Chile merlot grapes

[zadvocate]

Pick mine up this morning crushed destemmed and just ran numbers. My local shop said these are some of the best grapes he seen in a long time from Chile

Ph 3.48
Brix 23
TA 7.05

This was all done right after and had a temperature of 62°.
The numbers look good. I add some potmeta then after 2 hours I added lallzyme ex. I will pitch the yeast tomorrow along with Opti red then add ft rouge when Fermentation starts. I also plan on added VP 41 at 24 hours in with some Opti malo.

 

[geek]

Looking good, how are the prices this year for Chilean grapes?

 

[zadvocate]

26.50 a lug

 

[Ajmassa]

Wow. Almost identical to my plan! The only difference instead of Merlot I got Cabernet Sauvignon Charged $25 a lug

No k-meta for me though. Added the lallzyme EX.
Rest of additives tomorrow and then RC-212 followed by VP41 with actiML rehydrate then opti malo.
The numbers
Brix- 24. (Raised from 22)
TA - .70% (raised from .50%)
Ph - 3.9. Never changed after tartaric addition. Meter was killing me and had to go back to strips.

 

[Johnd]

Wow. Almost identical to my plan! The only difference instead of Merlot I got Cabernet Sauvignon Charged $25 a lug
View attachment 35878View attachment 35879
No k-meta for me though. Added the lallzyme EX.
Rest of additives tomorrow and then RC-212 followed by VP41 with actiML rehydrate then opti malo.
The numbers
Brix- 24. (Raised from 22)
TA - .70% (raised from .50%)
Ph - 3.9. Never changed after tartaric addition. Meter was killing me and had to go back to strips.

Amen!! On the Kmeta. I believe that the Kmeta they ship with, is already on the high side, and that's what stifled my MLF in last years chileans.

Get the meter spruced back up pronto. 3.9 is kinda high, if it's right, AF and MLF should be routine, but will bring your pH up further, and you'll want to know what the real number is for SO2 management, and any acid adjustments. You can't trust those strips.

 

[terrymck]

I also plan on added VP 41 at 24 hours in

Wait! You are starting MLF before primary is done?

 

[Ajmassa]

I am, yes. It seems that's what zadvocate is doing also. Right after the "lag phase" of the yeast. Which is Right after the yeast starts to show visible activity

 

[Ajmassa]

Bucked up and grabbed a nice $85 ph meter today. Luckily today I was working in an area near a local shop that I've been meaning to check out anyway.

Strips were not very close
Ph- 3.4
Feeling much better about it.
Added my oak, rouge, and opti red
Rehydrated yeast with go-ferm. (First time rehydrating yeast. The jury is still out if ill continue). I didn't have time to wait for activity. I just followed the instructions to a T, with the time frames, temperatures, and must addition. Pitched it, stirred it in, placed the lid, and had to go. No concerns

 

[ceeaton]

I see that our suppliers all got grapes from the same source (I noticed the lug containers looked identical). Just today I was asking Harford Vineyards where they got their grapes and they said a supplier in Jersey...

BTW, I put the "pads" from the grapes in the kitchen trash can and could smell Kmeta when I opened it to throw out some dinner trash tonight...think that is a big source of sulfites that may affect MLB performance.

Also note the packing date on the label, wow!

 

[Boatboy24]

Interesting. That's a new looking label for Harford.

 

[ceeaton]

Interesting. That's a new looking label for Harford.

I was wondering about that. Never saw that label, not that I was looking for it, or that I've been ordering from them every Spring for that long. Like I said in the other post, the grapes were good, but not up to the normal level that I've come to expect in the Spring. That's why I'm watching this thread now to see what these guys think of what they received this Spring and how their wines turn out.

 

[Johnd]

Bucked up and grabbed a nice $85 ph meter today. Luckily today I was working in an area near a local shop that I've been meaning to check out anyway.

Strips were not very close
Ph- 3.4
Feeling much better about it.
Added my oak, rouge, and opti red
Rehydrated yeast with go-ferm. (First time rehydrating yeast. The jury is still out if ill continue). I didn't have time to wait for activity. I just followed the instructions to a T, with the time frames, temperatures, and must addition. Pitched it, stirred it in, placed the lid, and had to go. No concerns

A very smart move!! pH is too important to take very lightly. Now you have more of the info you need to make the right moves at the right times.

 

[zadvocate]

My starting pH was 3.48 and my total acidity was 7.05 I just tested now after pressing and racking in my pH says that is 3.30 and TA IS 7.65. I test mlf with accuvin malic acid test kit which said my I was at 30 ppm.

Doesn't really make sense to me. I suspect there's something wrong with my TA kit or my pH meter but it's new everything is fairly new I did nuke the sample for 15 seconds to get the CO2 out


Mouth feel is really good and it is a little tart but overall taste good.