Chilean Juice first timer.

[FTC Wines]

I picked up 3 juice buckets, 2 Cabs, one Malbec, from Prado Grapes in Riverview Fl on Sat. Added a tsp of tannin, a lb of organic raisins mushed, and a lb of store bought Chilean red grapes. Today, SG 1.055, I'm going to flavor pack /chaptilize with a qt of Home Winery Cab concentrate per Each 6 gal bucket. Hope this will kick up the results! Wasn't very impressed with my last/first bucket. Roy

 

[WineYooper]

Pittsburg127, being my first time I elected to add the bentonite at start of ferment which will help clearing according to the tutorials on this site. If it were me I would add KMS and sorbate if you are going to backsweeten, if not, skip the sorbate. Depending on quantity of gross lees transferred from primary to secondary I would think about degassing and racking at this time, if not a lot was transferred I would think about degassing in the carboy, adding in the kms premixed in a small amount of water, especially if there is not much head space, this is where you could have a volcano if you just add powdered kms to carboy. Normally I add kms when I am racking from primary to secondary. My first racking after transfer to secondary is about 3 weeks but I judge by how much sediment I see in the bottom of carboy, if you degass well on racking to secondary you may not see as much drop out. Sorry if this is confusing, work is getting in the way. Will repost more later.

 

[divertab2]

I just got three pails, two frozen red musts (grapes and juice) and one frozen white (juice only). They were shipped frozen on a Wednesday, I received them on Friday, not frozen solid, more like slush. Put them into 7.9 gallon buckets and 24 hours later they were at 65 degrees. That's three days from frozen to fermenting temps, and it's 74 in my fermenting area.

Were it me, I'd get it, bring it home, transfer to fermenting buckets with loose lids or towels, and take the trip, it'll just be getting going when you return. Plenty time to stir.

Where did you get the juice from ? I must be missing those who ship?
Why the loose lids with towels? I always close the primary and either airlock or in the Chileans, use the port that comes with it

 

[Johnd]

@divertab2,

Buckets are from Brehm Vineyards, a Zinfandel and Pinot Grigio from Sonoma. Nice service they have, grapes are destemmed and crushed into buckets and frozen, just thaw and continue the winemaking process from there.

I ferment all my stuff with loose lids or towels just to keep stuff out of the must. Nothing wrong with fermenting under airlock, just not necessary til you transfer to a carboy to complete alcoholic fermentation.

 

[Rodnboro]

I picked up 3 juice buckets, 2 Cabs, one Malbec, from Prado Grapes in Riverview Fl on Sat. Added a tsp of tannin, a lb of organic raisins mushed, and a lb of store bought Chilean red grapes. Today, SG 1.055, I'm going to flavor pack /chaptilize with a qt of Home Winery Cab concentrate per Each 6 gal bucket. Hope this will kick up the results! Wasn't very impressed with my last/first bucket. Roy

I picked up mine today from Jacksonville. Did you check the acid and sg on yours? Mine are still cool, but the Malbec checked 1.078 sg, .3 TA, and 3.9 ph. the Merlot checked 1.088 sg, .3 TA, and 3.7 ph.

 

[Boatboy24]

I picked up mine today from Jacksonville. Did you check the acid and sg on yours? Mine are still cool, but the Malbec checked 1.078 sg, .3 TA, and 3.9 ph. the Merlot checked 1.088 sg, .3 TA, and 3.7 ph.

Does your pH meter compensate for temp?

 

[Rodnboro]

Does your pH meter compensate for temp?

Actually no, I didn't think of that. I'm going to check it again this morning at room temp. Thanks

 

[FTC Wines]

Rodnboro, my SG & PH was almost identical to yours. Didn't test TA. The raisins, grapes & Cab concentrate kicked up the SG to 1.104 ish. More in line to where I wanted to be. Ferment is going very strong, even at 67*. Smells wonderful, throughout the house! Roy

 

[Floandgary]

I picked up 5 buckets at Luva Bella on April 9th. I brought them home, and let them sit in the basement wine making room over night with a small heater set to 76 degrees. The next day I popped the lids, stirred them well and added some oak chips to the cab franc, malbec and zin. Left the oak out of the barbera and pinot grigio. Vigorous fermentation kicked in by the next morning. With a daily stirring the cab frac, malbec and barbera were down to .992ish within a week and racked to carboys. The zin and pinot grigio took about 11 days to get below .996. All are quietly finishing their fermentation in glass carboys. Being my first attempt at juice buckets, I'm not certain how I'll procced from here. Vacuum degassing? Use a clearing agent? Long bulk aging? I dunno. Any suggestions?

You've likely noticed that most who've been at this long enough to have a stock built up have learned and lean towards the TIME method. A year for most Reds is generally sufficient to naturally degas and clarify (rack-overs @3months). Nothing wrong with vacuum method if you have the equipment. Bucket juices/wines usually clear quite well by then too unless you've treated with (eg.) raisins, cherries, or other dried fruits. Your call and good luck!!

 

[Pittsburgh127]

You've likely noticed that most who've been at this long enough to have a stock built up have learned and lean towards the TIME method. A year for most Reds is generally sufficient to naturally degas and clarify (rack-overs @3months). Nothing wrong with vacuum method if you have the equipment. Bucket juices/wines usually clear quite well by then too unless you've treated with (eg.) raisins, cherries, or other dried fruits. Your call and good luck!!

My current plan is to vacuum degas and then clarify with Super-Kleer KC. I think... I do have about 500 bottles in my wine racks right now, so I'm going to try bulk age this for at least six months or more. I think... LOL

 

[thruhike00]

@divertab2,

Buckets are from Brehm Vineyards, a Zinfandel and Pinot Grigio from Sonoma. Nice service they have, grapes are destemmed and crushed into buckets and frozen, just thaw and continue the winemaking process from there.

I ferment all my stuff with loose lids or towels just to keep stuff out of the must. Nothing wrong with fermenting under airlock, just not necessary til you transfer to a carboy to complete alcoholic fermentation.

John,

how many bottles do you think you end up with out of a bucket from Brehm?

 

[Johnd]

John,

how many bottles do you think you end up with out of a bucket from Brehm?

My brix was 29ish on both pails, so I added nearly a gallon of acidulated water. As it stands today, I have racked off gross lees and am in MLF, one full carboy and a full 1/2 gallon glass jug. Without accounting for angels share in the barrel, I'm guessing 32 or 33 for two buckets, so 16 for 1.

YMMV depending on Brix adjustments. If I get 30 after the barrel, I'll be happy.

 

[trolo]

My current plan is to vacuum degas and then clarify with Super-Kleer KC. I think... I do have about 500 bottles in my wine racks right now, so I'm going to try bulk age this for at least six months or more. I think... LOL

I have made well over 10 buckets of juice now and I suggest to age at least 6 months. I rack out of primary into Carboy and kmeta let sit for about a month then rack off again. The forget about it for about 4 months. The I rack and sorbate back sweeten if needed and clearifer I like isinglass. The sit for about 2 weeks then bottle.

Please any corrections if I missed something haha.
Tom

 

[Johnd]

The Brehm buckets I did weren't juice buckets, they were grape must, grapes harvested, destemmed and crushed into buckets and frozen. If you're getting juice only buckets, your yield will be much higher than mine