree summer day in Arizona. Although, there are some milder climates some places in Arizona, maybe Sedona. Flagstaff is a pretty cold place. Sedona is really a beautiful place; other than the isolation, I possibly could live there.

 

[ibglowin]

I'm thinking Summer home, Winter home!

 

[robie]

It appears that fermentation might have stopped on this Cellar Craft Showcase Cab/shiraz kit at 1.000 (temperature adjusted).

I was gone for 3 days. When I left the SG was 1.000. While gone, the temperature in the fermentation room dropped lower than I would like and the temp of the wine was about 64 degrees when I returned home. That was 3 days ago and the SG is still 1.000!

About 12 hours ago I warmed the room and got the wine back up to about 75 degrees with the brew belt, but no signs of fermentation has shown, yet. The air lock has not been bounced (bubbled) and there is no sign of fizzing.

If (if!) the fermentation doesn't start back in a day or so, what would be my best course of action on this kit?